Hey you,

If I could give some advice to my younger self or to someone who can relate to where I have been, it would be that you’ll be okay, please stop being so hard on yourself, and that there are so many people who genuinely care about you. A lot of bad things have happened, and others will pop up, but there will be good things, too. Stopping yourself from enjoying the good or fearing that it won’t last doesn’t help. Embrace the things you love and embrace who you are. There’s nothing wrong with who you are.  

My journey, both with my mental and physical health, has been tumultuous. But it hasn’t been all bad. Spending all of my childhood in and out of hospitals, undergoing skin grafts, treatments, over 500 surgeries, and more, has meant that I have a lot of ongoing challenges. However, I've met some beautiful friends through my journey who I am so grateful to know. I have my family, including a gorgeous cat, Crystal, who has been there for me through so much and my wonderful mobility dog, Wren, who has helped my mental health immensely. I've been able to have experiences that I wouldn't have otherwise. 

Above all, as tough as some days can be, I'm happy with where I am. I now work for an incredible mental health charity, I run my own page focused on animals, and on top of this, I feel I can understand people more and understand myself more because of the journey I’ve been on.  

I’m fairly open about my journey, and through a lot of what I do, I have shared a lot of my journey with my physical health. However, I find it hard at times to be as open about my mental health journey. Because of all I’ve been through, I struggle with complex PTSD. I continue to work on emotional regulation, on my triggers, on feeling at home and safe in my body, and more, each day. Some days are better than others, and I know this is an ongoing journey, but I’m proud of how far I’ve come. This year, I even started doing pole dance! Something I thought I’d never do, it’s now become something that has helped me to judge my body less and to feel grateful for what it can do and has done. 

Claudia