"I was becoming increasingly paranoid, saying that I didn't want my mum in the room because I was ‘worried’ about her, believing that she had an illness that she and my family were keeping from me.
"The daily stressors of life started to increasingly attack my tough exterior, which allowed my vulnerability to seep out. I started to worry, stress and overthink events and situations which made them feel more overwhelming and serious.
"Being 18, my workload and the pressure to pass my exams and get into university made me feel unsettled and lost, to the point where I found social activities that I had previously enjoyed the most unbearable.
"I can’t be sure exactly when things started to get weird but I was vulnerable and what made me who I was (my identity, my personality, my determination) started to disappear.
"I felt I had lost everything, I felt spacey and anxious - but hyper. I couldn’t sleep, I kept hearing voices and I was scared.
"But… the Early Intervention in Psychosis team slowly got me back together, piece by piece.
"I still have stresses. I still get paranoid and worry, but that is human. But I have learned to deal with the concerns and I have realised it is part of who I am. I am still learning.
"If there is anything I could say to you today it would be don’t give up hope. You are not alone. So many people are going through exactly what you are going through, they may just be at a different stage of recovery.
"It sounds like a cliché but no matter what life throws at you, it can only make you stronger."
