Colin’s peer journey
Colin’s peer journey I joined Penumbra Mental Health in April 2022, after working in retail for over thirty years. Changing jobs was going to be a massive step for me, but having a passion for raising awareness in mental health – with blogs and social media posts, it was something I felt strongly about, and
... continue reading.Dani’s story
Dani’s story I was first diagnosed with depression when I was 13. This stemmed from childhood trauma and for the last 20 years, more mental health issues have reared their head as a result, from anxiety to PTSD and borderline personality disorder. I first contacted Penumbra in 2017 after a nervous breakdown and I haven’t
... continue reading.Cha’s duathlon challenge
Cha’s dynamite duathlon I completed a duathlon this month and here’s how it went. It was tough. It was incredible fun and I am so chuffed with myself. I have never claimed to be the fastest or the fittest person but I am just made up with this. I had set myself the goal of
... continue reading.Rachel’s toolkit to a healthy life
Rachel’s toolkit to a healthy life My name is Rachel, I’m 18 and currently in my first year at university studying to become a mental health nurse. I first started using Penumbra in September 2022 at the age of 17. I had never really heard of Penumbra before my CAMHS worker at the time recommended
... continue reading.Challenging myths around self-harm
Challenging myths around self-harm After working in Penumbra’s Self-Harm Service and having my own experiences, or knowing others who share this experience, there are a lot of myths and misconceptions of what self-harm is, who self-harms and why. For Self-Harm Awareness Day 2023, I wanted to shed some light on these misunderstandings and provide a
... continue reading.Heather’s Story
Heather’s story I began my Penumbra journey five years ago as a HR Assistant, it is the best place I have ever worked, and it has flew by. In this time, I have gained more experience than I could’ve ever imagined and I’m lucky to have such a supportive team around me who take the
... continue reading.Catherine’s story
Catherine’s trip to Glasgow As most of my support workers know as well as Colin (Senior Service Manager with Penumbra) I have terminal cancer and over the past year I have been creating a “bucket list”. My story goes way back 51 years ago to be precise, when I was 15 years old. I had
... continue reading.Ronan’s blog
Marking 15 years of the Edinburgh Crisis Centre On Monday 5th December I eagerly made my way to the Edinburgh Crisis Centre’s 15th Anniversary event, hosted in the Ukrainian Community Centre. I was unsure of what to expect from the day, but my nerves and uncertainty soon subsided when I saw it was to be
... continue reading.Connor’s story
Connor’s story I am a Mental Health and Wellbeing Peer Practitioner, which means that I basically help people with their mental health when they struggle and help to improve their everyday lives. The peer bit lets people know that I have had mental health struggles in the past. The service I work for, WELL Aberdeen
... continue reading.Lili’s story
Lili’s work supporting people bereaved by suicide My role with Penumbra Mental Health is in our service across in Ayrshire and Arran supporting people bereaved by suicide. This is a unique service that’s been informed and shaped by people’s lived experience (the NSPLG Lived Experience Panel). It has been a real privilege to support people
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