|
|
He said: “Things were going great until I was seriously assaulted at work. This had negative effects on both my physical and mental health. I attended counselling to help me come to terms with what had happened but it didn’t help. I was too scared to leave the house and if I did I would experience anxiety and panic attacks. I started drinking and at one stage I was drinking nine litres of white cider a day. My wife decided she had had enough of my behaviour and left. We are now divorced. I knew things couldn’t continue so I went to see my doctor. I was referred to a specialist and diagnosed with paranoid agoraphobia. I was also referred to Newlands (drug & alcohol centre in the Vale) where I received counselling and other services to help reduce my drinking. I met one of Hafod Care’s Independent Living Advisors at Newlands and they referred me to the Windsor Road Project in Penarth - this is one of Hafod’s supported housing schemes for people with mental health issues. I have been living in Windsor Road since October 2014 and have received a wide range of help from the support staff. This includes managing my tenancy, help with budgeting, taking up old hobbies and taking part in social activities like the gardening club. This helps to keep me busy and I haven’t had a drink for ages. I honestly think if I hadn’t moved into the Hafod supported housing scheme, I would probably be dead now.”
|