Gwendoline

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Gwendoline was shocked to discover from her daughter’s diary that she had been self-harming for years.

Well, I think, you know, when we found out that our daughter was self-harming it was a massive shock. And, you know, we were just so stunned that it had been going on for, you know, that it had started happening, you know, a few years before we had any idea about it and I found out because we were worried about her and, you know, I noticed her diary, when I was tidying, and thought I’d have a look and that was when I discovered that she’d actually mentioned that she’d started self-harming again, which was how I realised that she’d obviously been self-harming before. So she was probably about twelve I guess, must have been starting secondary school and then she had, obviously, stopped and then started again. But it was very covert and very, you know, I mean we had no idea that she was that she was self-harming so it wasn’t, you know, blatant and she was obviously, it was a very controlled self-harming because she actually put in her diary that she was worried that that we would find out but she was doing it in such a place that it was very, very easy to hide.

Gwendoline encouraged her daughter’s wish to go to university, but feared that mental health problems might make it harder for her to form loving relationships.

And what are your thoughts about the future?

Well, we’re, you know, you mean in terms of how do we see our daughter’s future going?

Yeah, I mean she has she has aspirations to go on to uni so I think, you know, we’re obviously very supportive in that and we’re hoping that she will do well enough, you know, to make that that step. She’s not sure, she thinks she might need to take time out beforehand, which we would again, encourage and support.

Yes.

You know, but we we’re very positive about her future, you know. I think probably one of the things I do worry about is her you know, her kind of relationships, you know, because I think there is, I don’t know whether there’s be, you do kind of hear about people who have mental health issues or to, depression that they find it harder to make, you know, loving relationships. And I worry that she’ll be kind of on her own, you know, because obviously I want, you know, what you want for your own children is the same as what, you know.

Yes.

You want you want them to be in a loving relationship and, you know, the fact that she, you know, she hasn’t really had any boyfriends, you know. I mean I’m not worried about it at the moment, because I think, you know, I think some children jump in far too early.

Yeah.

So I’m quite pleased that we don’t have any of those issues but, obviously, that is something that I would like for her in the future and I know she worried, she kind of has made comments about the, “Oh I’m going to be on my own.” And, you know, I can see that that’s not what she wants.