I often forget how far I have come. When I was a teenager and young adult, I was totally lost. I had no direction, hardly any social life, and I twice failed a year at university.

It would be more accurate to say that I chose to fail those years. I would not attend lectures or submit assignments, instead opting to wander around Manchester city centre killing time before returning home. Each hour seemed to take an age to pass whilst browsing the same shops every day when I should have been at uni. This led to feelings of shame, worthlessness and guilt. Nothing seemed achievable and everything seemed pointless. I did not know how to ask for help because I didn’t even know what I wanted.

The end of year exams were the worst. I would lie to my family, telling them that they went well; in reality, though, I just wrote my name and left after the compulsory thirty minutes. For months, the knowledge that the truth would come out on results day gave me a sick feeling deep in my stomach. To this day, I still have a recurring dream in which I’m back at university keeping this secret. The same sickly feeling is present, so it is such a relief when I wake up from my dream.

Socially, I was underdeveloped for my age. After being a lively, popular boy at primary school (I was the star striker on the football team), it was at my all-boys grammar school that I retreated into my shell. While my peers were eager to explore the world and masquerade as adults, I was happy to stay at home, playing computer games and watching football. By the time I went to uni, I was ill-equipped to handle all that adult life entailed. It was as if I could see the world around me but I was unable to participate in it. At that point, I could not have imagined how brilliant and fulfilling my life would become.

I was saved by a great lecturer/tutor, an older student who took me under his wing, and the enduring support of my parents. Who knows how my life would have turned out without the help that these people gave me. I’m aware of how fortunate I was; if I didn’t have this support network I would have been in debt and unemployed, with no confidence or social skills. Many people are not so lucky.

A key part of my development came after my mum arranged for me to volunteer in a charity shop. I learned new skills and built up my confidence in a low-pressure environment. Without this, the jump into adulthood and employment would have seemed even more daunting.

With all of the above in mind, I try my best to help people who are in a similar situation to what I once was. In recent weeks, I have been working alongside someone who reminds me of what I was like at that age. I know how important it is to make them feel at ease so that they can build their confidence and skill set. Today, I saw positive early signs that they are growing into the role.

It made me think back to the first few times I worked in a charity shop, and how we can lift ourselves up from our lowest point to become so much more than we thought possible. Some of us just need a little more support along the way.