The Power of Lived Experience | From Mental Health Crisis to Peer Support

⚠️ Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of mental health, depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and suicide. Some listeners may find these topics distressing. Please listen at your own discretion and consider whether now is the right time for you to engage with this content. Medical Disclaimer: This podcast is intended to share personal experiences and raise awareness around mental health. It should not be considered medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. If you are struggling with your mental health, please seek support from a qualified healthcare professional or an appropriate support service. Mental health can make you feel completely alone. But what if the very experiences that almost broke you became the reason someone else found hope? In this deeply personal episode of The Focal Plane Podcast, Kelvin shares his journey through anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts, the moment everything changed, and how finding support through BHT Sussex Pathfinder helped him rebuild his life. Today, as a Peer Support Volunteer, he uses his lived experience to help others navigate their own recovery. Together we explore why lived experience matters, the gap between crisis care and long-term recovery, the power of purpose, and how volunteering can transform not only the lives of those receiving support, but those providing it too. In this episode we discuss: Kelvin's journey through severe anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts The moment he finally accepted help Why lived experience can be so powerful in mental health recovery What a Peer Support Volunteer does How volunteering became part of Kelvin's own recovery Practical coping strategies for living with ongoing mental health challenges The support available through BHT Sussex Pathfinder How you can access support or become a volunteer. 🔗 Find out more about BHT Sussex: https://www.bht.org.uk/ If this conversation resonates with you, please remember that you do not have to face things alone. Reaching out for support is a sign of strength, and there are people and organisations ready to help. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider liking the video, subscribing to the channel, and sharing it with someone who may benefit from hearing Kelvin's story.