LANCASTER: IMPACT – LET GO
Impact Housing Association’s Let Go programme is a Leading Light accredited county wide service across Cumbria and North Lancashire providing a range of services to
individuals ages 16 plus who are experiencing domestic abuse, regardless of age, sexual orientation or gender. Within this they run various courses including the Freedom
Programme which helps victims of abuse recognise abusive behaviour, understand the often contradictory emotions they are experiencing and helps them identify the
warning signs of abuse and to make social connections with others on the course. Kirsty Thompson from Let Go who led on the Positive Together project has worked with a
large number of Domestic Abuse survivors and for those who faced abuse over a long period of time, and or also suffered abuse in childhood, they often
report feeling disconnected from and not in control of their bodies in addition to often being over-whelmed by Social Anxiety.
Feeling that you cannot control anxiety attacks and the physical sensations which accompany them can be so terrifying that survivors can develop OCD (not
being able to get into a vehicle, pass over bridges, walk down certain streets etc.) or agoraphobia in same cases receiving a diagnosis of depression or BiPolar disorder.
All the participants who took part in the Positive Together sessions were recruited from courses delivered by Let Go.
The Programme
Impact: Let Go delivered self-defence and yoga sessions to the participant with an aim to develop their self-confidence and ability to stay in
control of situations. The sessions were delivered from a school in Lancaster on a weekly basis.
LANCASTER: IMPACT – LET GO
PARTICIPANT CASE STUDY:
Case Study 1 RG
One of our clients left a mentally and physically abuse relationship almost two years ago and attended the programme, reporting that she suffered
anxiety, insomnia, depression and felt unable to go out and socialise. She was suffering panic attacks and flashbacks, and feared she had completely
lost her confidence. Her symptoms were so extreme that she went on to attend another course I deliver called “The Recovery Toolkit” which helps
victims by providing tools to overcome anxiety and supports them in recovering from trauma. We started the Positive Together project whilst this
client was a participant on the Recovery Toolkit.
She attended the majority of the Self-defence and Yoga sessions and from session one stated that she started to feel physically stronger and felt her
body was her own again. From punching very lightly and feeling uncomfortable shouting during the exercises in Session one, she developed a much
stronger stance and punch and found her voice. She said that doing the physical sessions along with the Recovery sessions really reinforced her sense
of self and personal space and the feeling that her body belonged to her, that she had ;-“as much right as anyone else to take up space and speak.”
Week by week the difference in her posture and demeanour was noticeable. We talked during the project about how vital physical activity was for
mood and self-image and she said that she really felt a positive difference and had more energy. The yoga was useful in re-enforcing the breathing
and relaxation techniques covered during the Recovery sessions. She stated:-“I used to feel very intimidated and go into panic mode if customers or
strangers were aggressive towards me, now I just automatically start deep breathing and counting and the physical panic symptoms are under
control.”
We asked participants to score their mood, sense of physical and mental well-being, self-esteem, sense of control over their own lives, emotional
resilience and social confidence at the start of the project (out of a possible 10, 10 being the highest score).
LANCASTER: IMPACT – LET GO
Participant Case Study 1 continued:
In her own words the client reported:-
Scores from day one of Self-Defence
Name
Mood
RG
3
Physical
WellBeing
3
Mental
WellBeing
3
SelfEsteem
Mental
WellBeing
5
SelfEsteem
Mental
WellBeing
6-7
SelfEsteem
2
Control
over own
Life
4
Emotional
Resilience
Social
Confidence
2
2
Control
over own
Life
5
Emotional
Resilience
Social
Confidence
5
5-6
Control
over own
Life
7
Emotional
Resilience
Social
Confidence
7
7
Scores from end of Self –Defence
Name
Mood
RG
5
Physical
WellBeing
5-6
5
Scores from end of Yoga Sessions
Name
Mood
RG
6-7
Physical
WellBeing
7
6-7
“If someone had told me how much better I would feel
after the Recovery Toolkit and these physical sessions I
wouldn’t have believed them. I had a year’s worth of
one to one therapy and as it hadn’t made much
difference I was starting to believe that the damage
was too great for me to overcome. Once I understood
that what I was feeling was normal and a response to
what had happened, I stopped being so hard on myself
and slowly started to feel better. I think doing the SelfDefence and Yoga sessions along-side the Recovery
Toolkit worked really well – I had two sessions a week
where I could focus on the positives, be around other
people struggling with the same things and make some
great new friends. I would not have had the confidence
to go to a meditation class or gym but now I feel so
much better I really want to continue doing it and the
great thing is most of the girls from the Yoga sessions
have agreed to go together to Helen’s Yoga class on a
Saturday morning. I am starting to love myself and
actually in some ways feel better than even before my
bad experience. I would recommend this to all women.
The tutors were amazing and really empowering and
now I’m looking at other sessions like Zumba and
Boxercise in the area as I love the energy and strength I
feel after a session. Thank you to all involved, I hope
this grows as it has really worked for me. You have to
be ready for it though and at the stage where you are
prepared to try anything and trust that you can feel so
much better.”
LANCASTER: IMPACT – LET GO
PARTICIPANT CASE STUDY
Case Study 2 TD
TD had completed both The Freedom Programme and Recovery Toolkit prior to the Positive Together Sessions. She had been diagnosed as Bi-Polar and
was suffering from Depression. She stated that she rarely went out on her own as she felt very anxious and uncomfortable walking around and like
everyone was looking at her or talking about her. Living in a village with a small child and no car also meant she was physically, socially and emotionally
isolated. She had put on quite a lot of weight after the birth of her son and reported that she often suffered from extreme fatigue, sometimes not washing,
dressing or leaving the house or speaking to anyone for days at a time.
TD was also from a Traveller background and had stated that she always felt because of the high profile nature of her experience and her background
there was “no way I could ever see myself joining a gym or going to an exercise class –I’d just be feeling everyone was laughing at me or talking about me”.
She agreed to come and try a session of Self-Defence as she knew the women from the Recovery Group. She was very shy initially and reported feeling
anxious about “not getting it right”. The tutor and rest of the group reassured her and by the end of the second session she said she;-“Absolutely loved it!”
LANCASTER: IMPACT – LET GO
Participant Case Study 2 continued:
InInher
herown
ownwords
wordsthe
theclient
clientreported:reported:-
Scores from day one of Self-Defence
Name
Mood
TD
3-4
Physical
WellBeing
2
Mental
WellBeing
3
SelfEsteem
Mental
WellBeing
5
SelfEsteem
Mental
WellBeing
6-7
SelfEsteem
3
Control
over own
Life
4
Emotional
Resilience
Social
Confidence
3
2
Control
over own
Life
5
Emotional
Resilience
Social
Confidence
5
5-6
Control
over own
Life
7
Emotional
Resilience
Social
Confidence
7
7-8
Scores from end of Self –Defence
Name
Mood
TD
5-6
Physical
WellBeing
5
5
Scores from end of Yoga Sessions
Name
Mood
TD
7-8
Physical
WellBeing
7
7
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know! The women in the group have said we are all going to
plan a horse-riding day next which would be amazing.”