Please welcome first-time contributor Kira, a woman who was very recently diagnosed with Autism, although her family had suspected it for a long time. Kira has also suffered with self-harm for over two years, disordered eating, and anxiety, brought on by struggling to keep her head above water and not drowning due to depression. But she managed it. She didn’t drown, and her recent diagnosis of Autism meant she had an explanation for some of her many challenges. Now she wants to show other people that life isn’t all that bad. That if you keep going it will always get better.

About this photo: “This photo was taken very close to where I live. I think it shows what it’s like to feel like you have to always have a fake smile on your face. It reflects how people can look fine on the outside, but inside they are falling apart, and also what it is like to be trapped inside your head. The chains mean you are unable to escape from what you have become, and I think it is very important for people to know that just because someone looks ok, it doesn’t mean they really are.”

Find more from Kira at her blog.

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