Katie's story

“I’d been in my previous job for just over 8.5 years when I was diagnosed with breast cancer and because of this, I had to come off HRT. I had the worry of breast cancer combined with horrific menopause symptoms which caused me to spiral. I was getting swallowed up with imposter syndrome. I'd lost my confidence and was getting upset at work, feeling masses of fear and anxiety. I was starting to fall into a very, very dark place.

“I felt panicky, like I was losing my grip. I had almost been swallowed up by work, but nothing had really changed with my job. At that point I had no ability to rationalise that nothing had changed.

“Having spent so many years supporting Ben and promoting the charity’s services it felt like the natural thing to do was reach out. I've advised so many people over the years to contact Ben and I was taking my own advice, which I don't do very often.

“I didn't really know what the process would be. The stand out thing for me was I didn’t feel like I was being ‘processed’. The person I first spoke to was lovely, gentle, friendly and empathetic. They asked me questions but it felt very natural and very experiential, rather than transactional.

“I genuinely think if I hadn't taken this path, I would have imploded and gotten myself into a far worse state. I'm also not sure I would have had the courage to walk away from work. The counselling I had has enabled me to make the most of the gift of time after leaving my job and be really positive about it. Without this support, I think I would have still been quite broken and fragile.

“Ben’s support has also helped me find myself and believe in myself again. I feel like me again and I've got my mojo back. I've gone from being terrified to excited about the future. I'm also really open minded and I feel brave now.

“When I get overwhelmed, I'm now conscious of how to help myself. When something feels like a mountain to climb, I've got techniques and tools in my toolkit that I didn’t have before. Without question, I’ve referred back to some of the conversations I had with Ben and I use the techniques I learned. I feel fully ‘tooled up’!

“If you’re considering getting support, absolutely do it. Even if you feel uncomfortable doing it - get someone to do it for you, or get a call back. But absolutely do it. Feel the fear, even if you just have that initial conversation. Ben may not be able to take the load away completely, but they're going to help you find a way to carry it.”

Get help

If this story resonates with you and you've been considering getting help - chat with us online or pick up the phone and call our free and confidential helpline today on 08081 311 333 - Mon-Fri 8am-8pm.