March 2024 Newsletter – Let’s Talk!

Why:

• Develop Grow’s Caring Sharing Community.  Sharing what is working well in our region with others.  This could be hints and tips re. the Group or ideas for 12 Step work. 
• Building Community - National 12 Step work - Facilitate members meeting other members. 
• Encourage members to take part in smaller gatherings first to help eliminate the fear when attending other Grow events. We all know it is easier to go somewhere for the first time if we know some of the people attending.
• Peer Support – through brainstorming and sharing ideas – for members by members. 
• An opportunity to inform members about other relevant activities available to them.

Who: Grow members. 
What: A cuppa in a comfortable, non-judgmental environment. 
When: Last Monday of the Month @ 11 am. 

"Who has heard of Grow Mental Health?“ – Rob Stephen – Regional Team member in the Midwest and Assumpta Lyons, Area Coordinator in the Midlands, ensured that over 100 mental health first aiders from the ESB heard about Grow MH on Tuesday 27th February. The ESB was holding a mental health first aid day in Mullingar, following on from a very successful event in Shannon in January. Rob spoke in Shannon and was invited to speak again in Mullingar. Assumpta accompanied Rob on the day and provided an Information stand alongside the National Office of Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Ireland.

The opening address of the day was delivered by Geraldine Heavey, the ESB Director for Enterprise Services. Geraldine opened on a very positive note which set the tone and expectations for the day ahead. She was followed by Dr. Padraic Dunne from the Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland. His talk focused on positive health sciences to help us to thrive both at home and at work. Rob was third on the agenda and delivered an excellent talk on Grow’s supports and services. You could hear a pin drop as Rob shared information about the Grow program of hope and recovery and our network of peer support groups.

The event provided a great promotional opportunity for Grow as the audience was comprised of ESB staff members from all over Ireland. Everyone in attendance went away with a huge amount of information about positive mental health supports and services provided by the HSE and others in Ireland to share with their colleagues, family., and friends.

Well done to Rob and Assumpta for carrying the message!

MY POSITIVE EXPERIENCE OF GETTING INVOLVED IN MY LOCAL COMMUNITY
By Lorraine, Grow member in Sligo

My social circle was very small when I first came to Grow Mental Health. Moving to a new area and the aftermath of the Covid lockdowns had exacerbated my sense of isolation. Since then, Grow has helped me to broaden my horizons and take my place in my new community.

Step 10: “We took our responsible and caring place in society.” - Grow Program Book

With the help of my Grow weekly meetings and the support of other members, I started to take small achievable steps towards better mental health and not let myself be defined by my mental health issues. As my ability to open up and share at meetings grew, so did my confidence. I began to see myself and others as persons of value, regardless of our problems or personal situations in life. I chose weekly tasks that were a little outside my comfort zone. I joined my church choir and volunteered to read at mass. I took on board the concept of doing things badly at first, while I worked on improving and developing my skills. Then I got the courage to do what I considered 'the impossible' - I sang a short solo piece in church. I realized that getting involved and taking part was more important than waiting until I was what I considered good enough.

Confidence builds, step by step. The support and encouragement of the other Grow members kept me motivated to build a healthier lifestyle, which involved engaging with others in the wider community. My next challenge to myself was to try public speaking. I got to know another new circle of people and gradually regained my confidence in talking in front of an audience. My first attempt was to read a poem to the group. Within 6 months I was able to compose a 3-minute speech on a topic of interest and present it. My Grow Area Coordinator asked for a volunteer to speak about Grow to a group, and I was delighted to have the opportunity to talk about my experience of Grow to others.

Later, I joined a choral group that I had wanted to join for years but didn’t have the courage. This was a huge step for me because I don’t read music. It was very challenging at first, but having made so much progress, I was willing to give it my best shot and see what happened. I was so proud to take part in their annual Christmas concert in front of a full audience. The concert raised a large sum of money for a charity, and I was glad to play a part in that endeavour.

Taking the first tiny step to connect with others is like throwing a pebble into a lake. The social circle spreads out and new connections and opportunities for friendship present themselves. I can honestly say that taking the initial step to join Grow has transformed my social life. I am grateful to have meaningful connections within my community, and some very good friendships have developed from this. I look forward to taking on more challenges as time goes on and remaining fully connected to community life.

A BEAUTIFUL GIFT
By Mary Purcell, Grow Regional Manager

I had the pleasure of meeting with Sr Eileen from the Cahir Group in South Tipperary on January 25th. Apart from a really lovely hour or two spent with this incredible woman who is a pioneer and a leader in terms of recovery and taking responsibility for our wellbeing, there was a poignant reason for our meeting. Sr Eileen presented me with a cheque for €517.25 donated by the family of a former member, Brian, who passed away in 2023.

We send our condolences to Brian’s family on his loss and thank him and them for his contributions to Grow over the years and for their generosity in nominating Grow Mental Health to be the recipient of the donations made at his funeral. The money will be used in the Southeast Region to ensure the work of Grow MH continues and support is available for those who need it.

A special word of thanks to the Cahir group for their weekly commitment to the Grow Program and their support of one another.

I will also be telling you what has helped me in getting my life back on track, what daily tools I use for my own physical and mental wellbeing, and how taking a leap of faith into the unknown has given me a new lease of life.

As Mark Twain said the two most important days in our lives are ‘The day we are born and the day we find out why.’ For most of my life, I was kinda lost and never fully knew where I fit in or what my true gift was.

I had founded and owned a Garden Design and Landscaping company that was winning yearly awards but I was unhappy and burnt out for a finish. Thankfully five years ago I started a new journey, I stripped back everything and started again.

I retrained as a mindfulness teacher and as a Personal, Leadership & Executive Coach. My new business, EMC Coaching, was founded and thankfully I found my true purpose in life which is helping people.

I look forward to seeing you all, telling you my story, and giving you tools and techniques that will help you going forward.