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UP TO THE age of 18, the toughest decision of my life was when I was in transition year in school. I had to decide between playing a school camogie or basketball match as I loved both sports and they clashed.
I don’t even remember now which one I chose but the significance is that I had no major worries in the early years of my life. My childhood and upbringing was great, I had what I needed and achieved what I wanted.
First signs
During college, while studying PE teaching at UL, I experienced the first sign of a mental health difficulty, although I didn’t realise what it was at the time. Following the episodes, I called what I went through ‘indecisive phases’.
I would go from being fully confident and assertive to having days of being unsure of myself, constantly questioning everything and withdrawing from life resulting in doing nothing and staying in bed a lot of the day.
Thankfully I had very supportive friends and family and they encouraged me to get the help I needed. Initially, I thought going to a counsellor would just fix me but I now realise the process of recovery is long and requires significant and constant work but it is very attainable.
Bipolar disorder
After a troubled but successful 4 years at UL, I began teaching in the UK but after a few months with fluctuating moods I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I finished work there and came home where I could be in a safe and supportive environment.
In the years between now and then I’ve gone through a lot. I’ve worked a number of different jobs, travelled a bit, studied and been involved in sports and other activities. Although I haven’t always been able to reach my full potential, because of my illness, I’ve made the most of what I am able to do.
Every time I feel good for a while, I like to believe it will always be this way but inevitably my mood fluctuates significantly and I experience depression followed by elation or vice versa. I am good to take prescribed medication and go to necessary appointments including seeing a psychologist but I am by no means better.
It is about living well
Unlike physical illnesses, it’s hard to see whether someone with a mental health difficulty is better. For me it is about living well. Unfortunately I was not well during early October last year and I needed to get away. I just didn’t want to be in my world and I was so grateful for the option of going to St Pat’s, otherwise I’m not sure where I’d be today.
During my time in St Pat’s, my mood continued to fluctuate. However, my sleep did become more regulated, a big issue for me (and many people suffering from mental ill-health). The service there, although some things may be improved upon, is great and I’d consider it vital for many people not only in Dublin but all over Ireland.
It is a safe place with all the necessary facilities and amenities as well as a huge range of programmes and extra activities service users can avail of. There is a good structure to the day in place and going there gave me reason to get out of bed every morning.
Support groups
While studying a postgraduate diploma in UCC during 2014, I heard about Aware support groups for young adults that were taking place nearby. I attended these groups sporadically over a number of months and found them very useful. There were times I went when I was in great form and able to provide good feedback and support for my peers there.
On one occasion I remember I was so low that I reluctantly went but got upset easily and often during the meeting. I was very well supported and left the group feeling a little bit better and with a sense of achievement for having went and spoken.
At one of these group sessions I think I subconsciously decided I’d like to be a support group facilitator someday. Having a teaching background, I generally have good confidence speaking in front of people, I am organised and a good listener. Four years later, here I am, it’s been a journey but when I was in hospital at St Pat’s last year and heard the Aware lecture I seized the opportunity to speak to one of the Aware employees and get the ball rolling on becoming a volunteer.
Six months later, having competed the two weekends of training in Dublin and four observations of support groups I am a fully qualified facilitator and enjoying the experience and feel I am giving something back.
Optimistic
I am in good mental health at the moment thankfully and it’s allowing me to operate normally in all aspects of life and be fully functioning. I am aware that should my mental health decline any bit I may have to take a step back from aware for a few months or however long it takes for me to look after myself and recover. However I am optimistic that this won’t happen and that I will be able to be a facilitator for at least the next number of years.
My journey is far from over. At 30 years old, there’s a long way to go but just as I enjoy hearing about positive experiences, I want to share mine. I believe connectedness with one another is an integral part of world and indeed I believe it helps our mental health. All aspects of my life are going well at the moment including work, sport, health and friend and family relationships.
Long may it last. But in the meantime I will endeavour to look after myself both mentally and physically as best I can, as you should too.
Christina Broderick is 30 years old from Kinsale, Co Cork. She is a qualified PE and Chemistry teacher. Christina enjoys a wide variety of sports, socializing with friends and writing poetry.
The Aware Young Adult Support & Self Care Groups (18-25 yo) take place on a weekly basis and are free to attend.
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What a complete waste of money, this is going to be a bonanza for dodgy fas trained web designers putting up lame websites for dog groomers and hairdressers. Any business that has a genuine online business model should invest in their own business. Instead of a grant why not a low interest loan?
Joe, I have grown a business from 1 employee to 14 without any financial backing over the last few years, so I feel qualified to comment here. First off, I think this is an excellent idea – for a small business this would be a huge help. Businesses NEED to be on the web these days, but it does cost about 2500 for the most basic decent web presence (unless you are a web designer yourself). Small businesses don’t have that kind of money. It’s a vicious circle. You know you could increase sales (way more than 2500 per year) with a good web presence, but you don’t have the spare money to get one and the banks won’t lend it to you unless you are buying something tangible that they could repossess if they had to. Websites do not fall into this category.
Second, there’s nothing wrong in Fas trained people. Whenever I hear people talking down FAS training, I know they have never employed anyone who has completed a fas course. It’s an unfounded prejudice with no basis in fact, you are merely quoting “bloke down the pub says…” and it doesn’t reflect well on you. I’ve employed 4 fas trained people and they are excellent.
Having said all that, yes, I think the idea of a low cost loan, with a long repayment period is a fair compromise, though.
I agree with most of your points Andy, but I think Joe is talking about FAS trained web designers. I am a web designer myself and I agree with him that a course in web design with FAS doesn’t make you a designer. You might learn how a website can be created, mostly with outdated software and techniques, but the design part is not taught. This results in pretty ugly bloated websites.
IT Developers can not be got at the moment, lucky for them they are flat out if they are good.
Good sentiment here but poor execution again. Grants are a joke. We need on the ground assistance, less red tape and a lowering of costs for doing business.
This is like what FF did in the 90s &00s horsing out grants to build and worsened a “building bubble”. IT Developers will do as the builders did and jack up prices.
I wonder if an IT lobby had anything to do with this decision??
Oh I am getting very cynical about politics in this country.
Andy I have what I believe to be a brilliant web based business idea but cannot secure funding to get it off the ground,as a man who seems to know about such things what would you recommend my next step to be? Thanks in advance.
John, I’m working on a few ideas online myself at the present with a business partner. There are ways of doing it cheap. Drop me an email if you’re interested, darrenoceall@gmail.com
Use open source software, dip into your own pocket and start designing.
John, try kickstarter. Crowd funding is really taking off. Either that or talk to enterprise Ireland about their hpsu (high potential start up) programme. Good luck.
Why not cut real business costs for us like rates! If 2,500 was gone off my rates bill this year it would be a start! Government please start listening to small business’s, we are on our knees. Asking business’s who don’t have a shilling to spare to “match” any money invested by government is down right insulting at this moment in time, as we struggle daily to pay government induced costs. We need urgent incentives that mean something, not watery options like this were only a few will benefit!
Lets face iy it looks better for Rabbitte to be seen givng out (taxpayers) money than cutting rates and sorting out restrictive rent contracts.
Your rates aren’t set by central government they’re set by your local authority.
In the meantime at Enda’s breakfast table…eur 50 tax for every new domain plus we can create the mb tax, that works out at…
Once the money is handed over to a damn good web designer or developer then I think it’s a great idea for small business. Portfolio and good testimonials/refererrals can help you find the right developer or else It’s money down the drain.
Seconded.
People with MONEY to purchase products, thats what small business requires.
A business owner that needs to be incentivised to get online, is not a business owner that should be in business.
I just find it incredible that just 37pc of SME business in this country use the internet and now they are being subsidised by the taxpayers with a grant to do do,i have used it for years and im nearing 70,and would find life impossible without it, as would most people,as i say it just beggers belief.
sPEND IT IMPROVING THE BROADBAND NETWORKS OUTSIDE OF DUBLIN, THEN MAYBE A BUSINESS CAN ACTUALLY GET ONLINE TO SET UP A WEBSITE!
Super idea! Good move by the govt!
You really must be stupid.
Hey Brian,
Take your negative comments and name calling some place else. If you have a counter suggestion on how the govt can assist small companies I would love to hear it.
Name calling is for little boys.
Good lad Brian.
It is not name calling its an observational comment, Unlike your back Kenny and Co at all cost reductions contribution.
Kenny has his major faults however this initiative is a great one. To think it is stupid is stupid, are you stupid?
Actually you sentence does not make sense. It’s grammatically poor.
You are correct the word “reductions” should have been “ridiculous”
No counter suggestion then Brian or are you just a negative person who points out faults and doesn’t contribute?
The majority of SME’s are begging for cash flow. Free up cash to assist in this. And not thro the corrupt banking system. Companies like pay pal, visa etc take up to 6 months to forward payments to suppliers from
On line sales. Where is the working capital for even 60 days coming from. No bank over drafts or credit facilities for established SME. What chance a new start venture have???
Support for SME’s. Started a new business, promised before I came off the live register of a grant from my local development office. Went for grant to be told in April I may add that there was no funds left for that grant for the rest of the year. Disgraceful !!
As initiatives go, it’s a step in the right direction, but there is a caveat – and this is not a complaint, but a genuine concern, which I hope will be yielded by even one SME business owner.
I hope there is some vetting involved in sourcing the website designers and developers, before a lump sum is paid out. My fear is that a growing number of template-merchants and hack ‘designers’ will be running (if not sprinting) to cash in on this.
So – please vet any third party based on portfolio, testimonials, ask for ‘links’ to previous work (and how these sites are doing on Google), and an outline of their working process, discuss website warranty etc
A hint; if you receive offers of simply ‘x pages for x€’, this is selling on a template as a commodity, and ‘not’ an invested designer interested in finding a ‘solution’ for your business.
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