A local woman has hailed one of our mental health services by raising much-needed funds following personal struggles with stress and trauma.
Julie Johnson, from Rossendale in Lancashire, has raised £700 for the Lancashire Traumatic Stress Service (LTSS), a service providing specialist assessment and treatment for individuals who have experienced a traumatic event.
Following an industrial injury at work in 2016, Julie was referred for specialist trauma support. Julie has since raised funds to help give back to LTSS and presented a cheque to staff at the LTSS Euxton Lane centre in Chorley last week.
To help continue to raise awareness for the service, Julie wants to share her experience and journey to recovery in the hope that it may encourage others to seek help.
Julie said:
“I was referred by Occupational Health Services to the LTSS following an injury. They expressed that I needed specialist trauma support as they suspected I had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which was later diagnosed as Complex PTSD.
I remember how terrified I felt on my first visit one Friday afternoon, sitting in the corner of the waiting room wishing to be invisible. Yet from that day forward no matter how hard, terrifying or more unwell I became LTSS started to feel like one of the very few true places of safety throughout my journey.
Feeling safe for me was the most crucial part of my journey to recovery.
From the onset, all of the staff were so caring and seemed to know instinctively the level of interaction you were capable of on the day of your appointment. The wealth of experience and knowledge among the professionals was evident, they truly have hearts of gold."
Julie received cognitive therapy and other specialist treatment during her sessions and praises the dedication of the staff at LTSS who coached her through a relapse and onward through her recovery.
Julie added:
“I really feel I am here today because of LTSS. The staffs’ commitment to delivering such high-quality mental health care, that saved me and all the people needing help, has spurred me on to give back and do whatever I can to support the service.”
Along with LTSS staff, family and friends, Julie has arranged a tandem skydive in spring 2022 to raise even further funds for the service and other charities.
She continued:
"I’ve decided to keep fundraising for LTSS because just a thank you will never be enough. My family and friends were so blessed and grateful that LTSS staff caught me when I fell and brought me back home to them."
More information on the Lancashire Traumatic Stress Service.
