Last week we received this anonymous letter from a very brave soldier who has been through the wars, but survived. We were blown away by her candid words about her struggles. Traumas in early life are never easy to let go of and we can carry the weight of our past around with us like bags of rocks.

Thank you so much, brave soldier, for sending in this letter. There’s a saying “I’ve never met a strong person who had an easy past”. You are a very, very strong lady and we salute your courage and are so happy that you’re reclaiming your life and doing so well.

If you, or anyone else reading this wants to get some help, we have a great list of organisations that you can get in touch with here. Or, write back to us and we’ll help you find one. Keep talking. Keep healing.

xxx

Here it goes…

Hello, I won’t give you my name but I’m here to tell my story…

I’m going to make it as short as I possibly can as otherwise it would go on for ages.

So now I’m 25 years old, but my whole story goes back to when I was only two years of age. My parents were alcoholics and never had time for their children. When I was two, my house went on fire and I lost two brothers and a sister.

From that moment I was taken from my parents and put into a care home where I spent the next few years, ’til I was nine. Then I was fostered into a family in a different town. I was always seeing different counselors and was always observed one-to-one when in school. Anyways, the depression started when I had to start a new school again, as I was always making friends and then having to leave them.

I don’t really know how my eating disorder started, just one day I decided I didn’t like how I looked and refused to eat, or if I did, I would always make myself sick after. I was hospitalised a few times and today I still struggle with this.

My anxiety goes through the roof at times.

I’m a very nervous person and a big worrier. I find talking about my past makes things worse and therefore I have yet to overcome certain things in my life. But today I find I have a lot to show people about how I am able to do things for myself and be happy still with everything that’s gone on. I’ve finished my four years in college and have a job for myself and things are looking up.

Everyday is a struggle but positive thinking and having a positive frame of mind… waking up and telling myself I can do this… it helps me…

xo