This is Maddy's story.
Much of her story is from her text messages and accounts to those she was close to. I am proud to be my daughter's voice. This book has also become my story. Maddy, suffered bullying from a young age. This caused her severe mental health trauma and left her with self-esteem issues, panic attacks and anxiety. On 24 June 2018 Maddy took her own life, aged 23 years.
This book is intended to advocate for mental health awareness. Maddy lived in fear for much of her young adult life. Maddy had a high drive for perfectionism. Maddy was afraid to let people know of her mental health issues as she feared judgment by others. Maddy's story will give an insight into how bullying effects the individual, the long lasting psychological trauma that it can cause. It is hoped that people who choose to bully can find empathy to cease the behaviour. It discusses strategies to cope with bullying, how to build resilience and ways to heal pain and grief.
Bullying is becoming an epidemic. Children are bullying in the school yard, and then through cyberbullying. There is bullying in workplaces and sporting organisations. There is often no respite for those being bullied. Many of those who are bullied have chronic mental health issues, increased risks of suicide, there is more burden on the health care system and exorbitant costs to the government, the cycle goes around and around. Writing this book has been a difficult personal journey. I hope that Maddy's story will help others, then the journey would have been worth it.
