Derek shares his experience of support and the difference it has made.
Earlier this year, Derek had to move house. Moving house can sometimes feel very difficult. Derek
thought that he might find it hard.
‘I didn’t want to leave my original address. But I had to. That was quite stressful.’
Derek felt that the move would affect his mental health. So, he asked his Support Coordinator for
help.
‘Asking for support can be the difficult part. But my Support Coordinator made it easy for me to reach out. The way they were made it easier for me to ask for help.’
His Support Coordinator arranged for a removal company to help Derek. They packed up his
belongings and moved them all to his new house.
‘I was going through a bad time. They made it an easy process. I would not have managed it myself. It would have been a lot of upheaval for me.’
Being able to trust the removal company was important too. Derek felt that they were reliable and professional.
‘I still get anxiety. It came up during the house move but I managed to control it because the removal guys were so good.’
Derek is settled in his new home. He also feels safer and more comfortable.
‘Everything from my old house is in my new house now. I’m more relaxed now. I’m in a lot better place mentally because of this. Support has made my life easier. My mindset is in a different place now. And I can concentrate on myself.’
Now, Derek is looking at how he can take care of his physical health.
‘I was recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes so now need to control my diet. I’ve got a recipe book for my diabetes. I’m a former chef so I know to replace processed food with vegetables and fruit. I’m doing a lot of walking – I do five miles in a day sometimes. Wee bits at a time so I can keep it comfortable.’
Derek is also looking at how he can support his mental health too.
‘Now I can concentrate on my own mental health. I will still need help and I’ve spoken to my Support Coordinator about this. So we can look at the next steps. I’m looking forward to that.’
He is making sure that he takes things at his own pace.
‘I am looking at getting my support plan in place to look at what happens next. I’ve got my plan on hold for a wee bit while I focus on things with my house and try to relax. My Support Coordinator said I have done a good job getting to where I am.’
In the meantime, Derek plans to do more of his artwork.
