19/05/2026
š May is Mental Health Awareness Monthš
Metal health awareness month has always been triggering for me.
I share this photo yearly alongside a most recent photo.
Why?
To raise awareness that Iām a survivor of a burns accident and PTSD.
This has been the first year in 10 years that Iāve been able to refer to myself as a āsurvivorā and share this photo freely. Other years Iāve struggled to look at it and write a post.
10 whole years I suffered awful flashbacks, panic attacks and nightmares.
There were activities I couldnāt do on the aftermath of this accident.
I couldnāt swim in pools with my children because it reminded me of the cold water being splashed on my face after the accident to try and cool my skin.
I couldnāt stand the sound of a cork being popped because it reminded me of the bang of the explosion.
The dentist was an issue when they cleaned my teeth because of the water spray they used.
My primitive reflexes went out of sync too, so I was constantly experiencing the startle reflex when something made me jump, meaning that my arms would shoot up just like a babies do when they are first born.
I lost my sight for a short while too, due to the impact on my retinas.
There is more but thatās all in the past now.
One positive thing I have taken from the accident, is that itās made me better at my job, especially when we work with individuals who suffer from trauma.
Not only am I a trained trauma professional, but I have that lived in experience too. I believe experiences are powerful in helping others heal so thatās what I try to do.
The second and possibly the most important part of this post about raising awareness is, how the accident happenedā¦..
Letās just say, never ever put water into a microwave and then place a metal utensil into it. The water is supercharged with heat, when you place the metal utensil into it, it explodes! This is how I ended up with a face and chest full of burns!
Luckily, for me, thereās only a few minor scars that are visible when the sun hits my face and I burn easily now too but the memory will stay with me forever.
I still look at this photo with a lump in my throat from time to time, purely because I canāt believe what happened and how much it affected my life.
There has been and will be times that I relapse and all the memories trigger me again, but thatās part of the healing. The difference is, I now know how and where to seek support.
The moral of this story, is that people can get better with the right help and support.
Reach out to loved ones and professionals.
It took me almost 10 years to get the support I needed, but I wish Iād have done it a lot sooner.
