Me and my Boss – by Danny Bowman

Job hunting with a mental health issue is not easy. Either you don't even get an interview or the employer gets cold feet during the interview. Should you even say that you have had mental health issues? The dreams of anyone suffering from a mental health problem is to start living a fulfilling life. For me I saw a fulfilling life as helping others and working hard even if it's a internship. I always has aspirations of working in politics or strategy and that ambition came true thanks to many people but one man especially, that is the guy I call boss now. Peter Botting gave me one of the biggest opportunities if not the greatest I have had. He gave me the chance to intern and work as his PA. His absolute care and compassion for what I had been through didn't make him dither on his decision but made him want to give me a opportunity, that many people with his reputation would not have done. One think that struck me about him is the lack of thinking he had to do and his open attitude about talking about such a stigmatised issue. Last week we both attended Conservative Party conference but for me this year it was different, I was no longer freely drinking every alcoholic beverage I could have. It was to work hard as a test run for Peter, the political strategist that didn't care about my past - only my future. I wrote about the conference here.  I ran his diary and he described me as being like a drill sergeant and for the first time ever, he attended 11 out of 13 scheduled events on the first day. We disagree and talk openly with non-edited language. But that is helpful and healthy. This man gave me an opportunity - he is not just "boss" but a great friend, a compassionate political man, a man of his word. I know he took a risk hiring me. I want to prove him right.   Me and Peter at work at Conservative Party Conference.