TV STAR Gail Porter has revealed that depression and losing her long blonde hair through alopecia led her to self-harm for six years. In her new book Laid Bare, Wish You Were Here, she confessed she once slashed herself so badly she almost lost an arm.
Ms Porter, 36, who grew up in Portobello, began self-harming as she battled depression and the loss of her hair.
In an extract from her book, she said: "I don't remember where the idea came from or why I did it for the first time. But I remember going to the bathroom, getting my shaving razor and slowly drawing the blade across my skin."
"I see them laugh, I see them cry,
Been coming here since days gone by,
Come to fight, here to shout,
Or are they here to simply pout.
Lack of passion, only fashion,
People glancin across the room,
Pretty soon they'll taste the water,
And it ought to change their tune."
I'm so glad shes written this! Its really got people talking, people think that no 'successful' people self harm, and gail porter is challenging this. It makes self harm seem less on the outskirts of society. Well done her- brave woman!
"I see them laugh, I see them cry,
Been coming here since days gone by,
Come to fight, here to shout,
Or are they here to simply pout.
Lack of passion, only fashion,
People glancin across the room,
Pretty soon they'll taste the water,
And it ought to change their tune."
I'm not going to buy the book, I don't particularly like her, but I am
really pleased that she's bringing self harm into the public eye. Knowing
Gail's story, should hopefuly make people realise that self harm isnt an
attention thing, which people often assume is the reason (grrr!!!).
xxx
Hand in mine, Into your icy blues, And then i'd say to you we could take to the highway.
I get a bit annoyed when celebs have had a "self harming hell".. which means they've cut themselves a few times for about a month or 2, then got over it. When alot of us are ADDICTED . Not to say that she hasnt been through much, and its probabaly very hard to cope with alopecia.
Oh, no no no, it was too cold always
(Still the dead one lay moaning)
I was much too far out all my life
And not waving but drowning.
I get a bit annoyed when celebs have had a "self harming hell".. which means they've cut themselves a few times for about a month or 2, then got over it. When alot of us are ADDICTED . Not to say that she hasnt been through much, and its probabaly very hard to cope with alopecia.
I agree, however in her case I think she has SI'ed on more than a few occasions, but likewise, what the heck do I know about her life!
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Gail's story, should hopefuly make people realise that self harm isnt an
attention thing, which people often assume is the reason (grrr!!!).
xxx
You'd have thought that but as the following quote from someone commentin on that article shows, people still just think it's an attention thing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by misinformed person
of course it must be hard for her to admit her troubles and her self harming, now i must rush out now and buy her book,dont want the poor wee soul to self harm anymore now do we.
Its all just a big publicity stunt to make you feel sorry for her, and of course go out and buy her book,c.mon now gail you are a mum now,get to grips with life and grow up...
I just wish my only problem was my hair falling out, some of the thigs a third rate celebrity will go to.to get back in the public eye...
she was a slef harmer for over six years and has only stopped about 9months ago because of honey.
im going to get this book when i can.
" my precious, precious child, I love you and I would never, never leave you during your times of trials and suffering. When you see only one set of footprints it was then that I carried you" you were carried out of are lifes into the next and when its my time to leave this life I know i will be carried into the next life with you.
I wish i had my world complete again.
'Can we protend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars, i could really use a wish right now' BoB
You'd have thought that but as the following quote from someone commentin on that article shows, people still just think it's an attention thing.
Yes, but people like that are generally ignorant and don't really know what it's like. I mean, how rude is that? Losing your hair can be a very traumatic experience for some people.
this is the first day of my life
I’m glad I didn’t die before I met you
But now I don’t care I could go anywhere with you
And I’d probably be happy
Pround Pulmeria Sis :: Feel free to PM me anytime ::Always happy to help!
My Mum has alopecia, and i'm at risk of losing all my hair soon too. I know how incredibly distressing it can be. You lose all your self-confidence and feel like you've lost your femininity. People always presume you're either a weirdo for having a shaved head, or think you're terminally ill. The reactions can be really horrible.
I have alot of sympathy for Gail Porter, even more so because her alopecia was sudden and unexpected.
As for her self-harm, i don't think she's writing about it for attention seeking. The book is about alopecia... depression can result, which can obviously lead to self-harm. I think she's just trying to make people aware of how devestating alopecia can be, that it can drive someone to something like self-harm.
If it raises awareness of self-harm alongside alopecia, then i think it's great.
Like I said, I can't imagine how horrible it would be. I actually have nightmares about losing my hair, and I freak out when the hairdresser cuts it too short. I actually really love my hair, I'd be devastated if I lost it. I know its a vain thing to think, but I can really sympathise with alopecia sufferers.
this is the first day of my life
I’m glad I didn’t die before I met you
But now I don’t care I could go anywhere with you
And I’d probably be happy
Pround Pulmeria Sis :: Feel free to PM me anytime ::Always happy to help!
well said lizzie i have totally losed all my hair from a very young age its not nice to loose your eay brows and i do get called names and wats worse the eldely is the worse of them ,i do self harm ,but way does it take a person in the lime lite to bring it up wen people like ourselfs have this problem ,all this will do is to help gail ,we wornt be helped and thats my vews if eny one dont like them i dont cear i eint apolagising i speek my mind ,we are all humans ,
Working in a book shop, I've flicked through her book, but I didn't see this bit. I'm tempted to read and review it now... She is very strong, and I liked her even before any of her problems started - she's lived in the limelight - she'll've brought a book out anyway!!
If it makes just one person realise she's not attention seeking, that her problems are real, and that she's not such a freak as they thought she was (you'd be surprised how many people buy biogs on people they dont like to scoff at, ''see if it's as rubbish as people say'' etc etc!!) it's worth it. And plus, her fans will be wanting to know her story properly and not told by ''papers'' (i.e. tabloids writing utter toss)
Just my tuppence worth xxx
Are we demented or am I disturbed?
The space that's in between insane and insecure...
I don't know how long Gail Porter self harmed for, or how many times she did it, but I do agree that some celebrites are portrayed as having struggeled with self harm, when the reality is they cut themselves twice and that was it.
It does annoy me, when I've been self harming for 5 years.
it says she self harmed for 6 years btw ^^
but i do agree, if soemthing liek this happens to a celeb it is the end of the world and is over exadurated, but if it happens to a normal person it is made to seem insiginificant by newspaper stories abotu celebs. i have to admit i dont think this is right in gail's case, she really has had it hard.
i hope she gets some kind of help and support, and if this book just converts one person from thinking we are all attention seekers to that we actually have real problems, then it is an added bonus.
Life is like a rainbow; you need both the sun and the rain to apreciate its true colours.
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