Progression Together

Nicholas Monaghan, former resident of Cliddesden Road in Hampshire, talks us through his journey from a hospital bed to living in his own flat:

“I used to hear voices, have hallucinations and feel constantly terrible, so it would be fair to say that I went through lots of things that you don’t want to experience. When I used to be admitted to hospital the main thing I missed was being away from my family, so I have always wanted to get better so that I could spend more time with them, especially my daughters.

When I was first diagnosed with mental health issues I was 19. I used to be given my medicine as an injection and then I’d often fall asleep, sometimes for days at a time. I didn’t know I was ill at the time – I don’t think you ever really do until you get better.

When I left hospital in 2012 I stopped taking my medication. I became homeless and was on the streets for eight to nine months in Southampton. I used to get drunk a lot, so I was taken to hospital where I’d often escape from. When I stopped drinking I felt panicked, anxious and stressed. I’d find myself being sectioned and then sent ‘home’, back into the same situation I was in before.

It wasn’t until I came to Together’s Cliddesden Road accommodation service that I started to really get better. Don’t get me wrong, I still have my off days. But when I came here I felt like I got the answers that I had been looking for.

The support I received was great. I now know that it always helps me if I talk because if I had a problem, they had an answer for it. I used to set my own goals with staff and going through those with staff would help me to see what I had achieved and give me the opportunity to discuss where I wanted to be in the future.

What I liked about living here is that I can talk to the staff and take part in classes, like aromatherapy, ecotherapy and cooking. There was always something different and interesting going on here.

I found peer support to be useful, as being able to speak to someone that had dealt with things similar to you, was something I could really associate with. With peer support, nobody took you for granted, as we were all in the same boat It was great to hear about others situations and learn about how they dealt with day to day hurdles.

I came on in leaps and bounds during my 14 months here and once I was ready Together helped me to find a place to live on my own. My Support Workers also came to see me in my flat once I had moved, to make the transition as easy as possible once I had left the service.

A nurse once told me that you can learn to deal with things, but you are never really out of the woods. I think it’s a really sound piece of advice. There’s not a week that goes by when I don’t fall flat on my face. But I now just get back on with it, rather than going down for good.

I’m looking forward to taking a holiday, change is as good as rest, they say. I feel really positive now. I go into town a few times a week and I see my daughters a lot. My daughters mean a lot to me, spending time with them at the cinema or even going shopping, that’s life to me. It’s something I couldn’t do before, it might be a little thing to some, but to me it’s not!

Ultimately, what I have learnt is that I won’t get better if I don’t push myself. Cliddesden Road was the perfect environment for me to do just that and I’m so pleased that I’m now able to live on my own.”