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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
National
Jane Corscadden

Meet the man spreading mental health awareness from a Newtownabbey roundabout

Meet the man who is spreading mental health awareness each day until Christmas at a Newtownabbey roundabout.

Peter Patrick, 42, has been standing at Cloughfern roundabout each day since December 1 with a sign reading "mental health matters, be kind to your mind."

Hopped up each day to face the freezing temperatures, the Shore Road man said his "mission will be done" if he's able to start even one conversation about mental health in a car passing through the busy area.

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Peter has been battling with his mental health on and off for the past 18 years and said he chose this time of year to raise awareness as even though people may be smiling during the festive season, for some, it's a mask to hide their true feelings.

He wants to let people know it's okay not to be okay, and that it's important to open up and have those discussions about mental health.

"I always found it hard to talk about my mental health," Peter told Belfast Live.

"When other people started to open up and talk, I found it easier to speak out and deal with it. I've always had it in my mind I'd like to do something like to spark a conversation.

"I've had that sign for a year, but it's been very hard to get myself to the stage of using it. I suffer from depression, anxiety, OCD and PTSD.

"The main thing behind the sign is to get people talking, even if one car passes by and it starts a conversation with them, they could be battling something and it could lead to them opening up.

"I thought with it being Christmas that would be the perfect time to do it, I would do it as a mental health advent calendar. I've been there from December 1 and will be there until Christmas Eve holding the sign.

"Especially this time of year, where everyone's happy and jolly, but sometimes people aren't really like that, they're just putting a mask on."

Peter said he's had a brilliant response, with people buying him coffee to make standing in the cold each day a little easier, and people even stopping by for a chat.

Peter Patrick at Cloughfern Roundabout in Whiteabbey. (Justin Kernoghan/Belfast Live)

"People have been beeping their horns, giving me thumbs up. A lot of people have been stopping by and giving me coffees and sausage rolls," he added.

"I've had a few people pull in and sit to talk to me for a while. There was a girl this morning who said she was coming down the other side of the roundabout, saw the sign, and she's been having a bad year so she pulled in to come over and chat. She was saying we're all the same and all have our battles, but it's getting to talk to somebody that helps.

"The police pulled over and wanted to know what I was doing, and they offered to bring me over hot drinks as well and gave their support for what I'm doing."

For Peter, building up the courage to go out and stand at the roundabout each morning is a challenge in itself, but something he does as it's a message he truly believes in.

Peter explained: "I battle every morning to get out and do it because my anxiety levels just go sky high. But it's something I want to do, somebody helped me in the past by talking to me, so I want to try and start that recovery for other people.

Peter Patrick at Cloughfern Roundabout in Whiteabbey. (Justin Kernoghan/Belfast Live)

"Even just to stand at that roundabout and see all the different people. There are people in suits, people running kids to school - mental health affects so many different people.

"You can see even just by the cars passing and people giving you a thumbs up just how much it affects everybody's life. It's about bringing that awareness to be kind to your mind.

"If people are having a tough day sometimes they beat themselves up over silly things, then that can get worse. It's just about being kind to yourself then being kind to others. It's the opposite of a vicious circle - be part of the nice circle.

"Last year, I spent Christmas Day and Boxing Day in bed with depression, and this year I'm out there, I've got my Christmas joy back, I'm with my partner Julie-Anne, and I want to be able to tell people it may be a bad year but it's not going to be a bad life. Things will change in your future, things will get better."

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