Jamie's story

“I kept plodding through life. I had other relationships that were no good for me and I put up with things I wouldn’t have normally. I get on with my family but I haven’t seen them much since being on my own. I have good sets of friends but they are married with kids. When you're in your 20s, you’re all single at the same time, going out all the time together. For six years now I’ve been by myself. I felt like I was living on the periphery of other people’s lives.

“At this point, I felt desperate. I started to lose myself. I wondered where it was going to end. I knew I needed to do something to help myself. Towards the end of last year, I realised I wasn’t getting anywhere. I didn't feel like I was staying on top of how I was feeling and I was frightened about the future. I had been fighting these feelings for a decade. 

“Then I spoke to people at work about my struggles and they said I should talk to Ben. I was cynical, thinking ‘you can talk until the cows come home, but it doesn’t change anything’. I contacted Ben in February and realised I was wrong to be cynical.

“I had eight sessions of life coaching. There was a flow, it was well pulled together and gave me structure. Having this support from Ben was an invaluable experience and it gave me a better way of looking at my life. I was emotional when I came to the end of my life coaching sessions as I had to say goodbye to this relationship which I had found life changing. 

“I felt more hopeful after my sessions with Ben and I learned to appreciate and improve my relationship with myself. I’ve made my peace with what has come and gone, I see it as part of life. I feel more solid and resilient and, if negative things happen now, they don’t follow me around.

“Previously, when I’ve felt low, I used to drink but I have more self control now. At times, I had worried that I was going to drink myself to death, but I’m currently doing sober October and I don’t miss drinking!

“We work in a central industry with a lot of stresses and strains, including performance-related pressure which can affect a person’s mental health and relationships. It’s a masculine environment and there will be people who struggle to ask for help. It’s not easy to admit you’re having problems but it’s just a phone call - if you don’t do it, you’ll never know. Make the effort, it might just change your life.

“I’m forever grateful and I feel lucky, I can’t thank Ben enough.”

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