Laura Ann's story
Read how Laura Ann has turned her life around, and how she now feels settled at Loughshore.
Laura Ann, a resident at Loughshore, has made remarkable progress in overcoming challenges from her past, thanks to personal determination and support from staff. After struggling with mental health issues, she’s now building confidence and independence through dialectical behaviour therapy.
Priory Loughshore resident Laura Ann makes significant progress in turning her life around
Laura Ann, a resident at Loughshore, has made remarkable strides in turning her life around, after facing significant challenges adjusting to community living as a young person. Her early experiences were marked by distress, which posed serious risks to both her and the staff involved in her care.
Reflecting on her past, Laura Ann shared: “I lived with my family until I was 16 and then went to a residential hospital in Antrim. Life was very hard and difficult at this time. I felt like I couldn’t cope. Being at the hospital was hard; living away from people made me sad and depressed. I was there for one and a half years before coming to Loughshore.”
Since becoming a resident at Loughshore, Laura Ann has made significant progress. This success is down to her hard work, and also a testament to the support team, who were committed to helping her achieve her goals at her own pace, while promoting her self-worth, importance, and abilities.
Charlene Reid, Loughshore’s home manager, explained that the team worked closely with Laura Ann, regularly reviewing her support plan and making updates to her next steps when she felt ready. She began dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), a treatment developed for individuals with chronic suicidal ideation and borderline personality disorder.
Laura Ann recalled: “I noticed things improving when I started my DBT skills. It took a few months to settle into it, but it was nice to have someone to speak to and listen to me.”
“DBT helped me to trust people, using my five senses to keep me safe. When I got one-to-one support, it helped me to calm down. I still had ups and downs as I struggled with trusting people and my low self-esteem, but it has helped me stand on my own two feet,” she added.
Laura Ann’s restrictive practices have reduced, and she is particularly proud that her television no longer requires a safety screen. Cherished items now sit proudly in her bedroom, no longer needing to be locked away for her own safety. She is also able to spend 10 minutes by herself without staff present, and is gradually building confidence to be without the team by her side when she feels able. These achievements are celebrated, as they represent significant milestones for her.
“I now feel settled into Loughshore; it feels like a safe place,” Laura Ann said. “It’s all thanks to the Loughshore team, who have been there for me through my ups and downs. Having my independence for 10 minutes, two days per week has also helped me. My hopes for the future are to move into my own place. I believe I can do it with the team’s help to reach my goals”.