Why this group of men are taking to the water and letting out primal screams at 6am
A group of men are taking to the shallow waters of the River Severn to release primal screams in a new initiative to boost their mental health and wellbeing.
The band of brothers meet in Telford every Saturday at 6am for a river dip near Ironbridge where they release their pent-up anxieties and frustration by screaming.
The group, called Primal Instincts, was put together by trio Ricky Briffa, Lee Stevens and Chris Booth. They are currently looking at becoming a not-for-profit organisation and have been in talks regarding sponsorship from Foundry gym in Telford.
This unique approach to improving mental health and wellbeing has already seen a positive response just two weeks after its official launch, with 30 men joining their session last weekend.
Ricky, who got the nickname as the ‘River King’ because of videos of him underneath waterfalls, said that 6am was the ideal time because it sets you up to conquer the day.
“Whether it’s frustration, depression, you don’t know who to turn to, money problems – we have been there,” Ricky said.
“We’ve had mates and family members take their lives because they felt they couldn’t talk and wouldn’t be heard or understood.
“Primal instincts are in all of us, we are not coming up with something new. It’s in our DNA.
“Money, family, friends, addiction, kids, the missus, work and other problems all go away when you enter the cold water because as a primal instinct you’re free.
“You’ll forget all of the above because your main primal instinct is to survive. So for those 15 minutes you reset your mind and release dopamine.
“Primal Instincts is Telford’s safe space for men. My own son has been down the river, he’s 15 and I’m so proud of him it’s unreal. We encourage men to let out a scream known as a primal scream that channels all your frustrations and heartaches and let go in the river.
“Leave it down the river – we bleed together, we heal together.”
The group meets for 15 minutes on a Saturday morning as a way to start their day before they go to work or head home.
Ricky said the area is fairly remote so residents are not disturbed.
A similar group operates in Australia and was founded by Watene Waenga with the aim of empowering people to unlock their own potential.
Watene recently paid a visit to Shropshire and the trio at Primal Instincts.
One of the Amend workshops involves the primal scream therapy:
