Changed lives
Real people, real recovery. These are some of the voices of Grow members who found understanding, friendship and hope. If you’re struggling right now, we hope their words remind you that things can get better — and that you don’t have to do it alone.
In my depression and anxiety, and the low self-esteem that came with it, I tended to avoid people and stay isolated — which only made things worse. Grow became an invaluable source of support. It helped me get outside of myself, grow in self-acceptance and confidence, and care actively about others.
Construction Inspector
I was dependent on medication and felt I had no choice but to live in a fog. Grow’s care, and its guidance on coping with hallucinations, helped me. Under the care of a new doctor I was able to reduce my medication to around a quarter of what it had been. Life now feels exciting and worthwhile.
Grow organiser
What made me come back to Grow for a second week was knowing I’d found a haven — a place to be with people who understood me and didn’t criticise or judge me. I felt safe.
Grow member
I was depressed, desperately alone, and had started talking to myself. But when I found a Grow group, they didn’t just listen — they seemed to truly understand where I was, and they accepted me. I began to feel that all was not lost.
Grow member
Friendships are the key to mental health.
— the heart of the Grow programYour story could start here
Every person quoted here once walked into their first meeting feeling unsure — maybe much like you do now. What they found was a group of people who’d been there too, and who simply made room for them.
You don’t need a referral, a diagnosis, or the right words. You just need to come as you are. The rest grows from there.