Julie was receiving support from West Sussex Mind as she was experiencing severe depression and some anxiety. She was finding the support very beneficial, but wanted to do something enjoyable too that she could look forward to - to help keep her mind off her mental health concerns.
She saw that West Sussex Mind ran a pottery group. She said she had been interested in trying out pottery for some time and it was suitable for her as she suffered from chronic fatigue.
Julie said issues around mental health regularly came up in group discussions, meaning that attendees could talk about sensitive topics that they might not have the opportunity to discuss elsewhere.
The group also helped her to see that other people were going through similar things, which reminded her that she was not alone.
She found the process of making something out of clay beneficial for her mental health too.