Brisbane vendor Hermione^* has moved on to her dream job and she’s graduating from therapy – and she’s happier than she’s ever been.

A year ago I wasn’t doing so good; not good at all. I have some physical and mental health problems, including anxiety and PTSD. My mental health was at an all-time low. I had left my job of many years, because I couldn’t manage it anymore. It was clear to everyone, including my doctors, that I couldn’t work. At that point I thought I would never work again. My life was spent either in hospital, at medical appointments, or at home sleeping and watching TV. It wasn’t much of a life, to be honest.

As a last resort my doctors recommended DBT. DBT, or dialectical behaviour therapy, is a talk therapy that teaches you skills to manage life’s ups and downs. It meant weekly appointments with a therapist, and group therapy for a few hours once a week, as well as a fair amount of homework.  I didn’t want to do it at first, but then my doctor said: “Why not? What you’re doing at the moment isn’t working, what have you got to lose?” And she was right: I had nothing to lose.

It wasn’t instant, but after participating in DBT for a few months things gradually started to improve. As my mental health improved, so did my physical health. I was coming out of the darkness. Things were looking up.

I was fed up with sitting at home watching TV; I wanted to do something more productive with my life. The problem was, I still wasn’t at a point where I could manage a regular job. Mentally I couldn’t handle the pressure of most work environments. I wasn’t sure what to do; I pondered different ideas, and then I thought of The Big Issue.

I called The Big Issue and spoke to Lou, a most lovely lady who runs the Brisbane office. From there it all happened pretty quickly. The best thing was that I could choose my hours, so it didn’t interfere with DBT and medical appointments. If I was sick and couldn’t work, I wasn’t letting anyone down. I could use my walking stick and take as much time as I needed to get things done.

At the start of my first day selling The Big Issue I was a bit scared, but I quickly went from feeling nervous to feeling excited. I met some really great people and thoroughly enjoyed myself. When I got tired, I could just hop on a bus and go home. I soon got into a work routine where I was selling The Big Issue for about five hours, three times a week, while still attending DBT. Selling The Big Issue helped me realise that there are some truly kind and lovely people in the world.

If I were asked to describe how The Big Issue helped me in one word, I would say: rehabilitate. I became a lot fitter from catching buses and walking round the city with all my Big Issue gear: I no longer needed my walking stick. I started getting up a lot earlier because I was keen to start my day. The staff were so supportive and encouraging.

Meeting lovely people and chatting with them improved my confidence dramatically. I was no longer going to the hospital all the time. I was healthy, I was happy. I still had disabilities, but those disabilities no longer defined me. I was working, I was participating, I was productive.

One day, after I had been selling The Big Issue for about six months, I was chatting to my support worker Kate. “I think I’m ready,” I said, “to do something more!”

I didn’t have the capacity to work full-time, but there was no reason now, when I was doing so well, that I couldn’t get a part-time job. As we chatted, Kate made some suggestions. When she suggested after‑school care, I looked up at her.

“That is perfect!” I said. I adore working with children and I have experience and qualifications in this field.

Kate was great, she helped me fix up my resumé and showed me how to apply for jobs online. I applied for a few jobs, and the following week I was asked to attend some interviews. This was something that I would have to do myself – Kate couldn’t come with me. We went shopping to get some smart clothes. It was a difficult week, juggling interviews while continuing with DBT.

After one interview, I was asked to go into the centre for a couple of hours for a trial. This was the job I wanted the most: working with young children in after-school care. The day after the trial, I was offered the job. I was over the moon. And I know I couldn’t have gotten to that point without my time working for The Big Issue.

The new job is amazing, incredible. I love it so much. Sure, there are hard days, but that’s the same with every job. The children are awesome, so honest and real. Sometimes I’ll be playing with the kids; pushing them on a swing or building a LEGO house, and I’ll look up and smile. Smile because I’m getting paid to do something I love, smile because I’m doing so well, or smile – simply because I’m happy.

I’m so grateful to The Big Issue. If people could plan their lives, no-one would choose to be homeless, or to struggle with addiction, or live in poverty. People are shaped by their life experiences. A lot of people in these situations have disabilities, or, like me, they have had some truly horrible things happen in their early lives.

No-one can make those things disappear, but when you buy a copy of The Big Issue, you are helping people to help themselves. On The Big Issue uniform it says “proudly working”. And that’s just it: the vendors are working.

When you buy a copy of The Big Issue you are not only helping the vendor financially, you are also giving them a reason to get out of bed in the mornings. You are giving them self-respect, you are showing them that there are good, kind people in this world, and that is something that everyone needs to know. Most importantly, you are giving them hope – and hope is a truly wonderful thing.

I’m still doing DBT, although I will graduate soon. My mental and physical health are so good now.

I can honestly say that I’m happier than I’ve ever been in my life.

*Hermione’s name has been changed for privacy reasons.

First published in The Big Issue in Australia, ed#721