Balance October 2017 - 40
REAL LIFE
My turning point
From depression
to true purpose
Kate Waters, 39, founder of inspirational podcast Kitty Talks, on
following her heart after facing depression, drug and alcohol abuse
words by G E MM A CA LVE RT
M
change. It sounds strange, but I felt like I was
being guided by something more powerful,
my Higher Self, and I remember thinking, 'I
don't want to live my life like this.' I'd had a
reading with a psychic not long before, who
had told me things would get worse before
they got better and, in that moment, I made a
commitment to do something about it.
y upbringing was generally happy;
the shocker for me was when,
aged 28, I found out my mum had
a history of depression and mental illness. I
discovered this the day she went missing
from her home in Kingston, Surrey, and a
policeman, clutching her suicide note, asked
if she had 'done anything silly' before? I
answered 'no', but my dad said 'yes'.
Growing up, my family was stereotypically
British. The stiff upper lip ruled, nobody cried
and emotions stayed hidden, which explains
why mum was unable to process her feelings
and silently suffered from bouts of depression
- initially postnatally and, later, during a
hormonally troublesome menopause.
It wasn't until the day mum failed to arrive
at a friend's house, that dad revealed she had
been hospitalised with depression twice: first
a few months after I was born and, again, four
years later, after trying to commit suicide
following the birth of my sister, Anna. The
truth, though, was my mum wasn't battling
depression alone. By the time she disappeared,
I'd also been battling depression for years.
HELLO, KITTY
THE HIGH LIFE
A highly successful recruitment consultant
in the City, where binge-drinking - and later,
cocaine use - was the norm, I was stuck in a
work-hard, play-hard culture, where drink was
just a way to escape from being unfulfilled at
work and, like mum, I was disconnected from
my emotions, alcohol conveniently numbed
any feelings, especially stress.
Over time, I was pushing myself to the brink,
physically and emotionally. Despite a few
token sessions with a therapist, my lifestyle
didn't change. The penny didn't drop until
the day mum went missing and I found her
slumped beside a river. She had overdosed.
As I sprinted to the ambulance, my body was
heaving. I smoked, drank and was overweight
and in that split second I knew my life had to
First some cake! Then
more cake! Then bring
on the cold turkey...
October 2017 BA LA N CE
I went cold turkey on drink and drugs to
break the cycle, sought counselling to
combat my addiction and through The Yes
Group, a personal development organisation
for entrepreneurs, I made friends with
people who didn't drink regularly. This
made me realise I had become a product
of my environment and so I quit my job. Eight
years ago, I set up the European division of
the Association of Transformational Leaders,
a non-profit network of inspiring people
dedicated to transforming the lives of others.
Last year, I launched the Kitty Talks podcast
where these change-makers share their
journeys. The podcast shows people how
to build a life in alignment with their soul
purpose and is growing in popularity. So far,
it has downloaded in 50 countries.
I've realised that doing something fulfilling
truly makes a difference. I'm now a qualified
neuro-linguistic programming (NLP)
practitioner and reiki master, which has also
opened me up spiritually. I know I am here to
help others grow and to show people they are
more powerful than they have been taught.
My journey has changed my family too;
we're now open books of emotion. Mum has
sworn she'll never bottle up her feelings again.
I remember in my 20s feeling disappointed
my life wasn't how I wanted. It took 10 years,
but I'm now clear why I'm here. My favourite
quote is by the great German writer Johann
Wolfgang von Goethe: 'Magic is believing in
yourself.' Do this and you can do anything. B
43
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Balance October 2017
Balance October 2017 - 1
Balance October 2017 - 2
Balance October 2017 - 3
Balance October 2017 - 4
Balance October 2017 - 5
Balance October 2017 - 6
Balance October 2017 - 7
Balance October 2017 - 8
Balance October 2017 - 9
Balance October 2017 - 10
Balance October 2017 - 11
Balance October 2017 - 12
Balance October 2017 - 13
Balance October 2017 - 14
Balance October 2017 - 15
Balance October 2017 - 16
Balance October 2017 - 17
Balance October 2017 - 18
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