WHy I'm a champion - Micha's story
by Micha Bradshaw
16
Commmunity
He dedicated a lot of his time to charity fundraising and I know if he was here today he would be proud of how far we have come over the 8 years since he left. Male suicide is an epidemic and if my championing can reduce that then my life is fulfilled I also wanted to understand the world of mental health for my diagnosis and for others. The Time to change Nottingham Hub was at its starting phase and I needed to be in a room of people that had possibly felt the feelings I had, experienced stigma but who but didn’t want to just sit back and accept it. They wanted to challenge the stigma, change attitudes and help others. It gave me purpose, direction and belonging.
Time to Change Champion training
The training is focused on the stigma around mental health and how you can change attitudes. But there is also a lot more to it - you meet people, share stories and build on yourself. I really like the fact that the training includes a section on how to protect yourself, I think it is really important and really focused my attention on self-care. I find now as a champion I am more active in my self-care. I went on to do facilitator training so I could deliver the training sessions myself for others. This improved my confidence and ability to
challenge difficult topics around mental health in a correct and safe manner. As a champion I have taken part in various activities to challenge stigma. From activities such as walking out of
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My uncle battled bipolar his whole life and stigma lead to him taking his life. I will always hold sadness that he didn't feel accepted by the world. I campaign as I want to make sure no one is ever made to feel like he was again.