Shiny Happy Person: Finding the Sun Between Clouds of Depression

Young, talented, intelligent, and with a thriving social life, on the surface Terri Cox had it all.

But deep down in her mind a storm was brewing, and a series of life-changing events were about to unfold in quick succession that would send her spiralling into a full mental breakdown.

Over the next few weeks and months, Terri was tormented by panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, bouts of insomnia, crippling headaches, severe weight loss and horrific side effects from antidepressants. Fearful of large crowds and ashamed of admitting what was happening to her, she did her best to hide away and shut herself off from society.

Wracked with despair and suffering from hallucinations, Terri was taken by her family to the local A&E. When she was discharged, they desperately sought the help of a local psychotherapist. Using a highly effective and innovative form of psychotherapy, Terri was able to revisit the traumas of her past in order to understand the workings of her mind in the present. Slowly but surely, she was able to fight back and find that shiny, happy person that she’d always been before.

Terri Cox faced a perfect storm of mental health issues that spiralled into a breakdown - but with proper care and psychotherapy, she returned to being the shiny, happy person she was before.