Following a serious decline in her mental health, Narelle found herself admitted to hospital. From there, she was approached about the possibility of transferring to the Transitional Recovery Service (TRS) house on the Gold Coast. Initially uneasy about the prospect, this stay would become a turning point in Narelle’s life.

“I was nervous going into the TRS house because I didn’t know what to expect. One of the main downsides of depression is catastrophising; always thinking the worst is going to happen. I wasn’t feeling positive about meeting new people and experiencing new things. As is generally the case, the reality has been the complete opposite. I had nothing to worry about – to this day, some of my best friends are people I met in the TRS house.”

For someone like Narelle who isn’t surrounded by family, going home immediately after hospital could have led her straight back to her old behaviours. Her time in the house provided her with the foundations she needed to build healthy habits and a strong support network.

“If I had come home to an empty house, I would have quickly slipped back into the behaviours that led me into hospital – some days not getting out of bed at all, not showering, not eating, not taking my medication. The house provided the routine I needed to stay on track.”

“Staff at the house didn’t force me to do anything, but gently encouraged me to come up with some sort of routine. They would say, ‘Once you get out of bed, have a shower and have something to eat, then you can go back to bed’. I felt that I had choices. They understood that my body and mind were dealing with a lot, and encouraged me to be gentle with myself.”

After taking time to rest and settle in, Narelle slowly felt herself coming back to life. Revitalised, she began to engage in more and more activities, even picking up new hobbies along the way.

“I started doing art, eating healthily and exercising. I never considered myself any good at arts and crafts, but I slowly started creating, with support from people in the house, and found I really enjoyed it. It helped calm me down.”

“Nowadays I have all these little mementos from the TRS house that I’ve stuck up around my house. They’re there to remind me of a happy time and what I learnt on that day. It’s a good reminder for me to have those little visual cues to help me to stay on track.”

Like all things in life, nothing is guaranteed – but with her new support network and inventory of selfcare tools, Narelle has emerged from the pit of darkness with a newfound zest for life.

“My time at the house has given me a lot more confidence, day-to-day. Where the prospect of going to a shopping centre was once terrifying, I now have the skills to manage that. I started off going for 10-15 mins and I would ask one of my TRS friends to come with me. Over time, my confidence grew even more.”

“I would encourage new people coming into the TRS program to lean on the staff. They’ve seen you at your worst and there’s no judgment. They will be there for you through your ups and downs and guide you until you can stand again on your own. I’ve got a new lease on life and it’s taking me in a direction I never would have imagined.”