AUTHOR’S NOTE

When I was a kid, outspoken and chatty, Dad would proudly tell people that his daughter knew her own mind. But I didn’t really — I had no clue. It was only when it started to malfunction that I came to know it intimately. And even now, after a spectacular breakdown that nearly killed me, my mind is still revealing its secrets. Every day a new subplot emerges; there are more twists and turns than a daytime soap.

The experiences of the last few years have taught me a lot. They have shaken up my perception of happiness and given me a greater insight into the universal struggles we all face. The journey has helped me identify the things I can do to make life easier, and the things that make it more challenging.

But our brains are wonderfully complex and unique. The myriad forms of emotional distress we experience can’t be shoehorned into one homogenised story. What works for me may not be right for someone else. So this is not meant to be a prescriptive guide. I’m not a doctor, a counsellor, or a psychologist. I’m not a spiritual guru or a happiness expert. I’m just a person who lived through some tough times and learned a few things along the way. Those lessons form the backbone of this book. Whether our stress is a minor irritant or a clinical disorder, the key to understanding it comes from figuring out what lies beneath.

My hope is that my story will resonate with anyone who has chased their happy-ever-after and found it lacking. It’s for anyone who knows what it feels like to struggle, even if their life, on paper, is ‘perfect’. It’s for every person who feels ‘abnormal’ or worries that their troubles define them. It’s a book for people who wonder why they’re stuck in the same old unhealthy patterns and want to change. It’s for anyone who feels strung out by a hectic modern world and all its challenges, or worries about the pressures on the kids in their lives. It’s a book for those who want to change the script.

The events described move around in time but largely occurred over a period of years directly preceding or following an emotional firestorm that came to a head in October 2014. Some chapters contain edited extracts of articles that first appeared in The Age, The Sunday Age, or SBS Life.

While I believe my story is ultimately one of hope, it also documents some dark and difficult times. This content may bring up issues for some readers. If you need help, turn to the back of the book for further information. You don’t have to go it alone.