Six questions with... Andy Caress
What’s your favourite way to greet people?
I am definitely most comfortable with a good handshake, although once I have built up a level of trust with people I do enjoy a nice mutual hug. Being a trainer, I often deliver talks and workshops to large groups of children and young people and building a level of trust is important – an open smile and a genuinely happy hello goes a long way to start the session on the right foot.
What conversation makes you happy?
My favourite conversations are those I have with my grandmother about her experiences of growing up during World War Two. She has had such a fascinating life, and recently I filmed some of our conversations for WarGen, an organisation who are collating the memories of people who lived during this intense period of history. For anyone interested, the interview can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFx_AB61qtY
What conversation topic makes you nervous?
I do struggle with anxiety, and I find conversations that involve a level of confrontation rather uncomfortable. This can include topics such as expressing my unhappiness with a service or product, asking people to do something that is overdue or simply asking for something that might be declined. When I was younger even the idea of ringing for a pizza or a taxi was a struggle, and at times of stress these feelings resurface.
What makes you laugh?
I enjoy all types of stand-up comedy from one-liner comics such as Tim Vine, observational humour from people like Peter Kay or Sarah Millican and absurdist jokes from those such as Bill Bailey. I love a good sitcom, especially Green Wing and Black Books, and my current favourite show is Taskmaster. Last summer a group of friends and I spent the weekend filming our own Taskmaster challenges – one of the funniest weekends I have ever spent.
If you could ask someone, dead or alive, anything - who and what would you ask them?
My incredible mum died unexpectedly a few years ago, and I often reflect on all the questions I wish I had asked her over the years. I wish I could ask her so many things, from telling me about her experience working as a nurse, to asking her thoughts about the state of the world right now. To have half an hour sat with her would make me so incredibly happy.
What’s the bravest thing you’ve ever done?
Bravery is such a subjective concept – I often get told I am brave for standing up in front of an audience to speak about my lived experience of borderline personality disorder and suicidal ideation, but this is something I enjoy a great deal. Some days, however, just leaving the house or heading to the shops feels like an unconquerable struggle, and it takes all the bravery I have to take that first step.
Andy Caress
Mental Health Trainer – Schools & Families for Charlie Waller Memorial Trust
https://www.cwmt.org.uk/andy-caress
Twitter: @andy_caress