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ASPartOfMe
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13 Jun 2021, 8:07 am

’I've been bullied throughout my life, but I now realise mental illness should not be taboo'

Quote:
A woman who was the victim of persistent and cruel bullying from the age of three has been nominated for a National Diversity Award after using her voice to empower other young people.

Lauren Lovejoy, 31, from Melton Mowbray always felt that she was different from a young age.

She saw people and things differently and was more sensitive than others.

"I was physically and verbally bullied at school and later in life too," she told LeicestershireLive.

During one incident, in which Lauren was being physically bullied she was left with a broken nose.

It was during a trip to her local GP when she discovered she has been previously diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism.

"The doctor asked if he thought my Asperger's made it harder for me and I didn't even know I had it," she said.

Lauren's mum had her condition diagnosed when she was 14-years-old but did not make Lauren aware that she had Asperger's Syndrome.

“Looking back I'm happy I didn't know about it because I think at the time it would have made things worse," she said. "But now I see it's more than a gift than anything else."

"Having autism doesn't mean that I can't achieve and I want other people to see that too," Lauren added.

In her early twenties, Lauren took time to research more about her condition after facing further bullying and "ridicule".

"I realised that a lot of the things I experienced were things that others had too," she said.

From a young age, Lauren said she had what she felt was an obsession with animals and often saw people as animals.

Lauren decided to enter the Miss Universe Great Britain pageant, determined to inspire confidence in other people like her.

After making it to the finals she won the Miss Congeniality title and Not in Vain campaign award for being a positive role model.

Reports of her pageant appearance helped to inspire other young women.

"I was contacted by parents whose daughter saw me on the news and they said she was really inspired.

While becoming more confident and learning more about herself, Lauren found that she enjoyed singing, and decided to pursue singing and songwriting as a career - something that she said was largely inspired by her past experiences.

"I've realised that mental illness is not a taboo and a lot of my writing is taken from the things I have been through," she said.

Lauren made an X-factor appearance in 2014 which helped to launch her dream career but said, once again, that she faced abuse and bullying.

She said: "People took advantage of my kind nature and the way I am but I have found my voice and my confidence now.

"The past is in the past and I wouldn't be able to help other people if I hadn't been through what I have."

In the last ten years, Lauren has continued to work with numerous charities to help children and families living with disabilities.

Earlier this year, she became an ambassador for the UK charity Anna Kennedy Online (AKO) which raises awareness around bullying and works to prevent bullying in schools and colleges.

As part of the charity's anti-bullying campaign, Lauren wrote a song called 'Believe' which she will perform at the AKO, Autism's Got Talent show in October this year.


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Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity

“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman


cyberdad
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17 Jun 2021, 8:08 pm

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