Growing awareness in mental health

A NEW LIFE:Paul Clabby overcame mental health difficulties with the support of Grow, and now he is helping other young adults

FOUR YEARS AGO, Paul Clabby found it hard to get out of bed, and everyday life drained him to a state of depression. But then he picked up a pamphlet that literally turned him around.

Linking in with the peer-support organisation Grow offered the Galwayman the chance to improve his own mental wellbeing and kick-start a new direction in his life – helping others to overcome their problems.

Clabby’s own experience of mental health issues started in college when he used cannabis. “It was a gradual thing,” he recalls. “At the start it wasn’t a problem but then, over about a month, I started to get negative side effects.”

At first he developed a social phobia, and the previously enjoyable college buzz became a source of anxiety.

“I found it very difficult to interact with people at lunchtime. That led on to panic attacks and I might have to try to excuse myself from class. I would feel very uncomfortable in a confined area and I would have to leave.”

It was a disturbing time for the post-graduate computing student.

“I couldn’t understand why I was feeling anxious, so it was confusing, and I used to get mood swings because I thought I should be able to be in control of how I feel and think,” he says. “And eventually, over time, because it was draining for me mentally, that led on to depression.”

In the summer break, Clabby ended up in hospital for his condition, but decided to go back and continue his studies.

“It was quite difficult, but I enjoyed the course and I knew I had to try to finish it,” he says.

Yet while his professional life moved on and he started work in a medical device company, the mental health issues remained. “Life was still a struggle and I was keeping it to myself, trying to deal with day-to-day living and difficulties and anxiety.”

He even applied for the night shift, to minimise his interaction with people during the day.

“One of the hardest things was just getting up and about,” he says. “I would spend my weekends pretty much in bed. I’d have constant discussions with myself about the pros and cons of getting up for the day. I was getting to the stage where I would have to go back into hospital. I knew I needed something.”

That something turned up in the form of an information pamphlet that Clabby came across about Grow, a peer-support organisation for people with mental health issues. He started to go to meetings, even though it was initially hard to overcome his anxiety.

“My main thing was social phobia so it was quite difficult for me to go to meetings,” he says. “But a lot of the other people there had experienced similar things and that was a huge help. I could take the mask off and if I needed to feel anxious I could do that, I didn’t have to put a face on it.”

Then after about a year, he was asked to become an organiser.

“That was one of the things I found helped me the most, that someone had the belief in me that they thought I was doing well and it was a good idea to take on responsibility,” he recalls. “It took me out of my comfort zone – not too much, but enough to push me on a bit.”

Clabby is now a young adult co-ordinator with Grow, an international organisation celebrating its 40th anniversary in Ireland. It offers a step-wise programme to acknowledge and overcome issues, but the primary support is through the meetings, run at more than 120 locations in the Republic and where people can help each other in confidence, he explains.

And while the international organisation mentions God in the programme of steps, there’s no mandatory spiritual element, explains Clabby. “It’s not religious. Grow is like an organisation of things that have helped people get through their mental health difficulties.”

Last year Clabby received a Vodafone World of Difference award to develop meetings nationally for people aged 18 to 30. “There’s quite a gap there,” he says.

“That’s the age when most people start experiencing mental health difficulties and there’s a lack of specific resources and it’s the age group as well where suicide is most prevalent.”

The Vodafone award provides Clabby with a year’s salary, which gives him more freedom to continue the voluntary work he had been doing, he says.

“The ultimate objective is to have more young adult groups around the country. And it’s a lot more constructive when the people are of a similar age, the young adults can get advice from their peers and feel qualified to give advice to other people. The real benefit of Grow is that it’s a two-way street, that over time when the person starts to improve they would give advice to other people.”

Grow’s free and non-denominational service is open to people of any age with any mental health issue, explains Clabby, but the GP or mental health professional should be the first port of call if a person is concerned about their mental wellbeing.

“We will always say the knowledge and the integrity of the doctor is paramount and it’s not to be discussed at the meeting. Whatever advice the doctor gives is the number one advice,” he explains.

“And there are numerous support organisations around the country to help people with difficulties. But the first thing is to make contact, to look for help even though it may feel like it’s a hopeless situation, there are other people out there who have experienced similar issues.”

Meanwhile, he continues to keep on top of his own mental wellbeing. “One of the worst things I could do is say I am where I want to be. It’s constant learning and development and I find it invigorating.”

• The Vodafone Ireland Foundation World of Difference 2009 programme offers four Irish people the opportunity to work in a charitable organisation with one year's salary up to €40,000. Applications can be submitted online via www.vodafoneirelandfoundation.ie before the closing date, February 20th at 5.30pm
• See grow.ie or call 1890 474474 during office hours