450,000 of us are currently experiencing depression here in Ireland. What a frightening thought that so many of us are waking up every morning with anxiety, fear and sadness. What if you could help even just a handful of those people?
Perhaps, you could.
You could volunteer to give up an hour or two every week of your time to answer some of the calls that come into the Aware Support Line team and be a voice of hope for people seeking mental health support. Worried it would be too depressing or the fear of it having a negative impact on your life? We were too, which is why we decided to speak to one of those volunteers.
Amanda has two children - 11 and 13 years old and saw an appeal for volunteers on Twitter. On a whim, she went online and filled out the application form. Despite her initial hesitation, she went ahead with the training course provided by Aware and has now been answering calls at Aware's centre on Leeson Street in Dublin for the past few months.
Why did you decide to get involved?
I wanted my children to be proud of me. I wanted to give something back and help others and this seemed like the best way that I could reach out to those who really needed my help. I couldn't help think - what if someone I knew were having difficulties with depression and felt they couldn't come to me. What if there was nowhere else they could turn?
Isn't it so hard to hear so many people upset?
Honestly, no. That was something I had feared but I can tell you that it has changed my life for the better. We are an active listening service, so we help those who ring to find solutions themselves. We guide them through their own personal options and by the end of the conversation most people say 'thank you - you have really helped me feel better'. There is no greater feeling than being told you have improved someone's life - especially when things seem so bleak for them. There is a huge variety of people from men in their early 20's to women in their 80's and everything else in between.
Has being a mother helped you listen more?
Actually, I think volunteering has helped me listen more to the children. I've grown in confidence and I feel like this is my thing now. The kids wave me off on my shift, telling me how proud they are of me - and I feel so proud of myself that I am able to make a difference to the lives of those who are going through a really tough time. The training is excellent too, so you learn to leave those issues in the office so it doesn't impact your own personal life. I recently did a two-day first aid course for mental health and I learnt so much that I also hope to put into practice in my own life.
How can people get involved?
There has been a 20% increase in the volume of calls to Aware's dedicated support line in the past twelve months alone. We don't want to see any call go unanswered - that could be a missed opportunity to save someone's life.
Simply go to Aware's website for more details.
