The Journey of my Mental Health

I began self-harming at 9 years of age...

...it was around my teenage years that I noticed my mental health wasn’t the same as everyone else’s.

I coped with my declining mental health by harming more and more frequently and by cutting deeper, I took my first overdose at 14, nothing was done, I saw a psychologist at 15yrs old who told me my behaviour was normal! My mental health continued to spiral downward and I took my first serious suicide attempt in my late teens early 20's.

Over the period of a few years I continued to feel more and more hopeless, useless, pathetic depressed and suicidal and this culminated in a number of suicide attempts 1 which left me permanently damaged.

I tried numerous antidepressants but none suited me or helped.

I was also in and out of a psychiatric hospital, eventually my psychiatrist found one that helped. 

I also began receiving support for my self-harm which was now classed as dangerous.

With support I began to find healthier ways of coping...

...and I began talking about how I was feeling and what I was thinking.

Eventually I felt more hopeful so I decided to give something back and was volunteering for Branches and Tact.

I really loved this so went on to study counselling to help me grow, As I got more confident and stable I took a big leap of faith and went for a paid job which I was successful in, I now work part-time and have become completely stable in my mental health, I also haven’t self-harmed for 20 years and have managed to raise a family. I have days where I struggle but I work within a great team who support each other and I know I can turn to them if needed as they can to me.

I love my life these days ...

...and wouldn’t change anything as its made me who I am and I like myself.