"Given time to build a relationship of trust and respect"

After a traumatic birth I suffered from severe post natal depression and anxiety. I was hospitalised for a period of several months then supported by the perinatal mental health services for the first year before being transferred to the community mental health team in North Lanarkshire, where I receive ongoing support from psychiatry, psychology, and from my Occupational Therapist, Corrine.

My depression and anxiety have left me limited in what activities I can participate in, I struggle to leave the house alone, and I have also subsequently been diagnosed with autism. Corrine has been a lifeline during this period. She has gently encouraged me to improve my self care, challenged my poor behaviours regarding eating, and consistently motivated me to engage in creative endeavours, something that I was passionate about before my pregnancy. I still find parenting very overwhelming, but Corrine is able to put my struggles into perspective and remind me that parenthood is challenging for everyone, not just those with mental health difficulties, and that a degree of anxiety is expected.

As I do struggle to leave the house, Corrine can sometimes be the only other adult I see across weeks, excluding my partner, and knowing these routine visits are in place is a constant reassurance. Being autistic I do struggle socially and with communication, and I consider myself exceptionally lucky to have this ongoing support from someone with whom I've had the time to build a relationship of trust and respect.