This is the brave story from an advocate who shares her background and how advocacy is now an important part of her life and wellbeing.
“No one cares! No one will miss me! I am alone! I don’t know what to do! The world would be better without me! What is happening to me? I deserve to feel this way! I am alone!
All the above were thoughts and feelings I had before I chose to stop being a victim and become a survivor
This was my life before my diagnosis of Bipolar…
I decided many years ago that I wanted to help people who, like me, were labelled, misunderstood, and unfortunately, not listened to.
I had been to many job interviews and was told I would never be good enough to stack shelves because I had mental health issues and would be on benefits for the rest of my life. Until one day, I met my mentor, Nicola, manager of the first service I worked in. This was an EMU, as it was called back then, but today it is known as a high-dependency dementia unit. She made me feel ‘normal’ and, as I rose through the ranks, she told me, “This is your calling, you have been sent to us to do the work you do… Be proud of your journey! It has made you who you are today.” For this, I will be forever grateful.
Over the years, I have worked in services to improve life for people in care, from mental health to children’s services, and I carry Nicola’s memory in high regard. I cannot thank her enough for helping me believe in myself. If I can help someone feel their worth, then I have done my mentor proud.
I reflect on my time in mental health services and help clients understand that they are worthy and that they are being listened to, even those without a voice. Since joining the fantastic team at Advent Advocacy, I have continued helping people in situations they fear and where they feel so alone.
The faces of my clients as I walk into the service speak volumes. If I hear their voices, it is the best feeling in the world.
My most memorable success stories are many, and it’s hard to write about just one. I have helped non-verbal people be heard and mobilize around their environment. I have helped staff understand that clients communicate not just through behaviors deemed ‘challenging,’ but also through Makaton, storybooks, and talking mats. I’ve helped others look at body language, give time and choices, so clients can pick what they wear, and now, they are going swimming.
I’ve helped clients who were let down by the services and unable to express how they wanted to live, as their diagnoses had them labelled in ways that society frowned upon. I have helped clients make decisions about their care and where they need to go, ensuring they are heard and not just told what to do, because they are adults, not children.
So, when I’m asked what I do for a job, I say:
“This is my calling, and I help people be heard through Advent Advocacy. We all have rights and choices, no matter what walk of life we come from or where our journey is taking us. We all should be heard.”