'Talking therapy changed my life after back injury left me in a wheelchair'
After a life-changing accident left Paul Cooper in a wheelchair, he struggled for months with low mood, finding it difficult to come to terms with the damage to his back.
Now the 61-year-old, who lives in Bessacarr, is sharing how he went from feeling “useless” to changing his approach to life, with the aim of tackling stigma around seeking mental health support.
Paul, who previously served in the armed forces, had initially been apprehensive and “judgemental” about getting help after his injury. “I used to think talking to make things better was a load of pants and that you should just be able to cope with things,” he admits. “Now, I think totally differently."
After speaking to his GP, Paul signed up for support with Doncaster Talking Therapies and was placed under the care of the specialist long-term conditions team.
“I felt absolutely useless (at the time),” he reflects. “I was a very active person at my job and at my hobbies, but then suddenly had my wife having to do all the work and care for me. My independence had gone. I realised I needed support when I recognised that I couldn’t be bothered. I couldn’t be bothered to get out of bed, couldn’t be bothered to have a shave. Everything felt like hard graft.”
After months of treatment, Paul began to feel more like himself again and has learnt to accept his injury. “I wouldn’t wish being in a wheelchair upon anyone,” he says. “You see the world differently and how selfish people can be. However, Talking Therapies helped me come to terms with that. I now look at what I can do, rather than what I can’t do. I know not to beat myself up if I can’t do something that I could do in a previous life. Sometimes, you wake up and it’s a bad day, but I now have less of those...
“Therapy changed my life – without a shadow of a doubt. It has changed my approach to life and it has also helped my wife who had to deal with me on difficult days. As a former serviceman, I know it’s sometimes an all or nothing mentality. If you need help, ask. It’s definitely worth doing.”
Paul has shared his story through the Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust, which oversees Talking Therapies services in the area.
He accessed Doncaster Talking Therapies for Long-term Conditions, which provides treatment for people over the age of 16, who are struggling with common signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety, such as low mood, feeling tearful or sad, worrying frequently or no longer doing things they used to enjoy.
Team manager Rachel Sharp says: “Talking therapies are so effective at helping people to come to terms with, or better manage, a long-term physical health condition.
"We know that health conditions can be scary, overwhelming, and often difficult to manage at times, and, as a result, many people can struggle with their mental health. We support people with a wide range of conditions if they are also feeling down or worried.”