The Electrical Industries Charity (EIC) has highlighted how compassionate, person-centred support helped a self-employed electrician re-engage with counselling after the devastating loss of both of his daughters to suicide.
Chris contacted EIC while experiencing profound grief and depression. He had been signed off work and was struggling to cope with day-to-day life, while becoming increasingly isolated from friends, family and support services.
Although Chris had sought help from his GP and started taking antidepressant medication, he had also begun experiencing thoughts of ending his own life. Recognising that he needed specialist support, he contacted EIC for help.
Following the referral, Chris’s Case Manager recognised that his difficulties engaging with support were likely to be a consequence of the severity of his grief and mental health difficulties rather than an unwillingness to accept help.
Chris was matched with a specialist therapist, who made immediate contact. However, he found it difficult to respond to calls, voicemails and text messages.
Rather than treating this as a refusal of support, his Case Manager continued to check in regularly without applying pressure, allowing Chris to remain in control of how and when he accessed help.
As Chris became increasingly withdrawn, his case was eventually closed in accordance with standard procedures. However, communication remained supportive and made clear that the door would remain open if he felt able to reconnect.
Just a few days later, Chris contacted EIC again.
He explained that he had not deliberately ignored the offers of support but had reached a point where he was spending extended periods in bed, withdrawing from everyday activities and finding communication with others extremely difficult.
Chris also recognised that he had been in denial about the severity of his situation and had not been emotionally ready to accept support when it was initially offered.
Receiving notification that his case had been closed prompted him to reflect on his circumstances and recognise that his withdrawal was itself an indication that he needed help.
Chris asked to reconnect with therapeutic services and his case was immediately reopened. This time, he was able to engage fully with counselling and, over the following weeks, began making progress and developing a greater awareness of his mental health needs.
During his sessions, Chris acknowledged that he had reached a point where he could no longer cope alone and that accepting support was an important first step towards recovery.
EIC says Chris’s experience demonstrates that recovery from profound grief and mental health difficulties is rarely linear and that people may not always be ready to accept support when it is first offered.
By maintaining a compassionate approach and ensuring that support remained available, EIC was able to help Chris reconnect when he felt ready to do so.
Further information and support are available directly from the Electrical Industries Charity.