'Christmas was always a bad time for me…I thought there wasn't any point in me being here.'
Almost half a million children with mental health issues like anxiety or depression won’t feel able to ask for help this Christmas.
For them Christmas is broken, but their spirits don't have to be.
Traumatised by abuse
From the age of eight, Angela was sexually abused by her father, keeping it a secret from her family and friends.
'I didn't want my family to be, as he said, 'killed', so I just kept it to myself'
Angela was left traumatised by the abuse she underwent at the hands of her dad. She suffered from panic attacks, depression and would self-harm to try and cope with her pain. She was considering suicide.
Becoming increasingly worried for Angela's well-being, her mum called The Children's Society.
'If she hadn't got support from The Children's Society, I'm not sure she'd even be here'
Children can visit our mental health drop-in services without an appointment and immediately get the help they need. Our project workers offer one-to-one counselling and group work sessions that help young people like Angela rediscover hope and show them they don't have to suffer alone.
Please donate to help more vulnerable children like Angela get the mental health support they need.
When Angela visited our service, she met one of our specialist counsellors.
'I came for my first one-to-one session... That was when I thought someone can actually help me'
Alongside the one-to-one counselling sessions, Angela also attended a weekly group session with other young people who had experienced abuse.
This meant that she was able to talk to people who had gone through similar experiences.
The sessions are part of our eight-week recovery toolkit programme which helps children and young people come to terms with their experiences and develop positive lifestyle and coping strategies.
Overcoming trauma
Thanks to the support of her project worker, Angela is now doing well in school and about to sit her GCSEs. She wants to be an advocate and speaker for other children who have experienced abuse.
We work with young victims of sexual abuse and exploitation, giving them someone to trust and helping them overcome trauma they have faced. Please donate to support more children like Angela.
'Coming to The Children's Society has done a lot for me. I have gained my hope back and my trust in people'
Last year we helped 2,987 children affected by sexual abuse and exploitation.
Learn more about our specialist services and how we support vulnerable children across the country.
Donate today to help more children like Angela.