Kaitlin: finding my voice
sane.orgI was four years old when I began to show signs of certain disturbances through acting out and self-harm when I was alone. I was under siege by something invisible that I couldn’t explain.
I managed to ‘settle’ these behaviours and emotions by hiding in my cupboard or under my bed where no one could see or reach me.Now I wish more than anything that I could go back and hold that girl tight, tell her not to be afraid and to speak up.I was surrounded by a loving family who gave as much as they could, but mental health was never a subject for dinnertime conversations.
Everyone kept their feelings to themselves and I was taught at a very young age to ‘suck it up.’To the outside world I seemed ‘normal’, perhaps just ‘quirky’, but the pain was at times completely unbearable.
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