Even before I moved back to Aberystwyth I was involved with the local Mind services here in a way. My mum, ever supportive and wanting to make sure I managed okay, went to the Drop-In and had a chat with one of the staff there about what they offer. In Aberystwyth they have the following services: Art classes on Monday and Tuesdays, Drop-In, where people can buy tea and coffee and a healthy lunch on Wednesdays and Fridays, and Yoga on Thursdays. As well staff you can make appointments with, and help with all sorts of problems.
At one point I was going to the local Mind
everyday almost. Except Thursdays, I didn't do the yoga. I did
everything else.
I didn't have any friends when I moved back, my
support system was my mum who's arthritic and my sister who has two
kids of her own to deal with. I had only just met my doctor and I was
still in the process of getting support from the local NHS mental
health services.
Going to the first drop-in was a terrifying
experience, as well as Borderline Personality Disorder I suffer with
anxiety, it's the one problem that really prevails, so going
somewhere new, with new people was, well, terrifying. It took a while
to convince me to go in fact, but then, I didn't really like leaving
my flat either. I wasn't entirely looking forward to it, and wouldn't
have gone if I hadn't promised my mum and GP.
But I was greeted at
the door by a volunteer, and I bought a cup of tea and was introduced
to some of the other service users and the staff, and it wasn't scary
as I had thought it would. It was nice. And I ate my first healthy
meal in about six weeks (I was living off pizza and whatever soups my
mum brought over). I drank a lot of tea and chatted a little bit,
then went back home.
I went to the drop-in
once a week at first, Fridays, then decided to risk going to one of
the art groups. I had really enjoyed the art part of art therapy and
wanted to carry on with it, regardless of my lack of skill, and I
went along. It's two hours long, costs a quid, and you get a cup of
tea. I quickly found that it was as much a support group as it was an
art group. But I could just sit quietly and draw or just sit and
talk, either worked. I loved the art groups and went on both Mondays
and Tuesdays, meeting different people each time, and eventually went
to both drop-in days as well.
And instead of just
being this hermit, I had a life again. I spoke to people everyday,
which was hard for me even though I had been in a full-time therapy
programme before I'd moved back to Wales. The volunteers understood
me, helped me when I was really anxious or panicky. Some days I would
go to drop-in still shaking from my morning panic attacks, some days
I would bounce in hyper as anything and they accepted it all.
More importantly I made
friends, people who I met during art, or during drop-in but became
people I met up with outside of Mind, became part of my life even
though now I don't even use the local services that much.
Now I'm too busy to go
to Mind, but I still have the friends I met there. Because of the
people I met at Mind I'm now back at university part-time, because of
the confidence I got from going every week, from getting out of the
house and talking to people almost every day, university really isn't
the terrifying prospect it could've been. When I get married in July,
the friends I met at Mind will be there with me.
And I know I can go
back any time I need to, or want.
