An interview with Dawn on Disability Matters, hosted by John Comiskey
On this week’s episode of Disability Matters, host John Comiskey speaks with Dawn — a woman whose courage, honesty, and resilience offer hope to anyone facing mental health challenges. Dawn shares her story under a first name only, not for anonymity, but to protect the dignity of the raw and deeply personal experiences she describes.
“I’m here because if even one person hears this and doesn’t give up, it’s worth it,” she says.
Early Life: Trauma, Survival, and a System That Failed
Dawn begins with her childhood: growing up in Australia, shaped not only by its sunshine but by significant trauma.
By age 11, she began self-harming. At 12, she ran away from home and was placed in a remand centre — not because she committed a serious crime, but because she was labelled “uncontrollable.”
This, she says, changed everything:
“They put me in with women who’d done heavy crimes. I didn’t belong there. I needed help, not punishment.”
The experience spiralled into further danger. At 15, after breaking into a house, Dawn was sent not to prison but to a Christian training school — a turning point that offered her her first sense of guidance.
Into Adulthood: Hidden Darkness and the First Major Crisis
By 18, Dawn was attending a 12-step programme and trying to rebuild her life.
But what she calls “the dark cloud” — a heavy, suffocating mental health burden — continued to follow her.
At 23, she left Australia for Ireland, hoping distance would help.
“But the dark cloud came with me.”
She worked during the day, socialised, appeared fine. Yet at night she entered a frightening mental state:
“I would see myself hanging from the ceiling.”
No one around her knew.
She didn’t know how to ask for help.
A Suicide Attempt—and a Lifeline
After six months of battling alone, Dawn reached breaking point. She wrote a note, quit her job, and took an overdose.
A moment of terror saved her:
“I got scared. I rang the Samaritans from a telephone box.”
An ambulance arrived. She survived.
But instead of trauma-informed care, Dawn was transferred from Virgmount Hospital to St Brendan’s — where she spent six months heavily sedated, surrounded by unsafe conditions, and without meaningful support.
“They doped me to the eyeballs. I felt forgotten.”
An inspection eventually moved her to an open ward, but the years that followed included around 15 admissions, addiction challenges, and more struggles between services.
She describes falling “between the cracks” of dual diagnosis — mental health and addiction — where support is often fragmented.
The Turning Point: Real Support and the Power of Community
Her final admission was eight years ago.
This time, she met Philomena O’Sullivan, a clinical nurse specialist in Blanchardstown, whose compassion changed Dawn’s life.
“Philomena never gave up on me.”
Even when Dawn struggled with alcohol, Philomena advocated for the treatment she needed. She fought for her medication when others wanted it withdrawn.
At the same time, Dawn’s home environment became overwhelming. Living alone and struggling with addiction, she reached another breaking point.
But one prayer in a train station changed everything.
She reached out to Fr. Adrian, the parish priest in Mulhuddart, who gathered volunteers — including Sylvia, Sinead, and Ursula — to help Dawn reclaim her home and her life.
“They helped me let go of nine years of memories in one day.”
Dawn credits her survival to:
- her community
- her care team
- her faith
- and her own determination
“Even though I’m happy, I still have mental health issues. But I’ve learned how to get through the darkness.”
A Message for Anyone Struggling
Dawn wants one message to reach every listener:
“Don’t give up. Don’t give in to the darkness.”
She acknowledges how many people are turned away from services, discharged too soon, or left alone at their lowest point.
Her story is both a warning and a beacon of hope.
“If nothing else helps you, try faith — it helped me. And reach out. Someone will listen.”
Community Support: Where to Seek Help
John ends the interview by highlighting You First’s Wellness Café, a community-based support space offering warmth, conversation, and guidance.
📍 St Brigid’s Community Centre, Blanchardstown Village
🕙 Mondays: 10am–1pm & 6pm–9pm
🕕 Wednesdays: 6pm–9pm
📩 Facebook: You First Mental Health Café
A friendly face, a listening ear — sometimes that’s the first step toward healing.
Read more: ‘You First’ service Officially Launched: A Safe Space for Mental Health Support in Blanchardstown
About the Episode
This episode of Disability Matters explores:
- Dawn’s lived experience of trauma, addiction, and mental illness
- the gaps in Ireland’s mental health system
- the power of community support
- the importance of advocacy, faith, and persistence
- how one person’s kindness can save a life
This interview aired on Disability Matters with John Comiskey on 92.5 Phoenix FM, a programme produced by Blanchardstown Centre for Independent Living (BCIL).
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