What women say

What Missing Link Has Done For Me!

I was first diagnosed as having a mental health illness in 2002 but refused to acknowledge it until last year.

I left my family in Northampton in March last year, got into an abusive relationship which, when it ended, left me homeless here in Bristol . I heard about Missing Link from The Hub and I sincerely thank whoever it was who helped me apply to them for accommodation. The hardest thing I have ever done was to admit during my initial interview that I had a mental health problem and that I needed help in getting my life sorted out.

I moved into a shared house on 7th August last year and with a tremendous amount of help and support from all the staff at Missing Link, I have got my life back on track and now feel that I can face the world on my terms.

My Support Worker has helped me to learn how to manage my illness and establish some realistic coping strategies and goals. She has got me to some important appointments and taught me that I can ask for help when I need it, something I had always shied away from in the past. I can never thank her enough for getting me to Court to finalise the injunction against my abuser. I know that if Jenny had not collected me that morning and taken me to the Court, I would never have made it there on my own.

The TREE service helped me to enrol at college and then the worker accompanied me there for several weeks. Without their help and support I would never have attained my CLAIT certificate or gained the confidence to tackle CLAIT Plus and an Administration NVQ, both of which I am doing on my own with support workers supplied by the college.

My Counselling sessions have helped me to see that I am a strong, capable, loveable person with a lot of good qualities and life experience to share with the people I have in my life now.

The drop in sessions have encouraged me to take an active part in so many things that I would never have experienced otherwise. The newsletter has given me an outlet for some of my writing and ideas.

I have learnt to accept my illness and be open and honest about how it affects not only myself but those around me. I have gained confidence in myself and my abilities and now look forward to life instead of constantly battling against trying to end it.

I realise that the progress I have made since becoming involved with Missing Link is in no small part due to my hard work and positive attitude towards my illness but I would not have achieved anything if it I had not received the support and encouragement of everyone at Missing Link.

So to all the staff I say a huge thank you for saving my life.

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