Rhys, managing his own health by supporting others

by The Mix Staff

Thursday 13th April 2017

I’m Rhys, 23, unemployed for medical reasons and live in Essex.

I’ve been suffering from mental health issues for 5 years, which has led to me developing agoraphobia and as such, I can’t get a job. This is one of the reasons why I decided to start volunteering. I thought if I can’t leave the house and help people, I’ll try to do it from home.

I firstly trained as a Chat Moderator but the role didn’t suit me so I decided to retrain as a Boards Moderator. As my title says it, I moderate the discussion boards. There, I support people with all kind of problems, and when I feel like I’m not the right person to answer, I flag it for the team to look at.

I really enjoy being a volunteer with The Mix – I even mention it on my Facebook profile. I love it because I feel like every shift is a new challenge. It gives me some sense of self-worth. It allows me to help people, which is all I ever want to do. Since starting volunteering, I have gained the abilities to comfort my friends, better understand their problems and see things in a different light.

“I feel that being a volunteer and talking with other young people who are also struggling with their life made me understand that I’m not alone and that we all have our own worries.”

The Mix is a great charity; they support not only the young people who reach out to them but also their volunteers. As I suffer from a range of mental health issues myself, The Mix’s team has always been very supportive and been extremely understanding. Along the way, I have learnt to manage my own health, and I’d like to share my knowledge with others.