Georgina Jackson, 25

“I’m a different person in the mountains. My mind settles down, the brain fog lifts.”

In about 2014, I was diagnosed as being bipolar. With that, I get a lot of depression and anxiety.

I was that person who didn’t get out of bed for three days, who though they know they should shower couldn’t find the energy to do it. In my lowest times I even had symptoms of anaemia.

I had joined my local climbing club and realised that it wasn’t always the climbing that made me feel better – it was the walk-ins and the scrambles and getting outside with other people, that really helped. It brings out this confidence in me that, if I can climb that mountain, I can do anything.

I’m a different person when I’m in the mountains. My mind settles down, the brain fog lifts and I think physically I’m stronger. There’s an innate motivation to keep going. My outlook on life now is very different. I’m a nicer person. Before, I didn’t understand people’s different perspectives but now I just try to be honest with myself and other people.

I’m a lot more calm. Things don’t have to go the way I planned them and that’s fine, because that’s what got me here in the first place.