Mental health “warrior” Paul Edmundson has been to the brink and back again. It took two police officers and a dog walker to save his life when he had reached his lowest ebb, and now the former boxer and personal trainer is spreading the word that help is at hand for those who choose to ask for it.
He is teaming up with Torquay United, South Devon College and other organisations to spread the message of hope that gave him his own new lease of life.
The 37-year-old was standing in a patch of woodland in Torquay getting ready to take his own life when the passing dog walker made him hesitate, and later it was down to two dedicated police officers to find him a place where he could recover. “They saved my life,” he said.
Read more:Devon 'warrior' bravely battles back from brink of Torquay suicide
This week DevonLive launches its “Shatter The Silence” campaign to encourage anyone struggling to reach out and talk. It could be a friend, a relative, a charity or a professional.
“It is so important to take that first step and talk,” said Paul. “Shatter the silence. Speak to somebody. That gets everything in motion.”
Paul now runs the MMH Warriors self-help group - the MMH stands for Men’s Mental Health - meeting in person every week and offering advice and support on all the major social media platforms. The organisation has also recently set up a self-help group for women.
Speaking of his tie-up with the sports club, he said: “I always refer to Tyson Fury, as Heavyweight Champion of the World. He is six foot nine inches tall, weighs 20 stone, is a multi-millionaire, and has the world at his feet.
“He suffers with bipolar. It brings him to his knees, he’s cried many times, and he openly admits his struggles and his attempts at suicide. If it can affect a man as powerful and successful as that, and he can step forward and try and help others through his struggles, then I need to do the same. That’s what inspired me.
“It doesn’t make you weak, it makes you a man if you can own up to your own issues and struggles and ask for help.”
The group recently staged a successful charity boxing event in memory of Paul’s good friend Mike Ray, who was found dead in a park in Newton Abbot in October. Paul told DevonLive at the time: “I felt that I had failed because I didn’t get to reach Mike. It felt as if another one had slipped through the net.”
Recently Paul has been talking to students at South Devon College about their experiences with mental health, and his online videos are attracting big audiences. He wants to work more with teenagers and young people to emphasise the importance of talking, and asking for help. He plans to work with the YMCA in Torbay in the near future.
“Prevention is always better than cure,” he said. “We don’t necessarily see the end result of what we do through the MMH Warriors. We don’t always know the effect we have had. With many people, we just don’t know if we have reached them. But we see the building blocks, and I do get the odd message now and then to say that we have saved a life.”
Torquay United stepped up to get involved in light of Torbay having one of the highest suicide rates in the country. Paul explained: “I’ve suffered my whole life with borderline personality disorder, so I thought it would be great to give back from all those years of struggling and the many years of therapy, all the experience that I’ve gained.
“A problem shared is a problem halved, but that’s still not going to get to the root of the problem. You do need professional therapy, psychologists and counsellors, and that’s what I’m hoping to offer my groups. People who attend can get private therapy sessions funded for free.
“Predominantly I want to raise enough money and funding so people can get some private therapy and are not leaning on the NHS anymore. They don’t have the manpower or the funds, so sadly people are getting left, and suicides are at an all-time high. But it’s not about running them down, because I think they’re amazing, and we’re very lucky to have them.”
Shatter the Silence
The DevonLive Shatter the Silence campaign aims to encourage anyone struggling to reach out and talk - to either a friend, relative, charity or a professional. Our campaign content will highlight just how important talking is and the difference it can make.
Ultimately, we want to reduce the number of people who die by suicide in Devon. We will highlight where to get help and show how talking has helped people come through difficult times in their lives. We will speak to families who have lost loved ones to look at the lasting impact of suicide and attempt to dismiss the inaccurate belief many people who are struggling manifest that they are a burden on the ones they love. We will look at the devastation caused to those left behind in the hope that even one reader might change their mind if they have considered taking their own life.
We will speak to people who have survived a suicide attempt and have accessed counselling or other mental health services to show that things can get better. We will speak to Samaritans volunteers about their vital work in Devon and how they are on hand 24-7 to listen. And we will offer guidance on what to say to someone who is struggling so people feel more confident to have that conversation.
Do you have a relevant story to share? Email emma.slee@reachplc.com.
WHERE TO GET HELP:
SAMARITANS offers support in a range of ways, including a self-help app, email support or by calling 116 123 for free 24 hours a day
NHS Offers advice on how to access mental health support
TALKWORKS is a free-to-access NHS service offering a variety of treatment and support for adults (aged 18+) living in Devon (excluding Plymouth)
CALM offer a free, confidential helpline 0800 58 58 58 and webchat, 7 hours a day, 7 days a week for anyone who needs to talk about life's problems
HUB OF HOPE is a mental health support database that can signpost you to local support services
ANDY'S MAN CLUB offers men a chance to talk with like-minded people. They have clubs in Devon as well as nationally
KOOTH & QWELL provides free, safe and anonymous online mental wellbeing support, including moderated peer support forums and text-based counselling, to all residents living in Devon (aged 11+)
PETE'S DRAGONS provide free-to-access support to all residents living in Devon who may have been bereaved by suicide at any point in their lives
THE MOORINGS is an emotional support service that provides telephone and face-to-face support via a drop-in service at its bases in Exeter, Barnstaple and Torquay. It is a non-clinical service but provides emotional support, signposting to other services and other general support that is tailored to the people who access it.
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Suicide remains the number one killer of men under the age of 50, and statistically someone takes their own life every 90 minutes in the UK.
Torquay United has begun working with Paul and his group on a number of initiatives for 2023. Dominic Mee, the club’s Head of Media and Supporters Liaison Officer, said: “Unfortunately mental health remains a big problem, particularly locally, and therefore I’m delighted that the club has embraced working with Paul to break down the stigmas surrounding mental health and plot a brighter way forward together.
“MMH Warriors have already done some fantastic work, and we’re really looking forward to working with them and playing a driving role in this. We already have a few exciting initiatives planned, and we look forward to revealing these in the very near future. It’s another example of a positive partnership with the Club, that will ultimately benefit the Bay and its residents.”
Paul said he was delighted to be working with the football club. And, he added: “It’s a very dark topic, but it’s one that we all need to talk about. Shattering the silence could save a life.”
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