Her journey has been one of self-discovery and resilience, with a childhood filled with conflict until she received a medical diagnosis at the age of 21 when everything finally “made sense.”
Our series introducing the winners of the 2024 Courage To Come Back Awards begins with the introduction of Victoria's Baylie McKnight, winner in the Mental Health category.
“You know, I would say it started almost from birth,” Bailey said. “I grew up as a really sensitive child.”
Like many children with complex mental health issues, Bailey suffered from bullying. It didn't take long for her to show symptoms of her anxiety, OCD, and PTSD.
“There weren’t really a lot of places to go for help,” she said. “People didn't really understand how to support me. My parents tried to take me to a counselor, but they didn't help much.”
Things would only get worse from there. Bailey self-harmed and ran away from home at the age of 13, and was using drugs by the time he was 14.
Things didn't go well for her until age 21, when she was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder.
“That's when things really started to change for me, because I officially got the diagnosis that I probably needed since I was an adolescent,” she said.
“I think part of it is that there's so much stigma around borderline personality disorder, diagnosing it before the age of 18, getting diagnosed in the first place, or finding the right support. In fact. It's a big question where people know about the treatment, but I had never heard of it before.
As co-founder of the Borderline Personality Disorder Association of British Columbia, Bailey has made it his life's work to raise awareness about borderline personality disorder. And as a counselor in her private practice, she engages others in the same treatment that changed her life: Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT).
“I understand where they're coming from and I've been there. I've been through a lot of different things in my life, and I've learned how to deal with those challenges better. I also found tools that helped me become better, and I was able to use that to help others dealing with similar challenges,” she said.
Bailey is quick to add that she wouldn't be where she is without the support of her family and friends.
“They helped me have the courage to come back. I couldn't have done it without them.”
CityNews is sponsoring the 2024 Coast Mental Health Reclaiming Courage Awards, which will be presented at the Vancouver Convention Center on Thursday, May 23rd.
