After a chaotic childhood, a series of personal
crises sent Denise spiralling into depression
and alcoholism. But thanks to rehab and loyal
friends, she has rebuilt her life, and now uses
her experiences to help others
Down, but not out
I
’ve always craved stability.
It’s both my catnip and my
kryptonite – something I yearn
for, but also something that, for
me at least, has been incredibly
hard to find.
The sudden death of my dad,
when I was six years old, turned my
world upside down. Overnight, life
became confusing and chaotic for
my whole family.
My mum struggled to bring up
two small children on her own,
depression set in, and she started
to use alcohol to take away the
pain. Within a few years she was
a full-blown alcoholic, and my
brother and I gradually morphed
into her carers while we were both
still in primary school.
As a result, I developed huge
separation anxiety. I was convinced
that my mum would die, too, if I let
her out of my sight, and I became
anxious and neurotic. Going to
school was horrendous, as my mind
would fill with nightmare scenarios
and I would sit counting the hours,
willing the bell to ring so that IWriting | Denise Harrisoncould go home and make sure
that she was OK.
To distract myself from the
worries and chaos at home, I
would read a lot. Losing myself
in the pages of The Faraway Tree
books or The Borrowers fed my
imagination, and I would go
off on adventures in my head.
I would write stories and read
them to my toys and, later,
despite failing the majority of my
exams in high school, I managed
to get A*s in English and Oral
Communication.
Because of my background,
poverty and disadvantage have
always struck a chord with me.
We had to use a food bank,
and clothes and toys were often
second-hand. I’ve never forgotten
opening a present and seeing that
my doll’s face was already dirty.
I knew it meant that someone
else had already played with her.
I wasn’t being a snob, I was a
confused child.
It must have really hurt my
mum when I commented.
Continues >>>Do something wonderful,.
people may imitate it.
- ALBERT SCHWEITZER
“
Photography | Daniel Jenson