Leah Whalen
Bio
I have wanted to write and be published since I fell in love with books at the age of 10. I am now 56 and decided that it is time I started. Having my first two stories accepted here has given validity to the feeling that I can write.
Stories (2/0)
PTSD: My Journey
I am a survivor. I learned very early in life to protect myself, to stand up for myself, to kick the bullies to the curb. I am described as a very strong person. I know that I am strong, but wow, there comes a time when even the strongest of us just want to curl up and cry, to be comforted instead of always being the one who comforts. The onset of depression started in 2004, but being strong, I refused to acknowledge it. I would not admit to myself that I was depressed, damned if I would admit it to a doctor, friend, or co-worker. I learned to hide it, to "fake" being happy, being content, loving life. I hide this very well for six years.
By Leah Whalen6 years ago in Psyche
A Dog Named George
I have been a Correctional Officer for twenty seven years. In 2003, my little jail closed and I was relocated to a new jail an hour away from my home. Compared to my former jail, this one was huge, which I found a little overwhelming. That first year was a hard one. My marriage ended, I was suspended from work exactly one year later, in January 2014, and to make it that much more difficult, the day after my suspension, I moved to a new town of 2,500 people knowing not one of them. It was just myself, my two cats, a litre and a half of red wine every night, and my anger. Then depression set in for the first time in my life. I found myself staying in bed all the time.
By Leah Whalen6 years ago in Petlife