Bethany Upstream Cashback for Communities
Ross was a happy child growing up but struggled with confidence. However, from a young age, he found that he could play drums quite well and he devoted himself to this. Tragically, at just 11 years old, Ross’s mum, who struggled with addiction, passed away. This left Ross in a difficult family situation that was filled with tension.
At 17, Ross left school with a few National 4 qualifications, which he was disappointed with, but he just wanted to leave school. He continued to play drums and performed in a few events, though this came to an abrupt end when the Covid pandemic hit. Through the loss of socialisation, crippling anxiety, unprocessed trauma and a toxic relationship, Ross’ mental health began to spiral. During this time Ross began to use substances to relieve the pain he was feeling on a day to day basis. Eventually, through desperation, Ross approached a local agency for help, who referred him to Bethany UpStream with CashBack for Communities, for counselling. Ross was a little apprehensive about attending therapy, but felt he had to try something. He found it hard to leave the house and aside from one or two quick walks a week to the shops, he had hardly been outside since the pandemic. We arranged to meet Ross at his local community centre, somewhere he was used to attending. Initially, Ross missed some sessions because he did not feel up to counselling. We made it clear to Ross that his case would not be closed, and that when he felt ready, he could start his sessions again. Eventually, Ross began to attend regularly and engage.
Through his sessions, Ross was able to process the grief of his mum’s death, work on his substance dependency and consider what made him feel bad about himself – particularly in the context of relationships. Over the course of a few weeks, Ross began to make progress towards the goals he had made for himself. His substance dependency reduced and he was able to venture outside more often. After some slow progress, things started to change more quickly for Ross. Firstly, he rekindled his affection for playing the drums. Through this, opportunities to meet new people arose and they began playing together. It also helped Ross come into contact with a charity that helps young people engage in playing and creating music. In addition to attending activities with the charity, the organisers asked Ross to help out from time to time. Ross loved this and did such a good job that they employed him for a couple of hours a week.
Ross still attends his sessions with us, though they have reduced to monthly meetings because he is in a much better place. Although there are still things that Ross struggles with, he has progressed from being unable to leave the house to playing music again, meeting friends and getting paid work. While Ross is always keen to express his gratitude to Bethany UpStream with CashBack for Communities, the reality is that he did the hard work himself!