Anthony Grogan

Anthony was referred to Mind Your Head in 2018 when his gambling addiction led to spiralling debt which began to have a big impact on his mental health.

Anthony said: “It got to a point in my life when I was avoiding letters and phone calls, sometimes I was getting between 20 and 30 calls a day and I couldn’t look at my phone. Everything was just getting on top of me, and I felt that I just couldn’t be here anymore, but the right help came at the right time when the housing association referred me to Mind Your Head.”

Anthony completed the 12-week Wellness Programme. Through this, he was also able to deal with and find support to manage his debt and begin to seek help for his gambling addiction.

Anthony said: “At first it was hard for me to even go to the sessions, but I am the sort of person that doesn’t’ like disappointing people so I kept going, I had felt so trapped in my life, I wasn’t sleeping or eating properly, and Anouska helped me and gave me the skills to help take back control of my life.”

“I haven’t gambled in over a year and I am ahead with some of my bills now. I would say that the quality of my life is 100% better than it was two or three years ago.

Anthony turned to Mind Your Head again at the start of the year when his relationship broke up. He said: “I know I can always turn to them and then helped me once again on to the right path and made me realise that losing something didn’t mean that I had lost myself.

“It’s so important to take away the stigma of mental health – especially for men that it’s okay not to be okay and you can’t be the tough guy anymore. I am a different person now and I feel that I am back to how I used to be. Projects like Mind Your Head are so important, they can literally help to save people’s lives and take you from rock bottom back to where you used to be again.”

Mind Your Head received a £100,000 award from The National Lottery Community Fund in 2020 for a two-year project to continue their low-level early intervention service for people who are struggling with their mental health and wellbeing to improve mental wellbeing through one-to-one sessions, group activities and signposting to other agencies in Shetland when appropriate.


If you would like to speak to a member of our team about how the Wellness Programme might be of help to you or someone you know, please contact us by phone 01595 745035 (office hours), email [email protected], or leave a message on our website contact form.