Tamsin’s story
It all started when I was 13. I had been being bullied for two years on and off, but had kept it to myself the whole time, until this time last year when I told my best friend about it. She convinced me that I needed to tell someone, so I spoke to my guide leader and the bullying stopped. Unfortunately that wasn't the end of my problems.
Even though the bullying had stopped I had started believing what the boy had been saying. Believing I was fat and ugly. Eventually it became too much for me. I became really depressed and was having suicidal thoughts almost every day. This went on for about 3 months and just after my 14th birthday I started cutting myself. At one point I even tried killing myself by slitting my wrists but it wasn’t deep enough to do any damage and my parents never noticed.
I ended up telling my guide leader about everything that had happened and what I had done and she convinced me to see my doctor. I actually built up the courage and went to visit him. He told me he thought I was depressed but wasn’t going to put me on tablets and wrote a letter to my school nurse, who to this day I still talk to every month or so. I eventually told my parents which I’m now glad I did.
After I told them things did start to get better, I stopped cutting myself and began to get happier. Things are never going to be totally fine for me, and I still have relapses now and again but I’m learning to deal with it now. I’ll always have the scars to show me what I’ve done, both emotionally and physically but my advice to anyone reading this is to tell someone because even if it does seem scary and nerve wrecking it will help in the long run. It’s always nice to have someone to listen to your problems. Even if you can’t tell your parents, pay a visit to your school nurse. She is always there to listen.