YOUR CHOICE
In order to alter your mindset and change your life sometimes all it takes is one small step in the right direction. Mental and physical health challenges are something we will all experience at some point in our lives; my passion for Armoured was born from the kindness, support and encouragement from just one individual.
My reasons for sharing my story go deeper than just trying to make you believe in a wonderful cure for our everyday struggles. It is a story of an on-going journey that I am still on to this very day. I have an incurable health condition which impacts on my daily life in many ways; from issues with physical mobility and chronic nerve pain, to the endless façade of waking up in the morning and just ‘carrying on’. To complicate my story, I also have a diagnosis of OCD and a long history of depression, anxiety and self-harm. Living a life of continual hospital appointments, endless prescriptions and Doctors who just ‘don’t know what to do with you’ (not their fault, by the way, these things happen!), took me to a very dark place. I had always been told not to exercise, not to aggravate my condition; but then I was told that eventually one day I would no longer be able to walk. I was stuck, stuck in a negative mindset and stuck in an unhappy body, not knowing what to do for the best.
So, I made a choice. I could either wait for the inevitable or challenge myself. I chose the latter and I challenged my mind and my body to start answering the question ‘What if I try?’. If no-one medically knows what to do with me and the outcomes they’ve given me are pretty poor, then really, I’ve got nothing to lose by trying something different. So, I tried, and I keep on trying. I exercise and I train with some amazing partners who have shown they truly care about me. I try and get the balance of eating healthy right, but most importantly, I focus on keeping my mind positive and telling myself that I only get one life. Sounds cheesy I know, but for me it makes the difference.
Some people may want to share their story and some may not. We all have the right to choose what is best for us. All of us are on a journey; we are all different and this is what makes us who we are. This is not written with the intent to sell you what we are offering. This is written because for a long time I felt that I couldn’t change. However, with the right support and people around me I have realised I can change and I believe you can too. If sharing my story helps to change just one person, then this is enough for me. I want you to know that whatever you are going through we can be better, both mentally and physically, together.
As I said at the beginning, it takes one person to change your life…but it takes a community to make you stronger…and this is why I believe in Armoured.
