Sleep deprivation was a massive issue for me as this exhaustion caused my anxiety, stress and depression to build up and get much worse at the time. Acting as if nothing had happened to me and pretending to be happy in front of external people like work and family was so mentally draining. I would often avoid meeting people as the energy required to look like a normal person was just too much.

A major struggle was the fact that everywhere I looked or anything I did, I was reminded of the person who did this to me. Whether it be someone with the same name on TV, or seeing someone with the same car and stressing it was them, I even didn't want to go to the shops in case I saw the person out in public as Jersey is a small island. The idea that he was getting on with his life and I didn't mean anything to him whilst I spent over a year and half recovering was difficult to overcome.

I had a lot of other stresses in my life that were becoming harder and harder to manage as my anxiety and lack of self-confidence compounded overtime. Being able to talk to someone outside of your family and friends who has dealt with other people in your situation is so helpful. You can share your honest opinions and thoughts about everything and not feel like you are being judged by people who know you personally. They fully understand your position and are able to help and give advice and coping mechanisms in order for you to try and process everything at your own pace and try to regain some confidence.