Since my early years, I have suffered bouts of depression., When depressed, I want to numb the pain through alcohol, and comfort foods such as fish and chips, McDonalds and sugar, instead of my usual healthy diet. I have negative thoughts and basically have no interest in caring for myself. I have had many attempts at suicide, starting from around the age of 10 when I was still living with the people who had adopted me from Romania. Even now, I consider it  when I’m mentally and physically unhealthy. I self-harm by using anything that is sharp, and I have plenty of scars. Some are from as recentas August 2017 when I wanted the pain of my past and present to stop.

 

While writing my autobiography, I started to suffer flashbacks that caused me to have negative thoughts and be generally unwell. When I finally got referred to a psychiatrist, I was put on antidepressants and diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). I was tired all the time, and, nothing or no-one could get me out of the downward spiral I was in.

 

The skills that got me through were spending time with loved ones, getting out of the toxic environment I was in by, moving houses, taking mood stabilizers, and seeing a psychologist regularly., I also choose to stay positive.