Kintsugi Heroes
Kitt O'Malley · 37 min
A trained psychotherapist who couldn't read a sentence after a manic episode finds that the very illness that derailed her career becomes the engine of her life's purpose.
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At 18, Kitt O'Malley was a high-achieving biochemistry major at UCLA, severely depressed and suicidal. When she recognized she was about to act on her plans, she chose to call for help. That decision started a long path through therapy and recovery that would shape everything that followed. Through her 20s, Kitt managed chronic depression and became a trained psychotherapist herself. At 30, a tricyclic antidepressant triggered a full manic episode with psychotic thoughts. Her brain took months to recover. She couldn't read a sentence. She couldn't work. She moved back with her parents. Years later, at 39 and married with a toddler, she recognised the early signs of another episode and sought help before it escalated. This time she received a bipolar diagnosis. The label hit hard. Kitt feared for her son's safety and put him in daycare, convinced that a serious mental illness meant she could not be a good mother. But two weeks of voluntary hospitalisation and day treatment changed her view. When she stayed home to parent full-time, she discovered her son needed her there more than she knew. He had ADHD, anxiety, and depression. Her skills as a child therapist made a real difference in his life.
Kitt went to seminary to pursue what felt like a calling to mental health ministry. Now she works as a mental health advocate, educator, and public speaker, helping others understand that recovery is messy, human, and possible. The work of healing also meant unlearning that her worth came from achievement. She had to learn to value herself independent of work or productivity. Being open about her struggles, including the hard moments like losing her temper with her son, has been central to her own healing and to her ability to help others. Kitt is now 59, married for over 25 years, with an adult son living independently. She is at peace. Her message to anyone still in the dark: help works, your life has purpose even if you cannot see it yet, and you are loved.
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Kintsugi Heroes · Registered Australian not-for-profit · kintsugiheroes.com.au ↗