Katrina – 2012 Graduate

I started hating myself at a very early age. When I was 15 years old, I attempted suicide for the first time, and soon started cutting, bingeing, and purging. Between the ages of 15 and 23, I tried to kill myself approximately 10 times. This pattern of self-harm and eating disorders continued for years and grew to a very dangerous level.

For nine years, I cycled in and out of psychiatric hospitals and was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and bipolar type two. The process of living exhausted me. I tried nearly every medication offered for bipolar and depression, but nothing worked. When I felt completely hopeless, I turned to Mercy. It was my last hope for freedom and healing.

While at Mercy, God freed me from all the issues that controlled my past. Today, I am free, and I live in joy and peace! I love myself and no longer want to die. Instead, I take rest in the love of Christ. He has called me to be a woman of strength and faith. I’m able to stand on the Word of God because it never changes.

After graduation, I plan to finish my bachelor’s degree in psychology then pursue a master’s degree in Christian counseling.