Anthony's Story | Step into Wellness

Anthony

Anthony is 46 years old, is based in East Cornwall and has no immediate family. Anthony recently attended a Step into Wellness course, hoping that it would help him alleviate his anxiety and better manage stressful situations.

This is his story.

Overcrowding

Anthony has always found crowded areas hard to navigate, and this could be especially challenging if the large crowd is packed full of people he doesn't know. Anthony has been struggling with this condition for many years. His stress levels increased due to his employment, where he was working nights, which grew into a deep depression and had a huge negative impact on his mental well-being.

Anthony had to take time off work for many months. He has been trying to find coping mechanisms and support so that he can return to employment. It was suggested, by a local Social Prescriber, that he could attend a Step Into Wellness course in his area.

First Steps

During the first session, Jan, Step into Wellness lead, noticed that Anthony was very quiet and did not engage or contribute to the discussions - he felt that it was all a little overwhelming.

As the course progressed slowly, week by week, Anthony began interacting more, opening up, and talking about the topics covered during the Step into Wellness sessions - including the NHS's 5 Steps to Wellbeing (link here). He began to feel safe with like-minded people and was not worried or frightened to contribute his thoughts, explaining what matters to him.

It became clear that the sessions were beginning to have a very positive impact on his wellbeing; he started going back to the local gym, which was something he hadn't done for many years. Before long, Anthony was attending the gym three times a week and felt so much better for it - both physically, emotionally, and mentally.

Gaining Confidence

Slowly but surely, he became more confident and grew. Anthony went to see his employers about his work situation, explaining that he wasn't able to work his current shift pattern due to the negative impact it was having on his mental well-being. They offered him a redundancy package, which he was delighted about, and he has since finished work and concentrated on getting better.

The great news is that Anthony is now actively looking for a job that suits his needs. He is also ready to move out of the county to live with his fiancé, which is something he didn't think he would be able to do due to the pressures of a house move. Anthony's whole character and demeanour have changed for the better. He is more confident, feels calmer, understands and is aware of the signs of his anxiety and how to deal with it. He knows where he is going and what he wants to do with his life. His outlook has shifted and he is very optimistic and looking forward to the future.

“What a brilliant team, very informative and I would highly recommend Step into Wellness to anyone”