Mind

Mental ill health affects one in four people every year, yet it is still surrounded by stigma and misconceptions. Here, one driver shares his experiences

- Dan Parton

When Alan (not his real name) was headhunted for a new driving job some years ago, rather than it leading to better pay, conditions and improved living standards, it sent him on a downward spiral that ended with him experiencing a nervous breakdown.

“I was quite happy in the job I was in but because I got headhunted it unsettled me and I ended up in a job I didn’t really want in the first place,” he says. “I suffered a nervous breakdown and was off work for quite a while, then I had another one later on that year.

“I was really upset and the pain was unbelievable,” he says. “In your chest and your head, you can’t breathe properly, can’t see properly. I was crying a lot, it was awful.”

Depression and anxiety

Alan was later diagnosed with depression and anxiety. He received cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) from a psychiatrist and was put onto medication, and he says both approaches helped him to recover.

Alan is not uncommon: mental ill health affects one in four people in the UK annually. A recent survey by mental health charity Mind found that 56% of people said they find their job fairly or very stressful. While stress in small doses isn’t a problem, over a sustained period it can lead to or worsen mental health problems.

Since his breakdowns, Alan’s mental health has improved – although he still takes medication – and he now knows what can trigger his anxiety and can stop an attack from developing into something serious.

He is still on the road working in general haulage and enjoys his job.

Since childhood

Looking back, Alan says that mental health issues had been with him since childhood – he remembers episodes of anxiety throughout his life.

“I always thought it was just me but what really helped was being diagnosed,” he says.