‘This was no cry for help… I wanted to die’ – brave Dundee woman Zana speaks out about her mental health battle

‘This was no cry for help… I wanted to die’ – brave Dundee woman Zana speaks out about her mental health battle

Jul 13, 2020 | Carseview, Crisis Centre, General, Media, Mental Health, NHS Scotland, NHS Tayside, Not in Vain for Lee, Scottish Government, Suicide, Zana Grant

 After being rescued from the freezing waters of the River Tay, Zana Grant felt only one thing – disappointment.

The 25-year-old had attempted to take her own life in January 2018 but, having survived the harrowing experience, felt she had “failed”.

In a candid account of a life spent battling her own mental health issues, Zana has bravely discussed what brought her to the edge on numerous occasions over the past few years.

She has also backed calls for a 24-hour crisis facility for people in Dundee who are at their lowest ebb.

Discussing her experience being rescued from the Tay over two years ago, Zana said: “I did not want to survive, I had no idea that I would survive. This was no cry for help, I wanted to die.

“I just wanted the pain I was suffering from to end. I had made my peace and wasn’t even particularly distressed when I took the decision.

“I remember it all clearly – I was so disappointed I was still alive.”

Zana has been rescued from the river twice since her first experience.

She told the Tele she will reach a point of crisis again and cannot guarantee she will not make attempts on her own life again.

Despite her own demons, Zana is training to be a mental health nurse and is also a qualified crisis volunteer.

She has made the difficult decision to speak out about her own battle as she calls for a self-referral crisis centre to be introduced in the city to help hundreds of others like her.

In bravely telling her story, Zana hopes the authorities take notice of what people are going through on a daily basis.

A crisis centre, Zana believes, would help people like her who feel they have nowhere to turn when they reach rock bottom.

A campaign led by Phil Welsh, whose son Lee took his own life in 2017, has called for a 24/7 crisis centre in Dundee.

It would operate similar to those elsewhere in Scotland, providing access to counsellors and support in a home-like environment allowing people time and space to seek appropriate help.

Zana said: “If by speaking out I can make people sit up and listen to my story and understand the dreadful mental health crisis that is taking place in Dundee then it will have been worth it.

“Dundee needs this centre. It would give people somewhere to go when they are at their very lowest and in their darkest hour.

“I don’t know if it would have prevented me doing what I did but it would have given me an option. At the crisis moments I would have had somewhere to turn instead of having to wait six or seven hours to speak to someone, which is the way the system works currently.”

Zana admits she has probably been suffering from mental issues for her whole life.

It was only when she reached secondary school that it became clear what was going on inside her own head.

She has been on medication, had a number of doctors appointments but has yet to receive a definitive diagnosis.

Zana also spent five months in the Carseview Centre and, although praising the staff and help she received there, admits it alone cannot deal with the demand and needs of those suffering mental health.

“There is something very far lacking in the mental health help that is available in Dundee,” Zana said.

“I know I need help. I have a constant need to die and it is very likely I will try again.

“On one occasion when I tried to take my own life, I told hospital doctors I’d attempt to do it again if I was released.”

Zana did make another attempt shortly after her release, only to be rescued by emergency services.

She knows that her battle is far from over – but hopes others can gain courage from reading about what she has gone through.

Zana said: “I have thought long and hard about going public with this. But I am ready to do it .

“Something needs to be done and if by speaking out it helps someone else and helps to get things changed then it will have been worth it.”

Charities back calls for crisis centre

Leading Dundee charities have backed calls for a 24-hour crisis centre in the city – and said more must be done to support those in need.

Feeling Strong and 18 and Under, who both support young people suffering from mental health issues, have insisted there would be huge benefits to having a drop-in centre in the city which would give people a first port of call if they are struggling.

Laurie Matthew, who founded 18 and Under, said: “I totally agree – a 24/7 crisis centre is needed in Dundee.

“I would like to see it extended to also cater for young people.

“Many mental health issues begin during teenage years and it is so difficult for young people to get support and help when they need it.

“I have known young people to have to wait up to a year to get proper support. It is outrageous.

“If they could have access to a 24/7 centre when they needed it we might go a long way to preventing mental health issues and problems developing and becoming even worse.”

Brook Marshall, project director of Feeling Strong, said: “We already support the idea of a 24/7 centre in the city.

“There are equivalent centres in other parts of Scotland and these have had a huge impact on mental health and well being.

“It is time that Dundee City Council, the Scottish Government and the NHS realised how big a mental health problem we have in Dundee and how important a centre like this in the city could be.”

Scottish Government has their say

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Government said: “Mental health and wellbeing is a top priority for the Scottish Government and we want to ensure mental health crisis services are available for all those in distress whenever they need them.

“We have funded NHS 24 to increase the support it provides by telephone. We have also extended the Distress Brief Intervention programme to support people contacting NHS 24 in distress from anywhere in Scotland, subject to assessment of individual callers’ needs.

“NHS Tayside and its partners are working on the redesign of mental health services and supports in response to the recommendations of the Strang report. This will include improving the local response to people in mental health crisis.”

Get help: Hotlines for suicide support charities

If you’re feeling low or suicidal, there are a number of helplines you can call and gain
support from trained professionals. They are:

Samaritans – for everyone. Call: 116 123 Email: jo@samaritans.org

Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) – for men. Call: 0800 58 58 58 – 5pm to midnight every day. Visit the webchat page.

Papyrus – for people under 35. Call: 0800 068 41 41 – Monday to Friday 9am to 10pm, weekends and bank holidays 2pm to 10pm. Text: 07860 039967. Email: pat@papyrus-uk.org.

Childline – for children and young people under 19. Call: 0800 1111 – the number will not show up on your phone bill.

Link to Evening Telegraph article here 

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Video: City councillors back 24-hour crisis centre for Dundee following incident on Tay Bridge

Video: City councillors back 24-hour crisis centre for Dundee following incident on Tay Bridge

Jul 5, 2020 | Crisis Centre, Mental Health, NHS Scotland, NHS Tayside, Not in Vain for Lee, Suicide, Tay Bridge

Dundee City Council’s leader has backed calls for a 24-hour crisis centre for people struggling with mental health problems – after admitting support services in the city “have not been good enough”.

Campaigners have previously urged public bodies in Dundee to fund and open a 24/7 mental health crisis centre in the city following previous cases of self-harm and suicide.

Members of Dundee Fighting for Fairness (DFFF) previously said people are “crying out” for a unit they can go to at times of crisis.

The parents of Lee Welsh and Dale Thomson – two young men who both took their lives after serious bouts of mental health problems and depression – have been outspoken on their support for such a facility.

The issue came to the fore again after a person was helped from the Tay Road Bridge on Thursday. The bridge has now been seen as a “crisis area” according to councillor Lynne Short – with numerous people rescued by emergency services on the bridge and surrounding area.

Ms Short is a member of the Tay Road Bridge board, and has spoken openly about her struggles with her own mental health in the past.

Speaking to the Tele in a video interview, councillor Short, who represents Maryfield, said: “The bridge staff work really, really hard to support people, and I can only thank them enough for all that support that they do give.

“It’s just really unfortunate that people in the city do see that area as being somewhere to find help.

“I recognise it, as an individual, and I’ve always found the support I’ve needed. That’s why I’ve always been very open about my struggles with my mental health, and the fact that we can talk about it nowadays.

Maryfield councillor Lynne Short spoke about the matter during a video interview.

The council leader echoed Ms Short’s views, and cited the Strang Report’s findings into mental health.

The chief executive of NHS Tayside, Grant Archibald, publicly apologised to patients, family and staff for the failings of mental health services laid bare in his damning report in February this year.

Mr Strang’s Trust and Respect report identified 51 recommendations to be implemented to improve mental health services in Tayside.

Strathmartine councillor Mr Alexander said: “The Strang Review, which was pretty hard-hitting, gave some very serious, well-thought out recommendations.

“One of the key recommendations was around this kind of idea of a support centre that was accessible to members of the public at any point in time.”

However, the council leader questioned whether the bridge would be the best place for a centre, because people may feel uncomfortable seeking help at such a visible location.

© DC Thomson
John Alexander joined the Tele for a video interview with colleague Lynne Short.

“You have to be conscious and listen to people who have real-life experience, rather than a politician saying, ‘I think it needs to be here’,” he added.

NHS Tayside was approached for comment

 

Link to Evening Telegraph article here 

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Emergency services attend as woman is rescued from the Tay

Emergency services attend as woman is rescued from the Tay

Jun 17, 2020 | Broughty Ferry Lifeboat, Carseview, Crisis Centre, General, Media, Mental Health, NHS Scotland, NHS Tayside, Not in Vain for Lee, Scottish Government, Suicide

A female was rescued from the Tay by emergency services late last night.

The woman, who has not been identified, was hauled out of the water close to City Quay just before 11.30pm.

She was transferred to a waiting ambulance. The woman was reported to be very cold but otherwise uninjured.

Emergency services including Police Scotland, Scottish Ambulance Service, Broughty Ferry Lifeboat crew and two coastguard teams from Dundee and Arbroath raced to the scene shortly after the alarm was raised at 10.55pm.

A spokesman for HM Coastguard said they received a call from police saying that a female was in the water just off City Quay.

The spokesman said: “Emergency services, including both Broughty Ferry lifeboats, raced to the scene to the woman’s aid.

“The woman was traced by the RNLI crew and she was pulled on to the inshore lifeboat.

“She was then transferred to a waiting ambulance. She was conscious and breathing but was very cold.”

The Tay rescue is the second in three days for the volunteer Broughty Ferry lifeboat crew.

On Sunday they rescued a woman who was seen to enter the water opposite City Quay and began swimming out into the river.

The woman, who had been overwhelmed by the current, was saved by the crew of Broughty Ferry lifeboat who managed to haul her out of the water just as she was going under.

A spokeswoman for Police Scotland said: “Around 11.10pm on Tuesday, 16 June, police were called to a report of a woman in the River Tay near to City Quay in Dundee.

“The woman was rescued from the water and taken by ambulance to Ninewells Hospital to be checked over then later released.”

 

Link to Evening Telegraph story here  

 

 

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Campaigner warns Tayside could be faced with mental health pandemic following coronavirus lockdown

Campaigner warns Tayside could be faced with mental health pandemic following coronavirus lockdown

Apr 24, 2020 | Corona, Covid 19, Depression, NHS cuts, NHS Scotland, Not in Vain for Lee, Suicide, Young People

Campaigner Phil Welsh believes Dundee could be on the cusp of a mental health pandemic at the end of the coronavirus crisis – as hundreds across the city struggle to cope during the nationwide lockdown.

Mr Welsh, whose son Lee took his own life in 2017, has fears over the future and thinks the current situation the country finds itself in is likely to set people back in a battle against anxiety and depression.

The Tele has spoken to one man, who wished to remain anonymous and is currently battling depression, about his struggles and he admitted that he had contemplated taking his own life throughout the lockdown, with isolation and loneliness playing a major part in his life.

Mr Welsh believes it is one of many examples of people struggling across the area – and believes a number of factors could be seeing even those living “normal lives” struggling with mental health conditions.

He said: “When the end of this Covid-19 crisis becomes apparent, my fear is the country will be faced with another pandemic, a mental health one.

“Isolation, social distancing, people being furloughed from their place of work will be playing a part because, it’s perhaps the case that work is the only social interaction many people have.

“My fear is those who in `normal` times have had no issues with mental health, may, through this unprecedented experience, begin to develop depression or anxiety.

“Added to this pressure, third sector organisations which are normally available to offer support to people with mental health issues are not available in the usual sense.”

Mr Welsh added: “These are challenging times with no rule book available.

“When we come out of this, we are going to be faced with a broken economy, a stretched to the max NHS and a mental health crisis such like the country has never experienced before.”

Crisis Centre | Not In Vain For Lee

Indea Ogilvie, who has recently taken over the the Let’s Talk Tayside support group, said that she was noticing many more people are asking for help help.

The Facebook page, which helps those suffering from mental health issues, supports many across the region and Ms Ogilvie believes there will be an even bigger demand for those sorts of groups in the coming months.

She said: “There is definitely an increase in messages from people facing mental health concerns.

“However there is also an an increase in people helping others out.

“I have been in touch with people personally and many others are also offering words of support and comforting each other at this difficult time.”

 

Link to Evening Telegraph here

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Dundee filmmaker hopes short film will help men in city open up about mental health struggles

Dundee filmmaker hopes short film will help men in city open up about mental health struggles

Mar 21, 2020 | Mind Yersel, NHS cuts, NHS failures, NHS Scotland, NHS Tayside, Not in Vain for Lee

A Dundee filmmaker has released a short online video aimed at helping men in the city open up about their mental health battles.

“Mind Yersel” is a short, three minute film by 21-year-old,  Bonnie MacRae, and explores the devastating topic of male suicide in the city – which has the highest rate in Scotland.

“I watched first hand how suicide can affect a family, I’ve dealt with depression myself and then I came across an article saying Dundee was Scotland’s suicide capital and it wasn’t something that I was willing to just accept,” Bonnie said.

“When I first had the idea to turn the piece into a short film, I knew I wanted it to be totally about Dundee.”

The film features a small cast who all hail from the City of Discovery, something which Bonnie felt was pivotal to the project.

She added: “Every person featured in the film is born and bred Dundee, and that was really important to me.

“Real boys in Dundee need to see themselves represented in the media, they need to know that they’re not alone in feeling a certain way. I have a younger brother and wanted him to watch it and see a little bit of himself in the film.”

The young filmmaker, who is from Broughty Ferry, was also full of praise for the film’s leading man, who narrated the short video and also appeared on camera throughout.

“Stephen McMillan features and I think he’s totally done both Dundee and the topic justice,” Bonnie said.

“He was on board with the film as soon as he read the script having personally experienced similar issues. He genuinely inspires me and I’m so lucky to have had him involved, Dundee should be proud of him.

“I think it’s had such a big impact already because of how close to home it hits. People watch and see someone opening up who speaks the same way they do, who walks the same streets as them – that was imperative.

Bonnie hopes that through watching the video, people of all ages and backgrounds in the city will be encouraged to seek help if they are struggling and hopefully save lives.

She added: “This film isn’t me preaching on how to cure depression, but I hope that in making the film I’ve started a long overdue conversation that needed to be had in Dundee.”

 

Link to Evening Telegraph article here 

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‘I have to live my life two hours at a time’: Former Carseview patient on his mental health battle

‘I have to live my life two hours at a time’: Former Carseview patient on his mental health battle

Mar 14, 2020 | Carseview, NHS Scotland, NHS Tayside, Not in Vain for Lee, Scottish Government, Suicide

A man whose entire adult life has been plagued by mental health difficulties believes a 24-hour crisis centre for those suffering in Tayside would be a “great idea”.

Marc McLeish backed the Not in Vain for Lee campaign aimed at setting up a round-the-clock self-referral service, warning vulnerable people desperately need more support resources across the region.

The 33-year-old, from Perth, said: “If something like that existed in Tayside, it would be great.

“I have probably had about 40 emergency assessments in total but in almost 90% of these, I have been sent away with no treatment.

“If there was somewhere that was 24 hours, then it could be the case that I would not have self-harmed as much as I have.

“It would be great to have one in Perth as well but Dundee would be a good start.”

Marc, who was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder aged 23, has spent his entire adulthood battling his demons and the years since his school days have been marred by repeated incidents of self-harming and multiple hospital stints.

“I have been a prolific self-harmer since I was in my teens and I have probably done it up to 100 times in 17 years.

“I always felt like I was a bad person because I was gay and I believed I needed to be punished, so that’s what I have done.”

Marc’s struggles with his mental health have had a profound impact on his day-to-day life and he admits he has difficulty coping. He added: “I really don’t have a very good quality of life.

“For me right now, it’s not a day at a time but rather two hours at a time and that’s what’s getting me through.”

Marc spoke about his mixed experiences with health services throughout his struggles, having been admitted to hospitals in both his hometown and Dundee.

“My GP practice has been fantastic, but there is definitely a lack of resources in Tayside.”

Marc’s most recent stint in hospital was just last month, when he spent five days in the Carseview Centre in Dundee after being admitted following an appointment with his GP.

He said: “In Carseview, I felt people were left to their own devices.

“I asked my named nurse for a razor, saying I wanted to shave and I was told that as long as I wasn’t going to harm myself, I could have it.

“I then severely harmed my right arm with the razor and the wounds were gaping wide.

“I discussed with my family whether I should leave and we came to the joint decision that I should.”

A spokeswoman for NHS Tayside said: “Due to patient confidentiality, we are unable to comment on matters relating to individual patients.

“However, we can confirm we are in direct contact with the patient’s family.”

 

Link to Evening Telegraph article here 

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