"The Recovery College has been an invaluable source of inspiration and support"

I was introduced to The Recovery College as part of a Primary Care Pilot. I have participated in a number of courses from "Introduction to Recovery" through "5 Ways to Wellbeing", "Taking Back Control"l and currently "Introduction to Mindfulness". The reason for my referral was because I have had three family bereavements, being the loss of both my parents and the early loss of my boyfriend from cancer in 2017. Grief further compounded the stress and anxiety I have encountered throughout my life. I have found the College to be an invaluable source of inspiration and support. The trainers have been very motivational and I have found the courses have given me a new positivity and given me the tools to help in my recovery. 

I am not sure how widely available the Recovery College is to Primary Care patients because I came across it almost by chance. I am not someone who has ever been admitted to a mental health facility but I think the College could be such a useful tool in helping patients who come to their GP presenting conditions such as anxiety, stress, depression, loneliness, overwhelm etc. They may not be severe enough to be referred to a mental health facility but they could benefit, as I have, from attending the College to learn that they are not alone in having these issues and to help them on their road to recovery as it has helped me. This, I feel sure, could help people and be a valid use of NHS funding since it offers a way to get well and to keep well and so can help prevent them from spiralling into more serious mental health issues.