The Big Ben Challenge

Walking and trekking with friends in nature has literally saved my life! I have struggled with mental illness most of my life in varying degrees. I have had agoraphobia, intrusive thoughts, suicidal thoughts (with 2 suicide attempts as a teen), self harm, addiction issues, borderline personality disorder, anxiety disorder, depression, OCD, PTSD and after the birth of my son post partum psychosis. The latter led to me loosing my identity and self confidence and forgetting who I was as a person entirely. A friend introduced me to an organisation called The Cart Shed when my son was around 3 years old which became a lifeline for me as I rebuilt my shattered mind and discovered the healing power of nature and green woodwork therapy alongside occupational support and the five ways of well being. During lockdown my mental health took a drastic downward spiral as I struggled to process being cut off from places like The Cart Shed and the freedom to explore my favourite beauty spots . I experienced PTSD and panic attacks associated with the mandatory wearing of masks as this triggered my own repressed feelings of being silenced, unable to breathe or speak, this unearthed deep rooted trauma from childhood sexual abuse which had never been addressed. I accessed professional support alongside alternative and holistic therapies to help heal from this. So, my healing journey continued. This trek was born out of those dark days! My one friend who would meet me for the daily walk where we explored our local area. This daily walk kept me alive and gave me hope. In recent years we have done bigger and more adventurous treks with more friends which has become a real passion and helped to keep my mental health stable . This year me and 2 friends are taking on Ben Nevis to symbolise how far I have come and to raise money for the incredible Cart Shed Charity who helped me to transform my life and retrain as a Forest school leader, connecting children to nature and sharing my gifts and passion for the natural world and its healing power.