Has anyone done the Mental Health First Aider training?

[Thykk]

Im doing this training which is next week and basically just want to know a few things.

How "deep" do they go into certain topics. I have had past trauma and I honestly don't want to sit through really in depth detail of some issues. A little bit is okay but someone has suggested that the course is really draining and wondered what actually goes on.

Also I have social anxiety - is there a lot of group interaction/ doing a presentation / speaking in front of the class - that sort of thing. I'm okay in group work.

I would really like to do this course despite my issue so please be kind.

I have done it. If there is anything which is going to upset you, you can leave the discussion for a few minutes, it's not a problem. I didn't think it went too deep but it depends on your background, I've not suffered from significant mental health problems.

No presentations as such although you might be asked to talk about the group discussion. But someone else might do that bit for you. There is some role playing as well.

@reigatecastle thanks for your reply. Can I ask what the role playing involves?

I don't really remember, I think it was asking practising asking questions following a protocol that they cover on the course. I think you really need to go to the course and leave if there's anything you can't cope with. We are all different and we all have different experiences. Even redoing your physical first aid qualification can be traumatic if you've eg had to do CPR in real life.

It's very confronting. I cried buckets after, make sure you have support at home and be kind to yourself - don't go to work after and try to do it Thursday, so you have the weekend after the 2 days to process. But your trainer will be very supportive and pre warn you if you may want to excuse yourself. But try to confront if you can so you gain the knowledge and the training, these tools could help you save a life.
You'll need to role play scenarios such as someone who was planning to kill themselves or having a psychotic episode.
It's rough OP.

I've done the two day course and the refresher course as well. Both were excellent.

It depends on which course you take and who's running it, how many are attending . We were told that we didn't have to share if we didn't feel comfortable and to leave the room if needed at any point. The woman who ran our course was fantastic at checking in with us individually.

The course goes through a huge range of things from stigma, anxiety and depression through to self harm and eating disorders. It's not about being able to diagnose these but to potentially recognise them and how to sign post your team and how to check in and manage a crisis.

It's an incredible course and has helped me change how I manage my team and my over all out look on both good and I'll mental health.

Good luck and just best honest with yourself and the course trainer if you're uncomfortable or not coping.

Thanks I will maybe speak to the trainer in a break to let them know how I'm feeling. I've heard such good things about it and really didn't want to stop myself from going.

It can go deep. You need to feel comfortable opening up to the other people on the same training course to get the most out of it.

I didn't have to do the role play that @Hop27 describes - instead, we did breakouts in threes where one person talked about an actual issue they were experiencing, one person interacted with them, and the third person observed.

It's a tough course. I know some people who didn't complete it, because it was too much for them. But you can duck out if it gets a bit much, and then jump back in, and still finish the course.

I think in your shoes, I would warn the trainer that you have some trauma that you are still working through, and advise that you may indeed need to take extra breaks, but that you want to see the course through. Honestly, your trainer will be used to this, don't worry.

I found the course emotionally draining, but it later helped me prevent someone from completing suicide, so I'd absolutely recommend trying to do it.

It’s is confronting and difficult, won’t lie.

I guess my question would be what your reasoning is to be doing the course if you are concerned about engaging deeply with difficult topics. For example dealing with a person reaching out to a mental health first aider whilst in the grips of a crisis episode is really really difficult.

When you say you had to share an issue you're experiencing - that's got me concerned. I'm super private and don't really open up with strangers

@Thykk Exactly what you have to do will depend on the trainer, but if you get put in that situation, you could always say that nothing is bothering you at the moment, so you're going to invent a scenario instead for the purpose of the exercise.

I'd encourage you to consider being more open though - you and your cohort will get more out of the course, and the more open you are about your own mental health, the more approachable people will find you as a mental health first aider. I take great care not to project my problems onto other people, and I don't share the detail, but I find being open that my life hasn't been perfect either makes the people talking to me feel less alone.

I did it and am now evangelical about it .
I found it life changing and so beneficial in so many ways and would highly recommend it.
you can elect not to share and that will be respected .

good luck

I'll be honest, the course made me realise that my therapist was right and I do have C-PTSD. Seeing the definition, written down in black and white was eye opening. This caused me to have a full on breakdown that lasted over a month. I have helped many people with the listening skills I learned and I am glad I done it but I really wasn't prepared for my own personal demons to rise.

I think a lot of people are drawn to the MHFA training because they've undergone some kind of deep pain themselves, whether or not they're ready to admit it. If it's not something you've confronted before, you're right, it does surface on that course as you realise you identify with some of the conditions being discussed.

I really enjoyed it.

We were encouraged to take a break if anything particularly effected us with no questions asked.
I think the role play was how to talk to someone with schizophrenia who was having auditory hallucinations, but it might be different for different courses.
I have past trauma and whilst it was confronting it also helped me understand an awful lot about who I "am" if that makes sense.

Good luck x

I’ve done the manager training for iAct - same thing. Found it very thought provoking and useful.

I did it with colleagues who I’d worked with for a while and some felt comfortable sharing a lot of stuff they’re going through. Such an eye opener that people have so many things going on outside work, some fairly significant. I was in a senior role at the time and realised I was rarely ‘present’ as was jumping from one thing to the next at home and work. It made me more mindful.

As said upthread, it’s learning to recognise, listen and signpost not fix.

Does anyone know - Is the role play in front of the whole group or is it between small groups.

I provide MHFA training. The role play is in small groups. I know people hate it so I use it sparingly.
With regard to sharing, you can share stories or you can 'opt out' of activities that you find too close to home but you do have to sit through the whole course to be accredited.

Ha e you dine the course yet @Thykk ?

If you havent:
When you say you had to share an issue you're experiencing - that's got me concerned. I'm super private and don't really open up with strangers
You dont have to share an issue. I was on with work colleag6abd we are a tight group. A colleague committed suici618 months ago and it is still very raw, especially for her closest friend/ colleagues.some people had a tear at this part, some spoke about it others said ' I dont want to share' and that was ok.
The role play was actually good fun. We were in twos and after a couple if serious scenarios the work joker did , how can I say this , a scenario that was absurd, relevant to him in a way and very funny. The instructor was laughing and said to the person who was responding 'well you got the key points in I guess!' So a serious subject but we were able to lighten it up.
If anyone is unsure about doing it I would recommend it. It faces the subject heading and breaks down taboos.

Our course tutor was known to us in a different capacity and she umis absolutely passionate about Assist. She us very sweaty and funny but hit the tone spot on for our group. Everyone enjoyed the course although they said it did get emotionally tough at times.

Crikey, apologies for my typos. On my phone with no reading specs on!! A disaster!

I’ve done it. It was very draining. No presentations but quite a lot of group work and role playing. I did draw on some personal experiences for it but when playing “someone needing mental health help” I made it up so that it wasn’t triggering.

I did it last year.

I was really worried about the topic of eating disorders as I suffered as a teenager and was worried it would be triggering. The instructor makes it clear that if there is anything you want to step away from you can and I emailed her to let her know that would be the case and she was very understanding.

You are put into small breakout rooms but I tended to find there were a lot of very chatty characters on these courses who did alot of the talking and wanted to present at the end. Again I think if you have an issue with social anxiety you could ask the instructor not to be put into breakout rooms/ asked to present and I'm sure they would understand especially given the nature of the course.

It is absolutely worthwhile doing the course, it helped me learn alot about myself in the process aswell as how to help others. I am the only female manager in my company so as a default tend to get alot of female coworkers coming to me with their issues, this course has been really useful.

Hope that helps x