I was born in 1962 into a large family, two boys and seven girls. I left school in the late seventies to serve my time as an apprentice fitter with Bórd na Mona. Years later my work got the better of me. I had worn myself out and I ended up in a general hospital for twelve weeks.

I had seen a poster about GROW in Tullamore. I was nervous attending my first group meeting. Here was a place where I could talk without being heard outside. The friendliness within the group also helped. As the Blue Book says: “Among human relationships, friendship is the key to mental health.”

 After a while, an opportunity came up for Mullingar to start their own group. It was while I was a member of this group that I was asked to get help with coming to terms with sexual abuse. The incident had taken place when I was ten. I was molested by a man I didn’t know and I grew up fearful of people being close to me and asking me questions about my family. It has started to haunt me around the time of sexual abuse was being discussed on radio, television and in the papers.

At the time I believed a person was considered weak if they cried or showed emotion. I was brought up that way. I couldn’t answer my father back when he got verbal – using bad language at me when I didn’t do something right. In GROW they allow people to make mistakes and they don’t shout at you. The group reassured me that I wasn’t going mad.

In GROW you find people from all walks of life including some of the most isolated people in society – the separated, the divorced, the unemployed – alongside housewives and farmers – all suffering from anxiety, phobias or loneliness.

And they are the greatest people I have ever met. For anyone who is looking down a dark tunnel of anxiety and depression there is hops. “Nobody is a no hoper.”

GROW offers “Friendship, Truth, Character” to all comers. Three years ago the group encouraged me to go on a FÁS course, to start my own business. I have been working for myself  for over two years now. 

I have great admiration for all “GROWers”, new and old, in particular members of my own group and the fieldworkers, who, through their courage, commitment and friendship have helped me come this far.

The best in life, love and happiness has yet to come. God bless all.