Nicole’s flying high thanks to Life Link
AN OBAN woman who suffered from depression is raising money by jumping out of a plane for the charity that helped her, writes David McPhee.
Nicole Lopez, 21, and her friend James Cameron, 22, are set to complete the skydive in aid of Life Link on November 5.
Life Link aims to help young people and adults manage their stress more effectively and achieve their full potential.
‘Earlier this year I was diagnosed with depression for the second time round,’ Nicole said.
‘This time was so difficult, the smallest of things were incredibly hard for me; getting out of bed, showering, going to the shops, just being near people and having to smile was incredibly challenging.
‘It got to the stage where I was going to work and breaking down in front of customers, I was taking at least three panic attacks a shift. With the support of my amazing management, and all my friends and family, I went and got help.
‘I was referred to Life Link, a charity-based counselling service that offers short-term sessions, normally about four.
‘Because my counsellor could see how badly I was doing, she managed to get my sessions extended to six.
‘Each week we did a core assessment to see how well I was doing; 40 meant you needed serious psychiatric help, and zero meant no mental health problems at the moment.
‘On the final week, she told me that on my first session I was sitting at 36 and in just six sessions I had managed to come all the way to just seven.
‘If it wasn’t for Life Link, I would still be a massive mess and probably ended up in hospital.’
To donate to Nicole’s fundraising page, visit www.gofundme. com/nicoleandjc.