Today we’d like to introduce you to MissDalehaug.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am 33 years old and mom to two beautiful kids. Life as we all know is not a dance with rainbows, every now and then the lighting and thunder passes through. Sometimes it’s just a quick STORM. Other times the storm doesn’t seem to go away.
In my story, thees storms have controlled big parts of my grown-up life. From I was a kid, I had always seen the good in people even when others didn’t. Something I don’t regret because it has made me the person I am today. But also made my journey as a person much harder. I got married young and had a boy and a girl. This marriage did not last and I ended up alone with the kids from when the oldest was two years old and an apartment that cost a foot and an arm each month. To managed to keep the apartment, I needed to work in three different places. I also had just started my own hairdresser business.
After my divorce, I met an old flame, and we become a couple. I felt like thing was falling back into place, but sadly that feeling did not last for long. Suddenly I found my self lying to everyone I loved. ” no mom, I am OK I just feel down the stairs,” or” No I cut my self, I’m so clumsy.
THE longer I was in the relationship, the more brainwashed I got. Started to blame my self for everything. It’s my fault I should have run after the bus, so I wasn’t 5 min later home then I should, I should not gone and visit my friends or no that dress showed to much body shape. It wasn’t only the people I loved I lied to, I lied to myself and I believed it 100%.
I felt I was living in hell, but that I deserved it because that was what He kept telling me. After almost three years I had no control over my own life, what to wear, where to look, who to talk to etc.. So I developed an eating disorder because food was the only thing I could control, I stop eating for days on and of and in a sick way it gave me alot if adrenaline when I managed not to eat I was proud. Because of a body and mind filled with anxiety and depression, I was losing weight quickly, after five months, I had lost close to 30 kg. But also at that time, I managed to get him out my house, police got involved and a restraining order. But still it did not stop, I felt haunted.
In the middle of the nights, he broke bedroom windows, balcony doors, threats on SMS, phone, FB. I had months where when the kids went to bed I would sit in a corner in my kitchen with all lights of so nobody would think I was home, if I had to go to bathroom I found myself crawling on the floor so He could not see me through all the windows.
I am still very lucky, things could have gone really bad in some of the situations during those years. And that I have a family boyfriend that has been there supporting me, taking my anger, my tears and help me through each step to get closer to my recovery goal. Not giving up on me. Friends that never gave up on me even though it was hard for me to keep in touch with them, it was hard to keep in contact with anyone. Plus my kids were my motivation; without them, I don’t think I would be able to find the courage.
I moved from that apartment with amazing help from my brother and parents ❤️ during this period, I started heavy medicine to get my anxiety and depression under some kind of control. I was not able to work, it was hard to go to the store, meeting people I loved. This is now seven years ago I stopped working and are now on disability.
During these years, I have been indifferent kind of treatments to try to get my life back. And I am still going weekly in therapy, waiting to start a little heavier form of treatment again. I have also used training as a part of my recovery and posted a little bit of my journey on Instagram.
A couple of years ago, I started to get requests from photographers about having photoshoots. The first year I was afraid to put my self in these situations, so I turned it down. But I kept getting requests. And after alot of thinking and tired of being stuck in my situation and not feeling that life kept moving forward, I pushed my self into it.
During this year, I have grown as a person and pushed myself out of my comfort zone. It’s been a year full of joy and tears. I have signed a contract with Steinbru Photography as a model in the agency, something I never thought would happen to me. I didn’t believe in myself. I am now working on trying to built and renew my page on Facebook. So far I only used it as a model page but my goal is to make it into a small blog about my life, my journey on trying to get control over life and not let the past keep controlling me, which it still does unfortunately.
I want to have a little bit of focus on mental health, in hope that my experience maybe can help others and maybe even guide them the right direction. Mental health was something people did not talk so much about before; people were more ashamed if they struggled with something. I was the same. And I still have trouble excepting that I am still not able to work. But it is apart of the recovering to accept that this is where I am now and this is a part of a long journey.
We must remember that we have the power to take control over how our own stories going to continue, we can make the changes, it’s just important to remember to listen to our body and mind, sometimes it’s better to take small steps, take one day at the time. Because when it comes to mental health, every day can be filled with different emotions, which can be hard to overcome, but never give up. Each day is a new opportunity. It is a little bit like dancing cha-cha-cha in mental health recovery, one step forward, two-step back. It takes time.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Sometimes we are our own obstacle; we put boundaries on our self. Start believing in yourself, only you know how what you want. Go for it.
Please tell us more about your work.
I am now in the middle of taking my self out of my comfort zone again. Renewing my FB page from a model page to more like a blog where I will share more about my story, my journey and my daily life. A page where people can reach out and ask for advice, or just by reading, they may be recognized themself in something I write about and they won’t feel so alone. I want make awareness about mental health, and that we are not alone in it, even if it may feel like it ✨
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
When it comes to luck, many of my Close ones would say that I am a magnet to bad luck, and yeah I must admit that it feels like that sometimes. But then again, I am really lucky and blessed for my family, boyfriend, kids and friends. They are real.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/MissDalehaug/
- Email: smdalehaug@gmail.com
Image Credit:
1 picture from the button and up: Oddvar Johnsen
2 picture : Steinbru Photography
3 picture: John Ivar Evensen
4 picture:, John Ivar Evensen
5 picture: Kjetil Tengesdal
6 picture: Christer Håvarstein
7 picture: Kjetil Tengesdal
8 picture: Reidar Årstad (Raafoto)
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