The thought of leaving her house would send 15-year-old Mary’s severe anxiety spiralling. The teenager, from Huddersfield, said for two years she would often spend days locked in her bedroom unable to face the outside world.
“I would have panic attacks thinking about leaving the house,” Mary said.
“It was so frustrating because I wanted to go see my friends and I wanted to have all these teenage experiences you see in the movies.
“It sounds really silly, but you see all these people doing stuff and you want to do it too, but it was so hard.”
She said she found it hard to explain why she could not meet her friends and feels she “missed out” on part of her teenage years.
Mary has been receiving mentoring and support from the Mirfield-based charity Northorpe Hall Child and Family Trust for 12 months.
“Mary is an incredible young person,” mentor Lydia said.
“She’s has so many struggles, and so many struggles that she’s hidden away really well, because on the surface Mary is such an articulate, confident young person – but the huge barrier was literally getting her out of the house.”