A couple of months  ago while watching Inside Out Midlands I learnt about a charity named Aquarius.  Aquarius offer support to family’s and most important young people who’s lives have been affected by substance abuse.  Not by them directly having an addiction but by living with someone who does.

From ages 7 to 11 I lived with a Father who had a serious alcohol addiction, so serious that it took his life. My Dad wasn’t a bad person he was just a man with a disease that he couldn’t beat but of course living with an alcoholic was never easy. Losing him was, and still is one of the most defining moments in my life. At the age of 18 after struggling with anxiety for years and suffering in silence I finally couldn’t take anymore and went to my doctor for help, only to be told the best they could give me was a book prescription and for actual councilling I would have to pay. I was in no position to do this, so off I went to the library, got my book and felt no better and for the last 17 years my battles with my mental health have been long, hard and lonely.

This is in no way a cry for help or a way to get sympathy. I don’t feel sorry for myself, but I do believe if I’d have had access to such an amazing service such as Aquarius my battles with anxiety and depression wouldn’t have been nearly as hard.  We live in different times now where mental health isn’t taboo and conversations are had. It’s ok not to be ok and if I can stop even one child feeling the way I did then that is a battle won. So for my birthday this year I’m asking people to donate whatever they can, £1, £10 whatever. If you are my friend and we’re thinking of buying me a gift, a donation is enough! And even if you can’t give, just making people aware of this amazing charity and sharing this page is enough. If you’ve made it this far down thankyou for reading and like I said please don’t feel sorry for me, just be awesome and help out this amazing charity.