Waking up from a nap to find masked burglars with knives in your living room sounds nothing short of a nightmare.
But it’s a horrifying experience that Kieran Jones has endured – one that has sent the father-of-two into a downward spiral of drug addiction.
The 44-year-old, from Wigan, had fallen asleep on his sofa in late 2019 when he woke up to two men standing over him.
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The father immediately took action and tried to fight them off, suffering cuts to his hands and arms.
The burglars, who Kieran said were two ‘chancers’ trying to break door handles in his street, managed to escape before police arrived. They were never caught.
But it wasn’t the only traumatizing ordeal the father had to endure; the other took place just a few months earlier.
Kieran was having a night out with his friends when he was hit by a vehicle while crossing the road. The driver who was hit drove away and was never found.
The series of disturbing events led to a rapid decline in Kieran’s mental health, eventually resulting in him being diagnosed with complex PTSD.
He isolated himself from society and lost his job as a granite fitter and most of his friends. He couldn’t shower or even open the curtains in his house.
“I started to lock myself in,” he told the Manchester Evening News. “I would find any excuse not to go out.
“I had no self-care. I wasn’t washing or showering, I wasn’t opening any curtains. I lost my job as a granite fitter. I was put on antidepressants and they really drove me crazy. I started being late every day.
“That’s why I turned to cocaine – I couldn’t sleep because of the nightmares. I started having flashbacks. Nothing was positive. You feel like the world is against you. Sometimes you go into self-sabotage mode.”
Kieran’s poor mental health saw him turn to cocaine as a coping mechanism. But he soon fell into the grip of addiction and his dependence became so intense that he eventually began having seizures.
Everything came to a head when the father attempted suicide in March 2020, prompting him to admit himself to a mental health facility.
“I am so grateful to the NHS because once I reached out to them I got the support,” he added. “It saved my life.
“I’m proud of my mental health. I’ll talk about everything. I could have a relapse in three weeks, but talking keeps it from escalating.
“Once you feel comfortable, you no longer have any shame or guilt. It’s brutal; It took me a long time to get to this point.”
Kieran’s journey to better mental health saw him create a 12-week fitness program that led him to set up his own mental health charity, Bridging Gap Mental Health.
He is now a peer mentoring coordinator in mental health, whose duties include recruiting and training new peer mentors and providing support and advice to others.
“One thing I had when I was in recovery and learning how to manage my mental health was the gym,” he added. “But there is so much more than just the gym; they do yoga, rock climbing, fitness sessions and more.
“Just moving is a step in the right direction. The simplest activity is to take a walk. We as a country have some of the best walks, many right on our doorstep.
“When you’re in that open space, it’s not just about the landscape. You walk past some flowers and notice the smell, and it gives you that awareness, plus you also get some vitamin D from the natural sunlight.
‘What you feel comfortable with is what you should do. So always tailor it to yourself.”
Dr. Michael Gregory, regional medical director of NHS North West, said: “More exercise can really benefit your mental health.
“You don’t have to start marathon training yet; Starting small can help improve your mood.
“Dancing around the kitchen to your favorite music, walking around the block or even doing some chair exercises while catching up on the TV scheduler.
“Better yet, you can do a workout routine that you download to your TV or tablet. It all makes a difference.
“Something like a gentle yoga session, or a walk in a park taking in nature and your surroundings, can also help you reset your body and mind. And if you still want to sign up for that marathon, go for it!”