Bethany's Story

Trigger warning - discussion of self-harm

I’ve struggled with depression for a long time, and I want to share part of my story in the hope it helps someone else feel less alone.

My mental health challenges began when I was young, not long after I experienced sexual abuse. At the time, I carried a lot of shame and believed it was somehow my fault. I felt disconnected from the world and from myself.

Around that same time, I began to struggle with self-harm and bullying at school, which only deepened how isolated I felt. I didn’t want help and avoided talking to anyone about what I was going through, even when people around me began to notice something wasn’t right.

As I got older, things became more complicated. I experienced further trauma, and my mental health continued to decline. I was later diagnosed with depression and began seeing a counsellor. For a while, I found it helpful, but I was still struggling to fully open up about how much I was hurting.

There were times when everything felt overwhelming, and I didn’t know how to cope. I reached a point where I needed urgent medical and mental health support, which led to time in hospital. That experience was difficult, but it also introduced me to support, structure, and the idea that I didn’t have to manage everything on my own.

Throughout my teenage years, I faced a number of challenges within relationships, at school, and in my sense of identity. There were setbacks, moments where things felt like they were improving and then became difficult again, and times where I needed to reach out for crisis support. But slowly, things began to shift. Through support, time, and learning new ways to cope, I started to find hope again. I began to understand that what I had been through was not my fault, and that healing, while not easy, was possible.

Today, I’m still on that journey, but I’m in a much stronger place. I’ve been able to achieve things I once didn’t think were possible, and I’ve found connection, support, and a sense of direction in my life.

If you’re struggling, please know that you’re not alone. Reaching out can feel incredibly hard, but it can also be the beginning of things changing. Even when it doesn’t feel like it, there is a way forward.

Please stay. Even if it’s just for today.