Gracie (not her real name) has progressed from deep depression to spending three days a week volunteering with a business she loves. She now has a plan and passionately-held ambitions for her future, which she is actively working towards. She wanted to tell her story in her own words...

After not being accepted back into college due to not gaining a pass in GCSE maths I found it hard to find any direction in life, I felt lost and like my life didn’t really have much purpose. I had volunteered at my local riding school, a place I had known since the age of 4, but unfortunately after volunteering for a few months, they were not able to offer me employment, something that would help offer me some purpose in the world. I found myself falling into the vicious cycle of not leaving the house because of my anxieties and losing the very little drive I had for life.

My mum had tried supporting me and tried to get me to engage with services but again my anxieties became overwhelming, and I just couldn’t face anything or anyone.

Then my mum had a phone call with Parul...and that’s when things changed. My mum explained that Parul sounded kind, caring and really positive that she could support me and I very reluctantly agreed to meet her. I find meeting new people in new surroundings incredibly difficult, and that is an understatement, even meeting up with grandparents, my sibling and extended family can be a challenging, which is an understatement to say the least.

From my very first meeting with Parul she was so, so positive, understanding, and really took the time to listen to me and make me feel valued

From my very first meeting with Parul she was so, so positive, understanding, and really took the time to listen to me and make me feel valued, which is not something that I had experienced with any other service in the past. We began our regular sessions, working on things like my CV and reflecting on my personal skills and knowledge and helping me to grow as a person, giving me the confidence to believe in myself.

I know how hard Parul has worked, the number of dog walking companies she contacted in my local area, all she wanted was for someone to give me a chance, to look past the challenge of autism and the anxiety and the depression. Then Parul called and arranged for me to meet the only person who was willing to at least meet me.

Yes the anxiety beats me sometimes and I do feel overwhelmed, but to have someone who understands and who is empathetic has made such a difference in my life. I feel valued, I feel like I belong, I feel understood.

We met at a local dog walking place for a ‘meet and greet’, and arranged for me to start volunteering a couple of days a week to see if this industry really was for me. I have continued to volunteer and although I still have some ‘down’ days, I have been given the chance to prove myself, and I continue to push through the challenges that I face. Yes the anxiety beats me sometimes and I do feel overwhelmed, but to have someone who understands and who is empathetic has made such a difference in my life. I feel valued, I feel like I belong, I feel understood.

I cannot thank Parul enough for her perseverance, time and her personal skills to help me achieve simple things like leaving the house by myself, for some people this seems like the easiest thing in the world, but for me it is a lifeline.

If this article/story can help at least one person find the courage to seek help, then I feel that I have managed to give something back.

 

*Not her real name. 

 

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