John, in his late fifties, was referred to Platform for Life by his family support worker. He was involved in angry disputes with neighbours and family members. Along with several medical issues, his mental health was suffering and he wasn’t coping well with life. In his own words, his ‘anxiety levels were through the roof’.
Initially, John thought counselling was going to be a waste of time. He’d only agreed to be referred to please his support worker. John described himself as having a ‘short fuse,’ even as a child. His counsellor decided to use psycho-education to explain the different causes of anger to John, explaining how sometimes the anger we feel in the present can be triggered by situations in the past and familiar, but uncomfortable, feelings will rise to the surface, especially if the anger wasn’t safely expressed at the time.
John’s counsellor asked him if he could recall any of his triggers and it was a lightbulb moment for him. He recalled his traumatic childhood and how he felt vulnerable and out of control, causing him to be confrontational and get into fights. He began to understand why he reacted the way he did in the present and how it was from learnt behaviour from his childhood.
With this new-found awareness he began to see things differently and was able to remain calm in stressful situations. He felt more in control of his life and able to make some life-changing decisions. He began to enjoy life again, reconnecting with family and enjoying being in their company.
Interested in reading our other case studies? Learn all about Suzanne’s story next.
