Personal Essay

Keller 1

Brianna Keller 26 Oct. 2018 Mrs. Cramer English Comp. l An Obstacle I Have Had to Overcome It was Christmas Eve in 2012, and I was so excited to wake up, open my presents, and eat dinner with my family. It was my favorite time of the year, but that was quickly destroyed for me. The excitement came to an end that night when my step-brother sexually assaulted me for the first time. I was 11 years old. I was scared, confused, and most of all, I felt betrayed. It wasn’t until I was 14 years old to finally have the courage to report it. It was a long process. I never got the chance to testify; I was young, and I didn’t realize that I could. It was my freshman year in high school, and his senior year. I was terrified to come to school. I often suffered from panic attacks when seeing him in the hallways. For the longest time, I told myself that it was my fault. I told myself that I should have never told anyone, because then my family would be normal. Because of this, it was very difficult to motivate myself to get out of bed and go to school. My grades and attendance suffered greatly.

Keller 2

About half way through my freshman year, I was admitted into a psychiatric hospital called the Meadows. It was the best and worst two weeks of my life. While I was there, I had an amazing doctor taking care of me. She took me off my old medication and put me on new medication. The pills made me feel better mentally and physically. I am very thankful for my time at the Meadows because if I wouldn’t have gone, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Fast forward to my senior year of high school. I am almost completely off my medication, my grades are improving, I do not go to therapy anymore, and I can finally say that I forgive him. Forgiving him was an important part of my personal growth, as well as making the choice to move forward, accepting the fact that I wasn’t okay, and getting help. Being shown the ugly side of life at a young age has really shaped who I am today. It taught me very important lessons; It taught me how to pick myself up after being down, it taught me healthy coping skills, and it helped me learn how to move forward.