Testimonials

This section will show you what some of the people we have worked with have to say about Nidotherapy and it's outcomes.

Heather's Story

My name is Heather, I am sixty two and have suffered with mental health issues most of my life. It wasn’t until my doctor introduced Nidotherapy in 2012 that I finally felt relief.

I was bullied by an older sibling as child which manifested in day terror dreams as I grew older. Looking back, I can see that I was depressed when I was in my last year of University.

I was in my late twenties when symptoms of depression reoccurred. My brother died in July 1987 and then in January 1988 I quit my job with the excuse that I was going to travel in Europe. I did go to Europe for 5 weeks but there was no need to quit my job. After my trip I couldn’t look for work. I had all kinds of thoughts that I wasn’t good enough, no one would want to hire me and I didn’t even have the confidence to ask for an application form. I finally decided I should see my doctor. She asked me if I could push a button that would end my life would I push it? I said yes. She referred to a Community Mental Health Clinic where I saw a psychologist .

The psychologist referred me to a psychiatrist who worked in the clinic. The psychiatrist prescribed an antidepressant and I would take a handful at bedtime and hope I wouldn’t wake up. I knew nothing about drugs or quantities so I would wake up in the morning feeling fine. My psychologist got wind of this so on April 9, 1990 at the age of 29 I was admitted to the psychiatric ward at the local hospital and that evening I met Dr. Spears for the first time. He has been with me through everything and saved my life by introducing me to Nidotherapy.

Dr. Spears tried everything with me: ECT, all kinds of medication, referred me to different counsellors, hospitalization on PEI (Prince Edward Island) and away from PEI, DBT and CBT groups, including his own group therapy group and hours of psychotherapy. I might have short periods of feeling well but nothing lasted.I had numerous suicide attempts and suicide ideation was always there. The thought of suicide gave me hope.

I cut up, put ligatures around my neck, tried to choke on gobstoppers, tried to hook a hose to the exhaust pipe of my car, took overdoses of pills and tried to hang myself once when I was in hospital. I was also a binge eater as I saw this as a way of punishing myself.

I arrived at Dr. Spears office with my dog, on a Saturday morning in May 2012 after a suicide attempt the night before. He drove me to the hospital and then took my dog home. When he got to my home the family was gathered inside having a merry time. That was his epiphany moment. He saw incongruity between what was going on with me and the family.

After discharge from hospital he broached the subject with me of having my own place. My living at home with my parents had always been an unquestioned arrangement for emotional and other reasons.

I was very receptive to the idea, so Dr. Spears started with nidotherapy. The first step was to tell my parents. I didn’t feel able to do that so Dr Spears facilitated that by meeting with my mother and my sister. He was able to reassure my mother that she wasn’t losing me and that he thought my health would benefit from this move. The next step was to help me get an apartment. I couldn’t afford an apartment on my disability pension. Dr Spears was able to call in a favour and enable me to get a subsidy for an apartment. The moment I found out I had received a grant I started to feel better. It was several months before I was able to find an apartment but I was already feeling well. I can remember walking down a street and realizing I was smiling. That would happen frequently. I lost weight, became more involved my church volunteering on several committees. I started working on my own doing home care. I would often receive referrals from Dr. Spears of people who would need mental health support.

It has now been 10 years since I left home and I still feel great. I have dealt with the death of my father and a beloved dog. I have had strife in the family with a sister who has caused a lot of mental pain but I have never thought of cutting up or over dosing or giving up on life as I would have before my nidotherapy intervention.

December 2022

Melanie's Story

“
I am writing this testimonial to express my immense gratitude for the life-changing support that NIDUS-UK, led by Peter Tyrer, has provided to (ML) and our family. ML has faced extensive mental health challenges dating back to her childhood, leading to over 25 hospital admissions since 2016. Unfortunately, the NHS trust responsible for her care left her abandoned and deemed "too traumatised" and "too unstable" for therapy, resulting in a severe lack of support and clarity on her path to recovery.

Our introduction to NIDUS-UK and Peter Tyrer came through a Judicial Review process, challenging the Trust's refusal to provide ML with a care coordinator despite her entitlement to this essential support. As the main point of contact, I found myself consistently firefighting issues, a situation that could have been resolved with appropriate support from the Trust. However, it became evident that nobody within the Trust was willing to help, and that's when NIDUS-UK stepped in, demonstrating a level of commitment and responsibility that the NHS had seemingly abandoned.

NIDUS-UK's approach to care is truly patient-centric, considering all aspects of ML's immediate environment. They not only provided crucial hands-on care but also demonstrated a special interest in improving her surroundings, recognising that the house and area where ML lived were highly detrimental to her mental health. This observation during the assessment phase was pivotal, highlighting the need for a change in her living situation.

One of the remarkable aspects of NIDUS-UK's support was their proactive effort to signpost and direct ML to additional services. They connected her with The Listening Place, a London-based charity specialising in assisting suicidal individuals. The continued support and pressure from NIDUS-UK have now led to ML being assessed in a rehabilitation setting in a different area, offering her the opportunity to make a fresh start.

I cannot emphasise enough how NIDUS-UK has transformed our lives. From the supportive letters to the reassurance clear guidance, and one-to-one support, this charity took on a colossal responsibility that the NHS had seemingly washed their hands of and refused to give up despite the challenges with ML. Their unwavering support not only directly impacted ML's life but also significantly eased the burden on me and our immediate family.

I want to express my thanks to the entire team at NIDUS-UK. Their dedication, thorough support, and collaborative work have undoubtedly prevented more suicide attempts and, most importantly, saved ML's life. NIDUS-UK's commitment to holistic and compassionate mental health care has made a profound difference, and we are extremely thankful for their support.

I also want to express my wholehearted gratitude to Peter Tyrer, his sheer determination and unwavering support has hugely benefited ML and our family. Peter Tyrer has done more for us than the entire NHS has done in 20-odd years. With the consistency and continuous support and care to both me and my mum, you have saved my mum's life and we will be forever grateful.
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