THE idea of anyone, especially young people, being so depressed or traumatised they feel the need to self-harm has always been upsetting.
Because of its very nature, we seldom hear of those involved in cutting themselves but now and then a story surfaces which makes you think. And Jayne Martin’s situation is one of them.
The Breightmet woman kept her secret for 25 years, quietly hurting herself following a rape when she was just 17. The anguish she suffered can only be imagined.
Her condition, however, has improved with the help of the town’s Mental Health Independent Support Team (MhIST) and she’s been free of mental health problems for the last 18 months. As a result, she now wants to use her own experiences to set up a self-help group.
It’s very brave of Jane to put herself in the public domain and try to help others. Her experiences and her approach are likely to provide the right kind of aid for individuals desperate to leave their private hell.