Having a support worker was the best thing for me!

• I have always had problems integrating myself into society and making meaningful friends. Relationships were absolutely out of the question too upon reflection but I did try that too.

I use to live in Queensland when I was a kid with my mother and stepfather who spoke little English. They were serbian. Had lots of trauma back then as I wasn't looked after properly and when my mother got MS it got worse and I had to look after her until she had to go to a nursing home.

I had nowhere to go so my father in Perth took me in. My father and his wife (my stepmother) have schizophrenia. So I found it hard to connect with them and felt like I wasn't looked after properly again.

I tried my best to escape the environment but I had development problems and a lack of support. So I stayed in my room most of my time gaming away. I found good company in my dogs. Which kept me sane to a degree. So grateful for dogs..

I've always had problems holding down a job for long and navigating social aspects such as friendships and relationships. Career wise I didn't know what to do as I felt I had people phobia from my trauma. I just wanted to be left alone with my dog.

I felt so broken as an individual and I felt like people don't understand what I had to deal with. I found I couldn't tolerate stress at all. I had issues making new friends and I felt they didn't like me because I was a bit weird I guess. But who wouldn't be dealing with what I had to?

This year I got diagnosed with MS and got onto the NDIS. I met a support worker who feels like the mother I never had and I'm able to do things with her and have a laugh! It makes me so happy and feels like a life worth living now.

It took a chronic disease for society to give me a second chance at life and I'm grateful for that.Thank you for listening.