EXCLUSIVE: Sheffield man believes 'implicit race issues' still exist in the mental health system
Gambinga Gambinga first moved to Sheffield in 2003
A South Yorkshire suicide survivor says despite progress - there's still 'systemic issues' around race - when it comes to mental health.
Gambinga Gambinga - who was born in Zimbabwe & moved to Sheffield when he was 24 - tried taking his own life a decade ago.
Today - Gambinga Gambinga helps others in distress for the Sheffield African Caribbean Mental Health Association.
However - on New Year's Eve in 2015 - he tried taking his own life in Sheffield - after struggling with his bipolar disorder.
He says at his lowest point - he ended up getting put on medication - without being offered talking therapies.
Gambinga - who's now in his 40's - believes things aren't as bad as they were - but admits there's still room for improvement:
"The first time that I was medicated - I think that to me was the time that I feel things could've been done much better.
"I wouldn't have needed many more years of the wilderness before I got to the right way of doing things; which is a combination of medication and talking therapies.
"I came to believe that I was the only person on the planet who felt the way I felt.
"I felt that nobody understood what I was going through.
"You're more likely to get medicated and not get talking therapies if you're black or brown, as opposed to being white.
"More talking therapies are needed across the board.
"That's not just for black and brown service users, but for everybody - and that's before they go into crisis.
"There's always medication around; but the trauma of people getting to a point where they say they need help can't be cured with medication.
"You need more talking therapies as well."
A spokesperson for NHS South Yorkshire said:
“We are deeply sorry to hear about the difficulties faced by the patient and are grateful to them for sharing these reflections and experiences.
“We recognise that people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds can face additional barriers in accessing timely, culturally responsive, and appropriate mental health care.
"Improving equitable access continues to be a key priority for us and the learning from the patients’ experience will enhance our drive to tackle inequalities across all levels of service delivery.”