"My needs were never ignored"

The care I received at CAMHS, namely in the care of Dr Fell, Pauline and Alyson, has shaped me into the person I have become today. I wasn't the kindest of people at times, and fought against all odds to be treated but I was always encouraged to realise my mental health wasn't my fault, despite having an immense sense of guilt surrounding my conditions. I was fought for at times I had given up on myself, and guided through the hardest period of my life to date. I wouldn't be alive without the support I received, and I would never have been thriving and recovering as well as I am now without the treatment and care I received.

My needs were never ignored, and everything was done at my pace as much as possible. I felt supported, and that I could trust my treatment team, and this trust i built up was essential in the later stages of my journey where I started to engage.

I was inspired throughout my experience, and I am now in my third year at university studying psychology, planning to work in child and adolescent mental health in a few years time once I complete a post-graduate. These people not only saved me and helped me but showed me the exact type of care I aim to give to my future patients. An amazing team of people, incredibly supportive and in a time I felt so alone, I knew I had so many people I could talk to.

I can't wait to give my all back into a similar service in my future!