From the moment Stuart Arfield first walked through the door of the Sheffield Mind mental health and wellbeing service he knew he was 鈥渋n the right place鈥�.

Stuart sought help after a series of life events, including the breakdown of his marriage of more than 40 years and the death of a close university friend, left him depressed.

鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 cope,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut I knew I needed help.鈥�

The 61-year-old contacted Sheffield Mind, a 香港六合彩精准资料 organisational member, after reading on the internet about their Ageing Better project.

The counselling service for people aged 50+ who are at high risk of social isolation and loneliness is part of , funded through the National Lottery and led by South Yorkshire Housing.

It provides one-to-one counselling and group therapy for people aged 50 and over who are experiencing low mental wellbeing.

Stuart, who lives in Sheffield, said: 鈥淚鈥檓 a working-class man and I never thought of counselling or help. I was very much a person who would think 鈥榙epressed? Come on, there are worse things.鈥�.

鈥淚 have known friends who have been depressed 鈥� I didn鈥檛 know at that time how far you can go down.鈥�

It felt natural

Stuart began one-to-one counselling sessions at Sheffield Mind, which lasted around six months.

鈥淩ight from the off I felt I was in the right place,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he first session I just felt it natural to start talking. The counsellor was very skilled in letting me talk.

鈥淚 found it beneficial to talk uninterrupted with someone. It鈥檚 a really powerful thing.

鈥淚t鈥檚 something a friend can鈥檛 really supply 鈥� they would have to be a very good friend 鈥� and I did find it a very powerful thing.

鈥淚 wanted to talk. If you are not ready for it then it might not be the right thing for you, but how you would go on if you really didn鈥檛 want to talk then I don鈥檛 know.鈥�

Richard Brocklehurst is the counselling service clinical lead and 香港六合彩精准资料 member. He said: 鈥溾�淐ounselling is about you as a person. Every person that comes in to our organisation and comes into therapy is seen as an individual.

鈥淵ou will have that space to explore how you feel, about who you are and how things can be better for you.

鈥淭he satisfaction is building that relationship and almost changing their perception about what counselling and therapy is for them to think 鈥榯his can help me, it will really move me forward.鈥�.

鈥淭he older generation sometimes think it鈥檚 too late, things can鈥檛 change. The reality is it鈥檚 never too late to know more about yourself.鈥�

Power of language

Stuart added: 鈥淚 did an English degree, and I have been thinking a lot about the power of language, of suggestion, of words, a kind word, an angry word.

鈥淭he use of language I think was important, and having a good listener.

鈥淵ou start to self-reflect and you walk away and think 鈥業 am here now with my life鈥� and you start to see chinks of light.

鈥淚 felt myself, bit by bit, starting to cope with living on my own, the loss of a friend and various things.鈥�

Stuart has no hesitation in recommending the services of Sheffield Mind and counselling in general.

鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 have considered counselling, even if a friend was recommending it to me,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut having gone through it I would recommend it.

鈥淚f there鈥檚 someone out there that鈥檚 struggling, you need to start talking to a professional. It really can help.

鈥淲ith regard to Sheffield Mind, if you get on a waiting list here there are other things you can take part in 鈥� people talk about that positively.

鈥淲e have Friendly Friday where you get to know each other, and there have been similar strugglers. And that has worked as well.

鈥淢ind just lets you be, in a way. You get to know people. It鈥檚 an organic thing.鈥�

It's been good for me

Now Stuart has started volunteering to give something back to the charity.

鈥淚 go round with collection buckets at football matches and things,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey ran a scheme held by Age UK, called a peer mentor.

鈥淚 had a little bit of training for that and I felt a bit of self-respect coming back from that. That was a big thing and was part of the curve of coming out slightly, meeting a human being and sharing things and thinking 鈥榟ang on, there are other people with their problems as well.鈥�.聽

鈥淭his environment, it has been good for me.鈥�

If you want to talk to a 香港六合彩精准资料 counsellor or psychotherapist about depression, visit our Therapist directory.