Woman’s Day New Zealand – August 26, 2019

ENDY ’S

GERM

W ARFARE

Facin g her phobia

Ahigh-

functioning

phobic,Wendy

says,“Ihadall

sortsofwaysof

coveringitup.”

Torecover,

however,she

hadtocome

cleanabout

her illness.

TEXT: WENDYL NISSEN. PICTURES:

MICHELLE

HYSLOP.

HAIR

&

MAKE-UP:

JUSTINE

CONROY.

book– I juststartedtofeelthis

needtowritedownwhatI was

feelingandgoingthrough.The

writingwastheabsolutekeyto

myrecovery.

A hugeturningpointcame

whenI realisedthatwhen

you’resoldieringonand

keepingyourmentalissuesto

yourself,therecomesa point

atwhichyoucan’tdothatany

more.OnceI wasabletothink

ofit asanillnessandtherefore

notsomethingI neededtofeel

guiltyandashamedof,that

madea hugedifferenceto

beingabletotrulyovercome

myillness.

Eventually,I madethe

decisiontocomebacktoNew

Zealandtolivewithmyfamily

andwalkawayfrommycareer

• whichwasreallydifficult
  becauseit wassoboundup
  withmyidentity.It’shardto
  makea newlifewhenyou’re
  inyourmid50s.I certainly
  wasn’texpectingtoeffectively
  retirethisearly.
  I’mprettyhealthynow,but
  anyonewhohasbeenthrough
  a breakdownwouldsaythat
  it is atthebackofyourmind
  thatit couldhappenagain,
  soyoudon’ttake anything
  forgranted.” #

Real life

WendyParkinsnowlivesin

Matakana,northofAuckland

andhaswrittena memoir,

EveryMorning,SoFar,I’m

Alive, rrp$35.Publishedby

Otago University Press.