'To them I'm just 'dad' and that's so humbling'
Keith gets around on his trusty scooter - as it helps keep him stable with his arm tremors
A motivational speaker turned volunteer says that six years on from his Parkinson's diagnosis he can see light at the end of the tunnel.
Keith Warren, of Newark, was diagnosed with the debilitating disease in February 2012 at just 48 years old.
He had previously been a speaker in schools - predominantly to Year 10 and 11 students - with his own company The Big Picture, which aims to motivate pupils to achieve in their school careers.
After the shock news, the dad-of-three to Jack 19, Archie 17 and Millie 14, soon found himself battling mental health feelings of anxiety and depression - which he said affected all areas of his life.
The entrepreneur experiences tremors, back slouching, and has difficulty walking.
He said: "It affected my confidence and it makes you forget your identity and who you are. People see you differently and you don't know what to do about it.
"Medication treats tremors, but it affects your mental health. I was prescribed anti-depressants but they did more harm than good.
"Being a volunteer has been really good for me, it gives me some meaning to my life and I can relate to other people who come in.
"I really enjoy meeting people with similar issues to me, and now my mission is to promote mental health."Mr Warren found out he his early diagnosis after feeling pains in his left hand while jogging, and it not being as mobile as his other hand.
"The first year I was diagnosed I pretended it wasn't happening. I felt like a failure and imperfect," said Mr Warren.
"The second year I tried masking it with medication and became reclusive.
"It affected my work as people were realising I was different. Children didn't notice but teachers at the schools I visited would comment that I wasn't the 'same as I used to be' - and that's when I knew I had changed."
The devastating news was confirmed after numerous tests in 2012, and even though Keith admits he wasn't surprised by it, he was shocked to hear it said out loud.
He added: "People became fearful and it's a very unknown thing, it has a lot of question marks surrounding it. What does it look like, how long will I live?
"People would avoid eye contact with me and I would find that hard, or they wouldn't dare ask me about it. That's when I started feeling alone and isolated.
"You're mind plays tricks on you, you start thinking am I being paranoid or do these people think of me like that?"
Now since his journey began, Mr Warren says he is feeling positive and sees a light at the end of the tunnel.
And believes his children have helped with his recovery.
He also gets around using his trust scooter - which he believes keeps him steady as he suffers with arm tremors.
"My children have been amazing for me, as bad as it sounds they poke fun at me but it shows they can look past it.
"To them I'm just 'dad' and that's so humbling."
Keith now sees a future for himself, and feels like there is a way forward.
Business coordinator at Newark Mind, Sarah Robinson, said: "Keith's business background is perfect to utilise as we are working more and more with local businesses helping them to ensure they recognise and help manage their staff’s mental wellbeing.
"Keith is a vital and valuable addition to our team at Newark Mind and we are really happy to have him on board."
http://www.nottinghampost.com/news/nottingham-news/dad-three-sees-light-end-570182
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