Grief, stress and shock diagnosis: 'I'm proof anyone is only a few steps from mental health issues'
Clive Branson went from an industrial relations firebrand to a mental health crisis that saw him hospitalised and unable to leave his room.
Now the Newport father is sharing his positive tale of recovery in an effort to inspire others that they can overcome the issues affecting their own lives.
Next month the 54-year-old, who is also undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, will be telling his story at Millennium Point in Birmingham on July 8.
He has already been giving talks across the country, including in prisons, and hopes to eventually become a professional inspirational speaker.
It is part of Clive's ambition to show people they can recover and move on with their lives, even after major setbacks which have sometimes long-lasting impacts.
Clive, who is married with four children and four grandchildren, explained he suffered a succession of difficulties in his personal life that triggered his mental health breakdown.
His father, who had suffered with Parkinson's Disease, died, he himself had the shock of being diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease, then the pressures of setting up his own business manifested in a completely unexpected way.
Clive, who spent 17 years working at MoD Donnington, said: "My background there was in industrial relations. I also had red hair and a big gob, was never shy in coming forward – and I built a career speaking to people, listening to people, the art of effective communication.
