WEBVTT - generated by Videoportal FH Dortmund

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My name is Paulina Stehmann, I'm from Witten,
am 21 years old

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and I'm studying object and interior design
in my third semester

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at the FH Dortmund.

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What hasn't gone according to plan in your
life?

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Yes, well, actually everything went well, even
at school

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and then, when I was twelve, it turned out
at some point,

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I have a chronic intestinal disease called
ulcerative colitis.

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How did you deal with the diagnosis?

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I have always tried to live my life anyway

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the way I did before. Of course, that wasn't
always possible

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and also associated with a lot of anxiety and
a lot of really bad moments.

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But yes, I've always tried to see the positives,

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and even if the doctors says, hey, this is
chronic,

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it will never go away, I don't agree,

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that I will never be able to life a normal
life again.

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For me, the possibility that this will be gone
at some point,

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even without medication, is still there.

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Did you receive any support during your studies?

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Yes, I'm very proud of myself to take this
step now

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here at university, And I have so many people

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that I could confide in and that they always
support me,

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and even if I, perhaps now, for example

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last winter semester, I was absent a lot,

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they sent me all the things directly without
asking.

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They were always  super supportive

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and you can lead a normal life with it, especially,

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if you have the right people by your side.

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Where are you in your life today?

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It's clear, it's still a big part of my life,

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but it's already much, much better than it
was ten years ago

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and I just know how to deal with it, I can
now openly

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talk about this topic, which I couldn't do
before,

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and yes, I have now started my first real job

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or am I about to start now, which I never dared
to do before

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and...sorry...

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I didn't think I would have to cry. I only
found out about the job yesterday...

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Yes, I'll soon be able to start my first real
job,

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what I did before

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never really dared to do, alone, that it is
often difficult

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to leave the house or even to confide in people

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that you don't know, because you're simply
afraid,

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that these people may not be able to understand
the situation.

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What advice would you give to other people
in your situation?

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I just think it's super important that you
address this

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and maybe talk about it, that these people,

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who perhaps don't have the confidence to to
go out, that they know, okay,

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there are other people who... And that's kind
of normal

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and you can lead a normal life with it,

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whether that's with medication or without medication,

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and that there are of course worse times,

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but you can always overcome them well,

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that it is also completely fine, when there
are bad days

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and then just let them come and let them go

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and then just be happy again,

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when everything is good again.