Part 1 – Can’t cope
At the very start of this journey I thought: ‘I can’t cope with this. My life is a mess and I’m not going to progress any further.’ As a lad just starting out, I had (and still have) a supportive family, but, like me, they make mistakes. After a few discussions, I started thinking, well, it’s not that bad, but I was still very angry.
Then I had a big hiccup at college where I got into a girl’s space because I thought she was laughing at me. I saw red and grabbed hold of her bag and threw it over the steel college balcony. The college issued me a stage 3 disciplinary. I felt gutted.
Part 2 – I start opening up
This problem started creeping into my life where I would cause trouble by passing messages from one house to another. I think I did this because I was struggling to cope with mixing with different people.
Eventually, mum got me counselling, and it was good for a while and helped. Then things started going backwards. My dad finally found me some people who he said could help me. At first I wasn’t keen, but he said, ‘Just try it, Jason*, you never know.’
So I rang up No Wrong Door (a project that helps young people in Hereford access information and support) and explained that I needed help. Their response was, ‘Okay, Jason, come and see what it’s like.’
Part 3 – Trying to cope
I joined No Wrong Door and started going to the creative thinking sessions they run. I started to feel okay about admitting that I had problems which I needed help with.
The sessions helped me address my social problems and to step out of my comfort zone a bit. I realised I felt ‘cramped in’ between everything. I was depressed and angry but eventually started to use my coping strategy. I finally started to get a grip of my life.
Part 4 – Having conversations
My mates and I started having more conversations about things. At home, my family started saying things like, ‘Jason, you need to stop this’ and I thought, ‘Well, okay, that’s easy for you to say.’
I had more discussions at No Wrong Door. They asked me what kinds of things I would like to do, and whether I had any hobbies. I said, ‘Yes, I like radio.’ I discussed a few options with my mum and stepdad about what was the best thing to do. Then No Wrong Door arranged for me to meet up with the people who run Hereford Hospital Radio.
Part 5 – Hereford Hospital Radio
After going along to meet everyone at the hospital radio station I spoke to mum about it and my dad and grandparents. They all said, ‘If that’s what you want to do, go for it!’ Right away I started to feel much more relaxed, and my messages and social interactions started looking a lot better.
I started at Hereford Hospital Radio in December 2019 and I’ve been really enjoying it.
I’ve learned not to just jump into everything. It’s hard when things get on top of you. Just focus on the things you love. Everything else comes with it.
Part 6 – Last thoughts
If you have problems in life, don’t be scared to open up and get help. I know many of you reading this understand how hard it is. But the main thing is to focus on what you love. You never know, it can turn into reality. There are always going to be situations that are tricky or when you think, ‘Crikey, can I do this?’ Instead of just carrying on, the best thing to do is get help. I know that all you want to do is cry, but getting help leads you forwards.
I bet you’re thinking ‘That’s easy for you to say’ – because you’re in a bad situation or going through a rough patch in your life and you can’t see a way out. But it can really help to focus on what you enjoy, and explain your feelings to people. I know it doesn’t always work, but even if they are struggling like you are, people will usually try to understand.
* ‘Jason’ is a pseudonym.