A journey towards overcoming anxiety with Maple
With Mental Health Awareness Month coming to a close, it was only fitting that we share an incredible experience of overcoming anxiety by a strong fighter within the Maple family.
Marita is known for her delight in singing at home, she hopes to join a choir and has a personal goal to record a song with her partner – who is in the music production industry (make sure to keep tabs on Marita for her big break!).
Prior to the NDIS, Marita suffered with severe anxiety and often hesitated at the thought of being out in the community. In January 2021, she had finally received her first NDIS plan and commenced her supports with Maple Community Services.
Marita currently resides in a mental health cottage in inner-west Sydney. Along with her weekly visits with the Casa Venegas team for mental health check-ins, Maple supports her with accessing the community and the activity she looks forward to the most, visiting her son.
“I don’t even know where I’d be without them [Maple Support Workers]” -Marita.
During her time with Maple, Marita had developed a strong connection with her support workers, namely Laaloa and Ursula. “I strongly relate to them, especially since they have children. I enjoy their company and advice around shopping!” It truly shows that Marita has been able to confide in her support network, even to the point of looking forward to their company each week.
With the help of her supports, Marita has been able to tick off great goals off her to-do list. Her support workers have assisted her with taking public transport, and it is with these experiences that she now feels confident in commuting to work and community activities. Her support workers have even been able to help Marita figure out logistics of many essential processes in her life, such as recharging her phone plan, visiting her son, and developing a routine.
Her most recent achievement has been the journey of reducing her days in the mental health cottage. This arrangement began with full-time residing and leaving the cottage two days a week, to leaving 4 days a week, and now completely moved out and spending one day the cottage. These changes in her routine have been going very well for Marita, she found the transitions to be quite seamless. Her support workers were there to journey with her and helped her move things out of the cottage.
Whilst this might seem like a gigantic achievement in itself, Marita’s biggest achievement has been her growth in confidence and the sweet sensation of slowly overcoming anxiety. In the past, Marita has been anxious in supermarkets, Service NSW venues and other crowded places – however she can now do this with little worry.
After knocking down these incredible goals with the right support, Marita has her eyes set on new goals of visiting her son more frequently, moving closer to her son and partner, and continuing to set her compass towards maintaining positive mental health. We know she is more than capable, and we’re here to support her all the way. Go Marita!
