Led by our EDI group, the Mental Health Awareness Week sessions gave us a chance to reflect on how being part of the Headway community supports our members’ mental health.
We heard powerful stories from members finding strength and support in the Headway community by watching extracts from our drama group performance This is not a performance, this is us!
You can watch Sean, Sevin and Lina’s story below,
Insights from Chris and the group
Our member Chris Miller, who is part of the EDI group, facilitated one of the sessions. We asked him to share more about what was discussed.
“During the session, we explored what mental health means for each of us. Maintaining your mental health can be difficult, and after having a brain injury it is several times more difficult. One member described feeling “emotionally blunted”, while another spoke about dealing with depression. Both are quite common after the brain injury.”
created in the Headway art studio
The group reflected on the impact of joining Headway:
“Headway has been very incredibly important to all of us for different reasons. Perhaps the most important being the community feeling. After a brain injury you can feel like you are the only one going through it – completely alone. At Headway, you are accepted as a person. A person with a brain injury, yes, but still a person. You get to meet and talk to people who have gone through similar experiences to you – and lived through it despite them.”
Being part of a community often means being able to share your experience and support others to re-discover their identity and start a new journey:
“You can offer help and advice to new Headway members, and this helps you to feel valued. Helping and sharing helps your own mental health too.”
Members shared useful advice and examples of how to improve our mental wellbeing:
“It’s important to keep your mind active. For some people that’s doing puzzles, reading or anything that stretches your mind. It is important to develop your creativeness – be it art, cooking, writing or music. Headway is very good at encouraging people’s creativity in all these ways.”
Exercising your body is also vital:
“Headway has a gym where members are encouraged to exercise in different ways. One of our members, who is a former weightlifter champion, regularly lifts weights despite being in a wheelchair.”
Chris and the group felt that: “exercise (physical and mental), creativity and, above all community, are vital for people with ABI. Headway East London helps us to hold onto our (relative) sanity.”
