“The dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) gave me so many skills to take away, and it almost saved me in a way.

“I was in crisis last year and I was in hospital for 2 weeks. From there, I tried to get a place in an NHS facility but the places were full. So my dad made lots of phone calls and then he phoned the Priory in Woking, which is how I ended up here.

“When I first walked through the doors, my parents were with me which was quite nice; they were quite supportive. I was really nervous, but I was greeted with some of the reception staff, my key worker, co-worker. You also have to have a bag check, which is never going to be enjoyable, but they actually made it a lot more, sort of, pleasant than it…well, as best as it could be, really. And then you make an instant bond with them. It’s a really weird situation because you’ve never met them before, but you get used to it and then they stay with you throughout your time here.

“It’s almost a family unit. You make really, really good friends that I’ve kept for…well, since I’ve come. Coming back as an outpatient on a weekly basis is really nice because you see the people who are your friends, who you’ve made for life and you see the staff and everything.

 Everybody remembers you and they just make it super…it’s almost like it’s a ‘me day’. So I set that one day that I come here, for me, and I actually enjoy it. Then I have my therapy and then I go home on a good note.”