“I never thought I’d get back to a stage where I could look to the future again… ”

When Zoe went to her GP, she hoped to get immediate help for her mental health. Instead, due to the NHS struggles with resource, she went onto a waiting list for three years.

At the GP, she had opened up by completing an ACE (Adverse Childhood Experiences) assessment test, which brought long-repressed trauma to the surface. To be left without immediate support in the aftermath was devastating.

“I ended up looking for support myself, like suicide prevention websites and advice about not falling back into substance misuse. That’s where I found Time For You.”

Time for You is an online wellbeing support service run by SAMH, where people get one-to-one support. Zoe's support worker was Gemma, who established a routine of phonecalls to help Zoe better understand her mental health and set personal goals to improve her wellbeing.

“If it hadn’t been for Gemma, I would have slipped back into substance misuse. That was the only other relief available while I was on the NHS waiting list. But Gemma encouraged me to get up, get washed, and see what I could do each day. She was so genuine.”

Every support call started with grounding breathing, to focus on the present, and let go of worry. Then they would set a small goal for the day. Zoe found this kind of personal connection and accountability helped, as she did not have support from family or friends.

One of the most meaningful things which Zoe started doing at this time was creating a “motivation vase”. Whenever she went out, she collected an item on the trip and put it in a vase when she returned home, until it filled up with small things like pebbles and twigs. This reminded her that, despite struggling with agoraphobia, she was still going out. “Each object represents an achievement.”

She did eventually get a good therapist through the NHS.

“Therapy isn’t an immediate cure. Recovery is long-term. Having help with daily wellbeing is vital.” That’s why Time for You was so important to her.

These days, Zoe enjoys cycling to a nearby harbour to take photos of boats, and still brings back shells for her vase. She continues to work on her wellbeing, building on her time with Gemma: looking at her own values, and interests. “I never thought I’d get back to a stage where I could look to the future again.”