Indigo

Growing up, she was called a “devil child”, lazy, a liar and a problem. At sixteen, her twenty-two-year-old boyfriend raped her. When she told a stepparent, the response focused on her clothing: “Sometimes you wear things that aren't appropriate.” Her father believed the boyfriend's denial.

She did not report the rape because she feared the police would blame her too. Later, a stepfather restrained her on a bed despite knowing about the assault. She also missed mental health appointments because her parents did not take her or tell her about them.

An AuDHD diagnosis in her twenties helped her understand difficulties that had been treated as bad behaviour. Even during later crises, family members continued to describe her as attention seeking and dishonest.

Her partner of eleven years has offered support and understanding. She is now working, has graduated in psychology and wants a career helping others. She is also determined to give her stepdaughter a different experience of care.

She wants people to see how much effort it has taken to build her life, and to understand that needing help never made her a liar or a bad child.