A 21-year-old woman was left in 'intensive care' as a teenager after she attempted to take her own life.
Courtney Gooley from Moss Bank, St Helens, began struggling with mental health at the young age of 11, citing the transition from primary school to high school as a cause of stress. This immense pressure, combined with family issues culminated in Courtney attempting to take her own life at the age of 14.
Now in a happy relationship and working a job she 'loves' as a fitness instructor, Courtney is keen to share that it does 'get better'. She shared her story with the ECHO.
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She said: "Transitioning from primary to high school was a big change that I struggled with. I’d have panic attacks and pretend to be ill so I could stay home. I was also put on the pill to help with my period cramps but this knocked my hormones off balance. I rarely slept and pushed everyone away from me.
"Around this time my mum became ill and her marriage to my dad broke down. I became a second mum to my siblings and it was a lot of responsibility to take on for someone so young. I missed almost all of Year 8. I felt like I had no friends and no one around me who really cared."
Problems for Courtney continued to worsen, with the teenager seeing no way out. She attempted to take her own life and was left in intensive care at the age of 14. She added: "I found tablets from the doctors and took the lot, texted my dad ‘I’m sorry, I love you’ and got into bed. I woke up two days later in the ICU with a breathing tube in and multiple machines attached to me.
"I remember being in a state of confusion. I couldn’t remember how I’d got there or what led up to it. My dad was by me holding my hand and talking to me about anything and everything. It took a few days for me to regain my memory and learn to walk again. My Dad stood by me during the whole thing, never leaving my side for a minute."
With support from family, friends and teachers, despite continued struggles with mental health, Courtney has managed to build a successful life. She said: "The big turning point was getting into the gym and finding a community that had been through similar things to me. Knowing that I’m not alone, people do care, what happened to me isn’t my fault, my bad days don’t have to determine my life. Getting by day-by-day isn’t ideal but it’s an amazing start. I’m in a position to say I love my life finally. Are things perfect? no.
"But who cares, I love my job and the people I work with are a second family to me. I’m in a stable and positive relationship with someone I love and I feel understands me. I still have my bad days but I know things always get better. I won’t say I’m cured of anything because that would be a lie. However, I’m no where near as bad as I was. It’s now my responsibility to show my younger sister how positive life can be, you can struggle and still come out the deep end."
