Togetherness was key

Since October 2017, more than 3,000 young people have been supported by and benefitted from the Blues Programme - Action for Children’s internationally-acclaimed evidence based ‘blues busting’ course for teenagers.

Royal Mail and Action for Children are working together to deliver better youth mental health across the UK.

Last week, Action for Children shared Harvey’s story — a teenager who was supported by, and benefitted from, the programme. Today, Harvey’s dad, Paul tells us how he felt constantly anxious and on high-alert when his son was struggling to deal with his mental health.

‘I lived in constant fear of what was going to happen to Harvey,’ he said. ‘One particular day sticks in my mind as his mum messaged me to say that he wasn’t at school. I tried to call him, but I couldn’t get through. He was in a dark place, so I rushed home – the car journey was terrible as I was in such a panic – fearing the worst.

‘When I found him at home, ill in bed as he hadn’t felt up to going to school, that was the moment I decided to seek help.’

When Harvey visited his GP, Paul felt frustrated and ‘fobbed off’ as the doctor implied that he would simply ‘grow out of it’. Fearful that Harvey would do something terrible, Paul persisted to seek medical help before his son was referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

‘There’s definitely more pressure on kids today and they seem to take a lot more on their shoulders,’ said Paul. ‘Life is far more complicated now in comparison to when I was growing up. Now the chaos is relentless and it’s hard for young people to keep up.’

Paul believes that online safety and social media can be tricky for kids today. ‘I was bullied terribly at school, but it’s different for young people now. If they post something on social media and don’t get a ‘like’ it’s seen as a slant on their popularity. It makes children and young people very vulnerable.’

When thinking about his own childhood, Paul would always ‘fit in’ with whatever activity his dad was doing. ‘I didn’t want that for Harvey and wanted us to feel close,’ he said. ‘As I didn’t have a lot of money, I felt it was more important to give my time and that’s always been our priority – being together.

‘Today, children have too much on their plates and therefore spend a great deal of time worrying. I don’t think the Government sees the true picture as nothing is getting done and children aren’t on the radar.’

Thank you for all your support! If you have any questions or you would like any further information, please email Vicky at RoyalMail@actionforchildren.org.uk.