A beauty queen has told how she turned her life around after battling homelessness and mental health issues
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It led to clashes with her parents and she was kicked out of the family home. From 16 to 18 she lived rough on the streets and in homeless hostels, drinking too much, until she managed to turn her life around. Astrud and her then partner would spend every night looking for places to stay.She added: “You have no idea how stressful my old life was but I want to let people know you can start again. I got thrown out the house. I was in a destructive, violent relationship with an ex-boyfriend.
Astrud said: “I moved up from there. I stopped drinking. Getting my own home led me to earn my own money. At one point I was working seven days a week doing a variety of jobs – a receptionist, a factory worker, bar tender and hairdressing assistant – to get on my feet.”Astrud said: “My mum and I are tighter than ever. She is really proud of me.”