“The online course was very good and there was no time requirement, so I could complete it when and where I wanted, which was really helpful as I could fit it around my other commitments or take a break if I wasn’t feeling up to it.”
Steve, Retired Training Officer of Community First Responders, Reading
Steve came to TASC when he was struggling with his mental health. TASC arranged for Steve to have access to online training modules to manage his anxiety and depression. Here’s Steve’s story:
“I retired from the ambulance service last year following a 34-year career which included working as a technician, a stint in the air ambulance, and finally as a training officer for Community First Responders (CFRs).
I’ve struggled with my anxiety and depression for a number of years but it’s been especially severe recently. I dreaded going to sleep as it meant I had to face another day. I was going to bed really late and using alcohol to help me sleep, but when I woke up I was terrified to get up and start the day. I didn’t want to carry on living and was very close to suicidal.
One of my CFRs knew I was struggling and said that TASC may be able to help. My CFR contacted the charity for me and asked for someone to give me a call. I spoke to a wonderful woman called Angie and we had a really good chat where I explained how I was feeling and Angie really pushed and motivated me to fill in the application form. I could really relate to Angie and felt like she and TASC really wanted to help me, which was a great feeling as I previously hadn’t received much support from my employer.
After I applied for support, I was really happy to find out that TASC were going to provide free online support modules for me to learn how to manage my anxiety and depression. The online course was very good and there was no time requirement, so I could complete it when and where I wanted, which was really helpful as I could fit it around my other commitments or take a break if I wasn’t feeling up to it. I can also go back over the course as many times as I want to refresh my memory.
Since completing the course I feel a lot better. Now I’m actually looking forwards to the future and not dreading going to bed. Now when I wake up in the morning, I’m not terrified to get up, instead, I’m thinking ‘what am I going to do today?’ It’s a great feeling.
Angie and the TASC team were brilliant! I’ve had some bad experiences in the past when accessing help, but I really felt like they wanted to help me.”
Steve, Retired Training Officer of Community First Responders, Reading