A female suicide survivor from Perth has set up a support group for women in the city who want to talk about their mental health.
Linda Fisken attempted to end her life two years ago, after her marriage broke down, she lost her job and her mother died in the same year.
The survivor has now started Linda’s Ladies, inspired by mental health charity Andy’s Man Club, after realising there was a lack of organisations for women who want to talk about their mental health.
Linda said: “I took a massive overdose in 2017 and they were 40 minutes reviving me.
“My daughter found me, so now I’m trying to do something good.
“My marriage broke down and then I was kicked when I was down and got sacked from my job in February and I lost my mum in May.
“My mental health really went downhill, I stopped communicating. I pulled the covers up and stopped going out.”
Linda, who also volunteers at the Samaritans, wants to help other women who are struggling with their mental health after feeling like she was a “box-ticking” exercise during her recovery.
She said: “When I got out of hospital it was months and months until I saw somebody.
“There’s not really anywhere to go for women. What Perth needs is female’s Andy’s Man Club, so that’s what I’m trying to do.
“I’ve set up the group. I’ve had five ladies on five different nights. The ladies that have been have found it helpful.
“What they have found is that it’s people that have been where they’ve been. I can empathise with them. I’ve had depression, I know what it’s like to be at the lowest.”
Linda hopes the club will grow and has been in talks with different venues to hold the meeting when they do get bigger.
She said: “It needs to grow and I’ve got to get the word out there.
“The first thing people really need to know is it’s all confidential. What goes on in those four walls stays in those four walls.”
Linda’s Ladies meets every Thursday upstairs at The Room in The Tavern on South Street in Perth from 7pm – 8pm.
Last week member’s of Andy’s Man Club in Perth spoke candidly about how their sessions had helped them deal with their mental health.
Contact the Samaritans at any time on 116 123.
