I was really struggling for a long time, and it wasn’t immediately obvious to me or my family. I ended up in hospital for a few months.
I was paranoid and anxious; it took time to trust the people who were trying to help me.
But I think my recovery was helped by small steps and consistency offered by the team who made me feel safe and able to talk about my experiences and explore healthy ways of coping.
Getting out of the house with my support worker and attending groups such as woodland activity sessions with the EIP team gave me space to meet others with similar experiences, readjust, and practice my self-management skills.
I can see now that I had become more and more isolated before I went into hospital, cutting myself off from the world that just reinforced my paranoia, anxiety and low mood.
I’m now confident to notice and respond to these sorts of early warning signs and triggers and understand what is helpful to maintain my well-being and what isn’t.