Julie’s story

Our client Julie, who identifies with the following diagnosis: Intellectual Disability, Vision Impairment, Borderline Personality Disorder and PTSD. During the COVID19 period she has been self-isolating and as a result was experiencing an increase in suicidal ideation and self-harm.

To help her regulate her emotions the Support Coordination team have been exploring ‘Mindfulness’ with her. Julie explores her feelings in represented shapes on a page and then colours them in. Due to her mental health and vision impairment this task is quite challenging. With ongoing support and skill development, she has now produced a series of pictures. Julie has sent some of these directly to Community Support staff to say thank you for their support. Community Support Staff have now been able to improve communication with her, by sending back pictures and letters. She hopes her story will inspire others.

Julie’s interpretation of the above image is – “sometimes my disability makes me feel sad. But I am learning to draw, it reminds me of a happy time and helps me. I went to the circus once and I liked all the colours and clowns. It made me happy. I forget when I am sad when I think of the circus. This is my picture of my happy place. I call it the circus.”