Testimonials

Through Depression and Beyond

At Eighteen years of age I should have been living my life to the full. In college, working pr out with my friends, but when I looked around on my nineteenth birthday I was miserable.

No money, no job, hardly any friends and 5 months pregnant. I felt scared, emotional, tired, sad, lonely, useless and ugly and as you might have guessed completely sorry for myself.

My confidence had hit an all time low and I felt like I was almost drowning in money worries. I had had health problems throughout my pregnancy and my previous miscarriage didn’t help my state of mind. By the time my baby came I had slipped into postnatal depression. My relationship was strained before and after my son was born and I seemed to bury my head more and more in the sand. I began to feel more and more trapped I hated myself and began to believe my life would never change. My home, my life and my head where all a mess and I resented the fact that I was on medication.

With low limited family support tried to struggle through although where they could grandparents helped. I didn’t realise that there where organisations that could offer help and then when I did I didn’t have the belief that they could work,

My friend had contacted Home Start for me and she told me how they had helped her through a time of need. The first time they came round I think I hid I didn’t like new people or strangers and to tell the truth I hid plenty more times after that too, but each week someone came, just for a cup of tea and a chat soon with all the stressing going on with my life I looked forward to forgetting them for a while when my volunteer came round. Then with the support of my volunteer I began to tackle my many problems.

My relationship with my son grew stronger and i started to sort out my debts although it took time and energy, soon I did begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Because I was doing this myself with the support of my volunteer my confidence and self esteem grew with it. Although things where improving, myself and my partner went our separate ways but I continued to sort out my life.

My support through Home-Start continued and they encouraged me to keep going and put me in touch with other organisations such as the citizens advice and the advocacy support centre and soon even though I still had my problems I began to feel more in control and with any other hiccups I encountered my support was always there.

In September 2006 I started a college course, I was so scared but knowing that I had people who believed in me gave me such a boost in confidence. Sadly in October 2006 my grandfather passed away and I worried that I would lose control again and almost gave up, but my new support network of my son, new partner and best friend helped remind me that I could be strong, because of all this I completed my course and gained more than four qualifications I went from feeling completely useless to for the first time in my life actually proud of myself.

This year I am continuing my education, I have come such a long way from that frightened teenager and although I do take time to reflect I never look back - the sky is the limit and I’m going!!!!

Thank You Home-Start

Thank you Ian and Luke

And Thank You ME!!!!