.:: Where U Going? ::.

I started coming home really late and when my mum complained, instead of respecting her, I would talk back and swear at her. I didn’t pull my weight around the house and would bring boyfriends home and have them sleep over.

My behaviour went from bad to worse. It got to the stage where I would have physical fights with my mum - cat fights where we used to scratch, kick and punch each other. When the fights were at their worst, we would threaten each other with knives and even the iron. I was about 13 and this went on for 3 years.

One day, whilst staying with my father for the week, fed up and scared of the bullying I overdosed on paracetemol and vodka. I just wanted to die. I was rushed to hospital in severe agony and was kept there for a few days. Even after the suicide attempt, my behaviour didn’t change. By now, my mum had had enough and ordered me to leave the house so I had to stay with a family friend.

Me and my mother spoke on the telephone occasionally and I noticed something was not quite the same. She seemed calmer. I told her that I needed to come home for a few weeksand my mum actually agreed. I was shocked. When I moved back in,I noticed a diffrence in my mum. That's when she invited me the come and join the VYG.

I was changing and because I stopped doing bad things, trouble stopped coming to me. The bullying and name-calling stopped, and rumours died down to nothing. I was attending the VYG regularly and received strength to stop smoking and sniffing solvents. I also cut the boys and friends off. I learned how to be obedient to my mum and the desire to kill myself disappeared.

At this time, I was leaving school and knew I’d messed up on the exams due to my old lifestyle but I wanted a second chance in life because I know I messed up. So I applied to do beauty therapy at the higher level at college. I went to the open day and was asked to come back with my grades when I got the results, I’d only managed to scrape 3 GCSEs out of the 10 I’d taken and my grades were not good enough for the course I wanted.

However, I believed in the faith that I had and when I got to the desk, amazingly, the person said she didn’t need to see my results. She gave me the letter to enroll immediately. I was so happy. I went to college and after passing the first module after three months I was offered full-time employment with on-the job training in the West End. I applied for film and TV make-up work and got it. Anything I applied for, I got.

I wanted to work in a school and help young people reach their full potential because of my awful past. Without the proper qualifications, I applied for jobs in schools. I’m just 21 and am now a teacher’s assistant. I’m really enjoying it and have plans for even bigger things so watch this space!

Nadine Moodie