Suzanne has become a champion at catching life’s curve balls, never taking her eye off the goal of building a better life for herself and her children. Finishing her Psychological Science degree was a decade in the making for Suzanne, who has faced many physical challenges along the road while also living with complex PTSD and borderline personality disorder.

“Nine years ago, I decided to seek help for mental health issues I have been battling my whole life. I’ve worked hard to overcome self-harming, suicidal ideation and substance use disorder – while learning new strategies to deal with life’s difficulties. It’s been a long road and I don’t know how I got through it, honestly, but I did.”

Planning to pursue higher education in Clinical Psychology, Suzanne hopes that her story of overcoming the odds will encourage others to keep pushing forward.

“Pulling myself out of homelessness with two young children was extremely tough. It took a lot of grit to re-establish our family after those situations. It would have been impossible to do without the right support.”

“Coming from trauma, I have always had difficulty building relationships with new people. Having RFQ supporting me for the last five years has given me the stability I needed to get back on track and finish my studies. I’ve come a long way – it’s hard to believe just how far I have come.”

Learning new, positive behaviour was a key component of Suzanne’s recovery journey, which she says included generous amounts of self-compassion and acceptance.

“As a child, my brain was wired to survive in ways that were not conducive for my adult life. I had to learn coping strategies all over again, as I was emotionally dysregulated. I had to build myself back up again. I still revert; that’s what trauma does – but I’m improving every day.”

While negative influences in Suzanne’s life used to bring her down, she now endeavours to use positive self-talk to propel her forwards – launching her to new heights.

“With the very last grasp of tenacity I had, I pushed forwards. I couldn’t have done it without support – that’s for sure – and I also couldn’t have done it without my own willpower. My team think I’m made of steel. I’ve dealt with a lot of hardship over the years, including people who thought I would fail. But in the end, I pulled through. I survived.”

Suzanne hopes she can be seen as a role model to those struggling to believe they are worthy and capable of pursuing their dreams.

“With the right support and continuity of care, you can reach your goals. You can take a break; you can take your time, but you can get there. Taking a break is not the same as quitting. You’ve got to be your own personal coach throughout the journey – reminding yourself that even though you’ve got a condition, you are still capable of great things.”