Shropshire man tells his story to inspire others after he ‘turned his life around’
A Shropshire man who successfully used a personal empowerment programme to overcome a severe bout of depression and despair has not only turned his life around but is now the Director of Business Development for the very organisation that helped him.
Elliott Hughes, a successful businessman for 25 years, was plunged into a spiral of stress and poor health - including heavy drinking, smoking, and withdrawing from friends - after receiving a single, anxiety-inducing work email.
He found help through the Self Empowerment Journey (SEJ), an evidence-based, guided self-help process provided by the Stay Mentally Healthy Hub in Bridgnorth. The SEJ process, which is at the core of the non-profit Self Empowerment Foundation, was so effective that Elliott became a qualified Consultant and Trainer and has now been made a director.
He is now sharing his story to encourage others who feel "stuck in a rut" to seek help from the Hub, which offers one-to-one sessions, group sessions, and workshops through a team of SEJ volunteers.
Elliott’s Story
Elliott explains that the “one email” eight years ago triggered a fear that created a "ripple effect" of negative behaviours and poor performance, culminating in him struggling to attend work and his relationship suffering.
"For some reason it kicked off something in my head that said ‘I can’t do this’," he said.
Using the SEJ process, Elliott was quickly able to journey "from a place of fear to a place of joy," stopping the negative ripple effect. Within a week, his job performance had recovered so dramatically that he was graded joint first out of 97 people for a sales pitch.
He stresses that the SEJ can help anyone replace negative ripples with positive ones and urges people struggling with stress, anxiety, or worry to book a free wellbeing assessment at the Hub.
Upcoming Event
Elliott will be telling his story as part of the launch of the Hub’s "Communities Looking After Communities” campaign. Businesses and local residents are invited to an open event to network and find out more about the Hub’s work.
The event will take place on Tuesday, 21 October from 4pm to 6pm at The Stay Mentally Healthy Hub, Faraday Drive, Bridgnorth.
Places are free but should be booked in advance via Eventbrite.
