Kelly's Story

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Kelly Boylin tells the story of her self-harming.

Kelly started self-harming when she was 10 years old. She says that she didn't really know what she was doing; she was in pain and wanted to take it away. 'It's horrible - everyone judges you because you have been diagnosed with a mental health problem'. She sees herself as being just like everybody else; a normal human being who finds things difficult at times. Kelly had a traumatic childhood which she is still reluctant to talk about. At 15 she was placed in a mental health special unit for teenagers in Colwyn Bay where she worked with a trained psychologist, Branwen who became her care co-ordinator. Branwen used to call herself Kelly's 'transitional object'. In her teens Kelly had made a good recovery from mental illness, but three years ago she received shattering news that her sister Kim had committed suicide. The next two years were difficult - she tried to take her own life several times during the first year. Kelly has set up a campaign called 'Kim's Voice' as Kim had been on a waiting list for mental health services prior to her suicide, but nothing had been done. Kelly sees the campaign as an outlet for her grief. She is shown riding her horse- she has a massive love for horses as did her sister Kim - and when she is out riding she feels that she can connect with her sister. She feels safe and at home when she is riding. Kelly feels that she is half-way recovered, but a lot of work remains, primarily on her post-traumatic stress disorder. She hasn't overdosed or tried to take her life for a long time. It's really important for Kelly to realise in her recovery how long she's gone without doing these damaging things.
From: Peace of Mind - Ep. 1
First Broadcast : 12 December 2012

Teachers' notes

Age Group : 14-16,16+

Subject : Health & Social Care, PSE

Topic : Mental Health, Health and Emotional Well-being

Keywords : Self-harming, Suicide, Mental health for teenagers, Sane, Mind, Psychiatry, Counselling

Notes : One in four adults experience mental illness at some point during their lifetime and one in six experience symptoms at any one time. What are the most common mental health problems that adults experience? · What type of support is available for people who suffer from mental health problems ? · Look into the work that is done by the charities SANE and MIND.


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