Skilling up and breaking free – my journey with Active Inclusion
Chris (who didn’t wish to disclose his real name) has written a blog about his experience with the fantastic and aptly named Skill Up, Break Free project which is supported by the Active Inclusion Project.
I have experienced depression and anxiety to the point that I became agoraphobic and could not leave the house. I had not worked for some years and had limited social contact. I felt a low sense of self-worth, felt trapped in a cycle and I could see no way out. This had a severe impact on my motivation; I felt like giving up trying to get out of the isolation and believed I would never get a job. Help from the Job Centre and the mental health services seemed limited. I never felt like I was treated with genuine concern; that people were just doing their job and not invested in actually helping me to bring the change I needed to overcome my problems and reintegrate…