From sick days to success
How Andrew thrives at work with mental health support
Andrew credits Brain in Hand (BiH) with transforming his mental and physical health, allowing him to not only remain employed but also thrive in his role. His increased confidence has fueled his ambition to pursue leadership positions. While BiH has been invaluable in his journey, it is Andrew's own perseverance and willpower that have been life changing. He has overcome significant challenges, including inadequate support from statutory services, and emerged stronger and more empowered than ever before.
Meet Andrew
Andrew has complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and learning disabilities because of brain damage, mostly based on his memory. When he first started working for the civil service, he was in a role that he found quite triggering because of his then undiagnosed complex PTSD. He asked to be moved to a less stressful environment and his employer suggested that, as part of these reasonable adjustments, he uses Brain in Hand so that he can work more effectively. He has now been using BiH for 17 months.
Brain in Hand operates as my brain, my memory
The most fundamental way that BiH helps Andrew is to act as his memory, reminding him to look after his mental and physical health, which ultimately means he has a better quality of life.
"Because of my memory problems I forget to eat, I forget to basically do what you would think is normal. I don't feel hungry, I don't feel thirsty, I don't really get fatigued. My brain just doesn't function that way, so Brain in Hand operates as my brain, my memory. It tells me when to have lunch, when to have a snack, when to have dinner, when to take my medications, appointments, tasks and things like taking care of the house. Ultimately, it has freed me up to be employable and to have a standard of living that I wouldn’t have as I don't have a support network around me. It's kind of the only thing left."
From disciplinary action to 0 sick days
BiH has also helped Andrew stay in work. Last year, he was at risk of losing his job because of disciplinary action because of an unauthorised absence, but since having BiH, he has not taken a single day off. The disciplinary action went away after 12 months, and it has given him “a fresh start” where he is "now able to function.”
"Prior to the change of duties and having access to Brain in Hand, I was in the preliminary stages of a disciplinary for unauthorised sickness, because at the time I wasn’t able to provide a medical reason for being off as I didn’t really know what was wrong with me. All I knew was that I was struggling, and it was having an impact on my health. Since using BiH and with help from my coach, I haven’t had a single day of unauthorised leave, that compares to last year when I hit the trigger point of 14 days."
Unlocking new opportunities at work
BiH has also helped Andrew to make plans for his future and ambitions to move into leadership roles, something that would have been impossible prior to Brain in Hand.
"I’ve enrolled myself on some additional leadership schemes in the hope I can ‘climb the ladder’ that would have been impossible to do prior to Brain in Hand. I was in a complete spiral, but having access to Brain in Hand has made it possible to plan forward."
The diary does the thinking for Andrew, but the traffic light system has also been valuable in helping talk him through difficult situations.
"The diary does my thinking for me; it organises everything from reminding me to get my haircut to making sure I sleep. There is no way of having that level of organisation without it, but the traffic lights are really important as well. In the early stages, they were absolutely invaluable to me because there wasn't an alternative. The GP couldn’t find anyone to deal with me–they just said, ‘you’re too complex a case for us to help,’ so when there is no sort of cavalry coming over the horizon knowing that [the on-demand support system] is there has been a massive help."
The rigidity of the diary and the support from the traffic lights has helped with socialising, healing bonds, and strengthening relationships as Andrew is better able to communicate and show people how to best react to him when he is being affected by a triggering thought.
"I began to withdraw from the world, but Brain in Hand has helped little-by-little open a social door. I’m able to articulate, communicate, and show my loved ones how to deal with problems. So, they know how to draw me out from that to a calmer position, what you need to do, how we get around it, as I’m probably having a flashback and the old way of dealing with this would be quite abrupt."
Andrew has also used his experience with Brain in Hand to support his brother's mental health.
"Having that knowledge of myself, doing some further reading and support from my coach has allowed me to influence my brother's behaviour, and seeing the warning signs from his behaviour has helped me guide him to a different place."
Finding affordable and effective support with Brain in Hand
Andrew's experience navigating support services has been challenging, forcing him to rely on private services, which, while effective, proved financially unsustainable. He's currently awaiting a decision regarding continued EMDR therapy through the NHS, a treatment that has been beneficial for his trauma. However, he remains pessimistic about his chances, stating, "If I was a betting man, it's not looking like good odds, but we'll see.”
"Before using Brain in Hand, I was in a constant state of crisis. Unfortunately, every attempt to remedy that through the normal measures, I was simply turned away as being too complex or in some cases they didn't think I was sick at all, which just meant I was stuck. I was then under private service three times a week with EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy) and other things because I have anorexia, but that was £2,000 per session three times a week and I just couldn't sustain that level of finance because I'm only in a minimum wage job, that one-hour session is more than I'm making a month."
Feeling healthier, more confident, and having more time
Andrew has seen the positive benefits of BiH. He is healthier and although he still has moments of crisis, they are less and more a “consequence of other treatment not being adequate. Brain in Hand is incredibly helpful and already carries a heavy load, but I know it can't solve everything.”
He has the tools and the confidence to approach difficult conversations and situations such as asking for more support, “It has given me a catalogue of tips and tricks so that I can approach [these] successfully, without it [BiH] I wouldn’t stand a chance. I probably wouldn’t even have reached out at all but just stuck in my lane”. It has helped him manage his time more effectively, “managing things has not only given me more time, but it's made the time I do have stretch a lot further.’
Finding strength with his Brain in Hand Coach
Andrew has appreciated how the app and the coach work together to provide a comprehensive “two-hand system”.
"Originally, my goal was to live a more independent life and, you know, make sure I could feed myself, clothe myself, everything else that originally up to that point was just too much of a task. It's been successful, that is a sort of me helming the ship through the stormy waters, but she [my coach] is helping me write the map. Your coach is the human face, and the app is a tool. By having both, you're strengthened in more ways than one. You have the tools to make it through, but it's the coach that helps you decide on what tools to make."
A literal life-saver
Andrew believes that without Brain in Hand over the past 17 months, he would likely have been dismissed due to absences. He fears that regaining employment would have been difficult, potentially leading him to rely on benefits such as Universal Credit or Jobseeker's Allowance.
He likely would have become increasingly “withdrawn” and even if he had managed to find work, he doubts he could have sustained it. Furthermore, he anticipates that his need for support would have intensified while his ability to access it would have diminished, potentially with serious consequences.
"The likelihood is I would probably have joined a lot of my friends, and I wouldn't be here. I genuinely do believe that had there not been support when it was needed and it has been so instrumental, I would probably have taken my life. It's been literally a lifesaver."
How mental health support with BiH results in cost savings
The economic savings are wide ranging and easily balance out the BiH investment for a licence through AtW (£1,860 in the first year and renewal price of £1,440).
From an employer's perspective, the ROI is probably in excess of 2 from savings in unauthorised absence (14 reduced sick days at £1,402) and increased performance (a 10% increase in productivity could be valued at £3,364).
This is based on average weekly earnings (AWE) to be £647 for regular earnings estimated by ONS in July 2024 (ref).
This could increase 10-fold if Andrew had been dismissed, and it had gone to a tribunal given an average disability discrimination payout of £26,172, and that is, before legal fees (ref).
From Andrew’s perspective, he recognises the financial advantages of remaining employed and avoiding dismissal, which would have likely resulted in him needing Universal Credit or other benefits. Furthermore, his increased confidence and skills now open up the possibility of higher-paying work.
The economic cost of suicide is substantial. For example, it's estimated that the suicide of a man between the ages of 30 and 34 can cost an average of £1.7 million. This figure encompasses a range of factors, including lost productivity, healthcare expenses related to the suicide, emergency services, legal fees, and costs incurred by the family (ref).