"Dont be ashamed to ask for help"

I've suffered from mental health since the age of 14 and can honestly say, without the help I've had from so many different services, I wouldn't be here today.

I have had many different personality disorders and suffer with panic and anxiety attacks. From the age of 13 to 25 I was a heroin addict, I had a drug councillor from a service called I.D.A.Sm he got me into rehab and helped me stay clean, I'm now in my 40's and still drug free but my mental health still plagued me over the years and at the age of 27 I had a bad separation and tried to take my own life where the crisis team was involved and they literally saved my life.

I was ok for a bit then the panic and anxiety attacks started and I've suffered with this for many years as well as seeing and hearing things that were not there. 

I then came to prison and this hit me hard, I went in on myself and became quite mentally ill. I was on antidepressants and antipsychotics through the mental health team and the psychiatrist.

My mental health worker in here is a god send and has helped me in crisis many time giving me the guidance that has helped me to come off of a lot of my medication and supporting me ever since and helping me find out who I am as I wasn't diagnosed with my personality disorders until coming to prison.

I have enrolled on the the trauma  course and a mindfulness course through Inclusion which is another service I have come to rely on in prison. 

I can honestly say these services help and work, as you can see I speak from experience and would I change anything yes I'd for got help sooner if I new the services and people that work for them would actually help me like they have.

Don't be ashamed of mental health or to ask for help. I did and I'm a different person now, a happier person.