Advice from an expert by experience

Young person 'J' provides some words of wisdom to other young people ... "Thinking on how I would advise my younger self, I would’ve told myself to be a lot more patient, that’s the first thing. I find I was very impulsive when I was young and I would do things not for the right reasons or maybe not think about the consequences I was just doing things to please other people to feel accepted.

I will tell myself firstly to love myself more so I didn’t feel I needed other people’s acceptance and then I wouldn’t have made the mistakes that I did. Saying that, I would have still wanted to follow my gut feeling as I think following your gut gives you self-confidence which has helped me out today.

I would tell myself don’t think you know everything, listen to people’s advice and people who have been through the same experiences and don’t act like you have it all figured out.

Don’t think you are invincible and think about your loved ones and people who care about you.

Don’t think short term think long term, and the effects of what your decisions will have.

SAY NO! - a lot of the situations I was faced with, a simple ‘no’ would have saved me a lot of pain. I only thought of the short term success and I did not care about the long term effects.

Don’t be ignorant.

I would tell myself to be more determined".