Time to Talk Day 2019 - Bangor woman hosting mental health Black Dog Event

A Bangor woman who has battled anorexia and depression is hosting a special mental health event to help others.

Rebecca Browne, 25, has organised the Black Dog Event to coincide with Time to Talk Day on February 7 in Bangor .

The Queen's University graduate, who is originally from Derry , has become a mental health advocate following her own personal battles and wants to use her experiences to help others who are suffering.

She is hosting the Black Dog Event at Hop House in Bangor on Thursday, February 7, to mark Time to Talk Day.

Time to Change is a growing social movement working to change the way we all think and act about mental health problems. Time to Talk Day encourages everyone   to talk about mental health.

Speaking to Belfast Live, Rebecca, who runs the Instagram page Return of Reb, said: "I was scrolling through the events they had done in the past and came across the Black Dog event. The reason they did it was because this guy wrote a story about how depression to him represented this black dog, so it was the symbolism of it.

"They used that to bring dogs into the equation that everyone wants to come and see, everyone wants to come and have a cuddle and a pet. It is a good way of attracting people in, making them relax and hopefully promoting a conversation about mental health through the story."

Rebecca said she connected with the event because she recently lost her pet dog Rascal, a Jack Russell cross who was 20 when he passed away in November.

She said he helped her through a difficult period of her life and the event struck a cord with her.

"I was at university in Belfast and I had to move back to Derry to look after my sister," she said.

"I still did university at the same time in Belfast so travelled up and down to anything I had to go to and worked full time in Derry and because of the stress of everything and because I was diagnosed with depression and an anxiety disorder myself, he was my reason for getting up in the morning during that time.

"I was very lonely at that time because I had just moved back and didn't know anyone any more because I was away for a few years and everyone I knew was away so he was my reason to get up in the morning.

"I was suffering really bad insomnia so we would go for walks at 6am and to me animals can provide so much for people, especially those who are mentally ill and lonely, and that's what he did for me which is why I wanted to bring those two things together.

"When I found out about that event I had to do it. It struck a cord with me."

Staff from Assisi Animal Sanctuary will bring along a few of their dogs who are up for adoption for the event and there will be a donation bin for the dogs so people can leave blankets, treats, and toys.

There will be a number of talks at the event, with Rebecca sharing her experiences as well as representatives from AWARE NI addressing the crowd, along with a number of other speakers.

Rebecca added: "Basically we will have the event as relaxed as possible as a lot of people with mental health problems have anxiety and social anxiety so we want to make it as fluid and natural as possible. We are going to give the talks but as much as possible just have people interacting with each other and the dogs and getting to talk to someone who understands.

"It is all about not feeling alone and breaking the stigma."

Rebecca, who was diagnosed with depression when she was 19, said she uses her Instagram account to help promote body positivity and to encourage people to talk about their mental health issues.

In a message to anyone suffering, she added: "Always reach out because suffering on your own, the way I always described it is you have a voice in your head telling you you are worthless or there is no point in being alive, depending on how bad your depression is, you have all these negative thoughts and if it just you on your own that voice is going to be very very loud.

"However, if you talk to someone else they will cancel out that voice in your head and you won't be able to hear it as much because somebody else will be reaffirming the fact you are worthy and meant to be here.

"I think talking about it is so valuable and important.

"For people who are really suffering I would say hold on. I suffer from depression and certain symptoms because of past trauma when I was younger and that is affecting my life now and that changes things and brings on these symptoms and it is very hard to live with at times.

"The one thing I always have to remind myself is that it will pass, that before I felt this way and I have got to feel myself again, I know it will pass and I have to reaffirm it myself, it is really helpful because hope is the main thing, knowing you are going to get out of what you are feeling like because you have the experience."

The Black Dog Event will take place on Thursday, February 7, at Hop House in Bangor from 2pm to 5pm. No admission price, everything is for free. To follow Rebecca on Instagram, click here .

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