Hi my name is Alfie,
I want to use my life bringing joy to people’s lives. This makes me happy.
Just as a Peacock shows its beauty when one’s feathers are spread, so we show our beauty when we live in a state of expression. Hence, the name and reminder, Be More Peacock!
Exploring ways in which to alleviate the challenges of those whom live with addiction, mood & neurological disorders is why I formed Be more Peacock CIC.
No one should go to the ground with the song still inside them. And neither should you!
The causes I strive to focus on can be summed up in the following areas;
- Mitigating the effects of trauma
- Helping people to live fulfilled lives and
- Support/rehabilitate the most vulnerable members of society.
I firmly believe by creating cultures that nurture wellness, we can mitigate the ills we see in society whilst simultaneously improve quality of life.
How I got here?
I’ve never considered my challenges including epilepsy as a stumbling block, nor have I or do I consider myself to be a victim. My life is not determined by my circumstances. Instead I believe I have the power to create my own circumstances and take full responsibility for my choices, including my past.
Many of the workshops and training I provide has its roots in trying to alleviate the traumatic experiences I have experienced, including those I’ve hurt by my own behaviours.
Growing up, I viewed myself as damaged and the people, places and situations I found myself in put me in company with many who thought the same. Yet what I saw which I had not seen in myself were those who were talented, capable. Interesting characters who like myself were and are largely misunderstood. I use the word were because sadly some of those characters are no longer with us.
Since my release from custody in late 2014 (Assaulting police), I have been 10 + years sober (including drugs). I’ve applied myself to various jobs, even running my own cleaning business for a time whilst returning to education learning about psychology and security.
Through these studies, I’ve been fortunate enough to derive a model that can be used to champion wellness personally and professionally.
I’ve always had an interest in wanting to use my lived experiences to help others, yet It was during Covid I had set out on course putting my pain to purpose and make a difference.
You can listen to some podcasts I had created on Spotify, entitled Not Rocket Science, under my old name Ashley Gurney. Sadly, a series of traumatic events led to a mental breakdown, which put a pause on my goals and contributed to my longest ever seizure lasting 20 minutes in 2023. I’m sure at some stage I will reflect and look back at that period as being Pivotel.
Since then, on my road to wellness, I have been diagnosed with CPTSD. I’ve also found through testing to be indicative of several ADHD typologies. I am not sure if such findings known in years prior would have made much of a difference. My experience of mental health services and research has thought given me an insight into why many of the conventional ‘treatments’ including how diagnosis made are counter-intuitive. One the other hand what it has helped identify is why creating nuturing environments, championing wellness is the antidote to those who suffer with mental health.
I have had many labels attributed to myself over the years, yet what has struck accord with CPTSD is the complex nature of challenges that I have experienced growing up from childhood into adulthood and their relevance as I live my life today.
My hope is that by creating nurturing environments, we can mitigate and counteract trauma that keeps me people in mental prisons, leaving them to navigate through challenges in isolation.
My road to wellness, recovering from last major seizure in 2023, has served to remind me how fragile life is and the importance, living life to the full and all the more with a good name.
I believe I can achieve this, using my lived experience and talents in creating cultures that nurture wellness.
Thank you for reading
Alfie