What led you to coming to have support from SEEN?
Earlier this year I experienced pregnancy loss and without SEEN I would not have been able to recover. I was unprepared for the impact this had on my mental wellbeing. I was low, depressed, anxious and felt an overwhelming sense of loss.
In some countries, termination is a criminal act. Knowing this, it made me feel i was a bad an awful person.
I felt my feelings weren’t valid and that I shouldn’t feel sadness or loss as it was my choice. I was unprepared for these conflicting emotions which, at times went very dark.
I decided I wanted to look for some help . I did some research online and happened upon ‘SEEN’ and contacted Mandy Brockwell. Mandy was so kind, understanding and welcoming to me. She very promptly replied to my email and then rang me up to discuss what Seen had to offer. I started to feel that my feelings were valid and that maybe I wasn’t such an awful person. Mandy put me forward for the full program which was up to 10 sessions. I was so grateful.
How did SEEN support you? And how did you feel after their support?
I came in for weekly face-to-face sessions at the centre, which helped me so much as I felt supported and in a safe place
The sessions were so helpful as each one was structured around a program of recovery. I could tell that the structure of the course was written by people who really understood what it was like to go through something like this.
each week I felt better and better and by the last session, after a long and painful road, I felt I was able to move on from my experience.
What impact has SEEN had on you? And why would you recommend SEEN to others?
SEEN has had a massive effect on how I now see my own experience. It has empowered me to feel strong and want to help others who experience pregnancy loss
Without seen I think I would have suffered for many years with negative feelings and not understanding why.
As a result of the process, I have learnt a lot and also gained self help tools and exercises so that if I did struggle again, I could come back to them to help myself.
I think everyone who experiences pregnancy crisis should have support, as these experiences make a person very vulnerable and subject to real mental hardship. the only way to get better from this, is to have support from people who really understand the process, how to recover from it, and how to move on with your life.
SEEN is an incredible, amazing charity and I hope they can continue helping people in future as much as they have helped me. I feel grateful to live in a country where these services are available and without them there would be a lot more suffering amongst women.
I want to thank SEEN so much for everything they have done for me and for having me at this event. I hope that sharing my experience today will help SEEN continue to receive support and funding to allow them to continue their essential work.