I’ve suffered with mental health challenges most of my life, to the point where I nearly lost my life. My head was a whirlwind of negative thoughts and emotions, and I was diagnosed with all sorts of disorders: anxiety, panic, depression, agoraphobia, PTSD and bi-polar. When I tried to take my own life – that was rock bottom for me.
I couldn’t leave my house or socialise for years, I felt I’d let my family down – especially my children. Medication was not enough for me, it was only when I engaged with the Health and Wellbeing College that I started to get the help I really needed. I can honestly say this place saved my life; they helped me see that I was a human being with the right to have a beautiful life like everyone should.
After being a student, I started a volunteer role at the College as I wanted to give something back; I was so passionate about the place and wanted to help others. Then a peer trainer job became available and it was one of the happiest times of my life when my application was successful.
I’m a totally different person now. I still get anxiety and from time to time and panic attacks, but now I have the mental health techniques and information from the college to keep it all under control. The College ethos is ‘Transforming lives through hope, control and opportunity’ and the college gave me all three of these things. To see students come in so nervous and in a bad place, yet go on to recover – that transformation still wows me to this day. The next step in my journey has been to write my own course called ‘An Introduction to Ayurveda- Balancing Mind, Body and Spirit. It has had such good feedback, I’m so proud of it. If you’d have told me I’d be writing and delivering my own courses five years ago I probably would’ve passed out. I want to give other people hope …. If your skies look black and grey, please know they can be clear and full of sun again.