In October 2010, one weekend, I endured what was a painful and difficult road ahead. I suffered a family breakdown, through no fault of my own. That night I was at my lowest ebb and couldn’t sleep. I contacted my best friend whom I’d known for four years by text and voicemail. The next day I spoke to my friend’s girlfriend who is a nurse. She asked me if I was feeling suicidal and I said I was so I she told me to seek help by going to Emergency Care at the Leicester Royal Infirmary. I waited there for about four hours as it was a Sunday, then I saw a doctor. I told her that I had suicidal thoughts but had NO intention of taking my own life. I explained that I don’t smoke or drink and told her what happened.

​

She said I was suffering from depression and gave me the contact details for Adult Social Care. She also recommended I take anti-depressants to help me cope with my depression. That night when I got home I felt low and admitted I was suffering from depression but at least I slept a lot better.

​

It was Monday morning and two people came from Adult Social Care to visit me for an hour. They took details about my health, my circumstances, and about my family situation. They came to the conclusion that I should continue to take the anti-depressants and see a counselor on a regular basis.

​

Between October 2010 – March 2011, I fought a long and hard battle with depression but thankfully my faith supported me. I had days when I stayed in bed all day, had breakfast at lunchtime and there were even days when I would not eat anything at all. My friend and his partner rang me everyday to see how I was coping and they were my rock and gave me the light in times of darkness and they were two of the most caring people who I have ever known. They would visit me or I would visit them.

​

In January 2011, just when I was slowly starting to improve. I wanted to visit my relations but my aunty told me NEVER to visit them because they have their own problems and busy lives. I said I could come and visit for one weekend in the Spring but she didn’t listen. Just as when I was improving I became even more depressed and at one point, I turned on my best friend when I shouldn’t have. I then rang the Samaritans because I had no-one to turn to and I broke down and cried and felt guilty for turning on my best friend. I apologized but he understood how I felt about my family situation and like myself was shocked by my family’s behaviour.

​

It was approaching the end of march 2011, my depression was slowly come to an end and in April someone whom I have known for three years on and off stayed with me throughout April as I was living on my own and that made me feel even better and then he invited to go to Cyprus for a week’s holiday and that was the best holiday I ever had. The fresh air and the sunshine helped me enormously. The last time I went abroad was when I took my dad’s ashes in 2003.

​

When I came back from Cyprus whist looking for paid work, I thought I would volunteer and one day I found a leaflet about volunteering for a Mental Health Charity called Recovery. I contacted them, I was introduced to Liz and Ben Lond one of the volunteers. I filled out a membership form and Liz asked me what skills you have, I said, I am good with ‘numbers’ and she said we need someone who can deal with accounts, I said fine because I have an Accountancy qualification. I then became the treasurer for the charity. A few weeks later, I started volunteering with the charity and I felt more confident. I was still on Anti-Depressants but at a much lower dosage.

​

July came and I was off then completely. I learnt more about the charity and grew from STRENGTH to STRENGTH. My faith certainly made me STRONG.

​

I learnt that Mental Health and Depression can occur to anyone at any time without warning.