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I started coming to Headway because I wasn't going out at all.
I wouldn't leave the house, I wasn't mixing with anyone
and they talk to me about me about coming to the day centre
and to start with I was like "no, definitely not. It's not for me".
After a couple of visits, and getting to know people,
erm, this is my
relaxed atmosphere, this is where I can be me.
I've not got make the effort. It doesn't matter if
I go off on a tangent or forget what I'm talking about, because we're all the same.
And sometimes
normal life is so difficult, because although your family
except what happened and they help you,
you continually
try to be "normal". And it's,
sometimes it's just too much effort. I want to just let me tongue run away with me
or,
I want to just sit, and doodle and draw,
and coming here,
I think is made me more independent as well, because
it's made me think "I can do I for myself",
and, you know just chatting to people,
because they've been there and done it, erm,
or even, you know, somebody that's... that's not as far along
the path as you are and you can say: "You know what,
this is how I coped with that", or
"That's where I was", but, you know
the friendships that... that we've
.... I've lost the word now...
[interviewer: "Forged?"] Yeah, that's a nice word, forged, we'll use that one,
and what I call, these are my real friends. They didn't know Jeanette before,
so they've got nothing to compare me with,
and you all come together don't you?
Everybody goes into a little gang from nursery upwards,
and we're a little gang. But the support we get from staff as well,
is: "You can do it Jeanette, you can.
"Have a go. See what happens".
Without being forced, you're cajoled more.
But as well it gives my family a rest. They,
I come to Headway two days a week,
and that's two days [when] they can do whatever they need to do, whether it be work, or
go out shopping and they've not got to worry about me.
'Cos, I'm at Headway, and I'm being looked after,
and they've got to make the most of it between 9 and 4, you know,
so, I think, I come because I enjoy it -
I love it. Nothing gets in between my Thursdays and Fridays at Headway.