Uberheroes: Runaway

Look beyond the behaviour and see the person who is hurting.
At PIPS Charity we provide support to individuals who have at
some point, considered ending their own lives or self-harming.
We support families and friends who have lost someone to
suicide. The charity has a small team of paid staff and a wide
range of fantastic volunteers who support those in need while operating a ‘no
appointment’ walk-in service. When a person comes to PIPS for help they will be
spoken to immediately by our Triage Team who start a stay safe/support plan.
No one is ever turned away from PIPS.
PIPS Services • Counselling and Befriending • Crisis Response
• Complementary Therapies • Drug and Alcohol Support • Family Support
• Victim Support • Education and Training Courses •
Charity No.: NIC104726
We are delighted to be collaborating with Hope 4 Life in this comic but also in
relation to other programmes as well. We know that there needs to be support
given to our local children and young people before life’s issues become real
problems. Hope 4 Life and PIPS are committed to working with schools on
programmes that will positively help our children and young people to have a
healthy and hopeful life.
Remember: If you ever need us, we are always here…
We’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions on this, our fifth issue.
You can do this by visiting us at .
www.uberheroes.co.uk
This comic is not intended as a substitute for medical advice of physicians. The reader should regularly
consult their GP in matters relating to his/her health and particularly with respect to any symptoms that
may require clinical diagnosis or medical attention.
Cover Illustration by Karl O'Rowe Copyright© 2017 by Uberheroes®
Cover design by Danny McLaughlin Copyright© 2017 by Uberheroes®
Comic editing by Danny McLaughlin & Dee Nixon Copyright© 2017 by Uberheroes®
Comic writing by Richard McDade Copyright© 2017 by Uberheroes®
Copyright © 2017 by Uberheroes® owner Dee Nixon
All rights reserved. This comic or any portion thereof
may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever
without the express written permission of the publisher
except for the use of brief quotations in a comic review.
Printed in Northern Ireland. First Printing, June 2017
Hope 4 Life NI
BT3 Business Centre
Dargan Crescent
Duncrue Industrial Estate
Belfast BT3 9JP
www.Uberheroes.co.uk

Natasha, You
see how being honest
with yourself is important?
how you have come so far.
Don’t forget where
it started. Don’t forget
where it ends. Never forget
where you are and how
far you’ve come!
I won't.
Only a few months
ago I realised how
much I had achieved
at 24, although I never
thought I would see
my 23rd Birthday...
When I was younger,
everything was great...
I had a loving
Family...
I was working
hard at school...
YESS!!
I eventually got
accepted into
the course I
wanted at Uni...
And had a
great circle
of friends
around me...
I was fit
and healthy...
Life was good!
But things
were about
to change...

Your
mother and
I are taking
a break!
I helped him move in to a
flat a few minutes away
between studying and
preparing for my exams.
Don’t worry -
I’ll be grand,
we’re talking and
it won’t be long
before I’m back
home.
It shocked me! I
didn't see it coming!!
A Few weeks later...
My two younger
siblings and I would
spend some weekends
at Dad’s until one day...
That’s it, I’ve
had enough of
hearing about
your Mum. it’s over,
I’m not coming back.
so, you’re just going
to have to get used to
staying here and stop
constantly talking
about your Mum…
After a holiday with my friends,
I returned to prepare for Uni.
mum was down, she moped around
the house having had absolutely
no contact with Dad. I knew that
my mum still loved my Dad....
Natasha,
if he walked back
in through that
door I would take
him back in a
heartbeat!
I know,
Mum!

I started to
look back at
things when I
was younger...
NO! You
can’t go -
football is a
boys’ game,
Nats!!
But...
Look at
those nails -
they’re chipped
and look
tatty!
You need
to clean up
your act if you
want to look
pretty!
You
are ugly...
aren’t you?
Why
won’t you
look after
yourself!
I said
no!
Was Dad
always
like this?

...Was it
really
that bad?
Right,
you need to
start waxing, because
you look terrible with
those ugly red dots
on your legs!
You are
turning her into
you! Not caring
about how you
look...
You‘re
Natasha’s
mother...
You should
be teaching her
how to look
after herself!
The thing is, after all that, I started
looking at my mum. the way he looked
at her. I don't know why but I began
to see my mum through his eyes...

Over the summer, I kept to Myself
until it was time to go to Uni. Uni was
a whole new world, meeting new
people and reinventing myself.
How does
she stay so
skinny and
pretty?
...it was amazing being so skinny.
Being a small size six was something to
be proud of. It's not that I didn’t eat;
I just began controlling it more.
In school, I was ‘Nice Natasha’.
People would say, ‘Awk, isn’t Natasha
so nice?’ I hated it. I despised being
the nice, skinny girl, but...
If I
knew
that...
...In Uni it was different...
Returning home was
so toxic… Especially
due to Mum and Dad’s
messy divorce.
I think
it is best.
your Mum and
I are getting
Divorced.
Better
for both
of us...
What has
changed
your tune?
Hi, Natasha!
do you
Remember
me?
I’m
Bea!
It seems that the
reason for my Dad’s
change of heart was
“BEA”, his secretary,
who we thought was
just a friend!
worse still, this
relationship wasn’t
a new thing and had
been going on for
some time… This
really made me MAD!

I confronted my Dad but
the thing was that he
never openly lied to me...
Why, dad?
He skirted around the
truth, but didn’t tell me
how things really were…
It fell on deaf ears anyway
as nothing changed. if anything,
my confrontation made them more
determined to stay together. And Bea
hated me as she said I looked like my
Mum, and she despised me for it!
Phone calls with Dad
got shorter, money got
tighter and I couldn’t
see him or Mum as often
as I wanted.
Gotta go,
Natasha.
Bea and I are
heading out
tonight...
I just couldn’t connect
with Dad as Bea was
always chittering in his
ear about something:
See
me this
weekend,
not your
mother!
But...
No buts...
please
Natasha?
he was either paying too
much attention to us kids
or I was being accused of
not making enough effort
to come and see him…
And that's how things
went for a while...

At the beginning of my final year
at Uni, I started working in a bar…
do you
want anything
for this
evening?
The bar had a big drug
culture. it was common
that someone would
take orders for drugs
for an afterparty...
Drugs?
Na, I'm
okay...
I always declined but my family life back
home was so toxic it became hard to keep
pretending that this whole other half
of my life didn’t exist. I stayed in Belfast
and worked most weekends so never
really found the time to visit home.
I began dating my supervisor, he
convinced me that I should try drugs
as they would help ease my pain…
I tried cocaine a
few times at the
start of this new
relationship...
Go on,
take this!
things started
to change as he
began to watch
my every move
and wanted to
challenge and
control every
decision I made.

Is that
dress not a
bit much just
to go meet
Claire? I don't see
why you have to
be friends with
her anyway...
What’s
going on?
Nothing!
I'm just busy.
Stop being so
demanding!
I’m not
demanding
anything of
you!
Maybe we
could take a
break. you can
focus on your
Uni work.
He told me what to wear, who to be
friends with or how much makeup to wear.
He was my Dad all over but I loved him. He
met my family and we were fairly serious
but then we started to drift apart.
So we took a break, and a few
days later the phone rang...
Hey Claire,
what’s up?
umm... why is your boyfriend
asking if he can come round to
mine? He says that you guys broke
up, that he doesn’t need permission
from his Ex to go somewhere!
What? No...
We… We aren’t…
i’ll have to call
you back...
The phone
rang again...
Tash - get
dressed. we
are going out.
You’re not
staying in!

That Night...
He pulled me aside and told me I
couldn’t see other boys. I wasn’t
allowed to talk to any other boys.
It all got too much so I left!
my phone was constantly going
that night with him attacking me.
If only I knew about the four
other girls he had been with
while we were together.
OucH
Thanks, Claire!
think I needed a
distraction away
from all of that,
and him...
Let
me go! I’m
Leaving!
Tash...
Don't
look now,
but he's
here!
We hadn’t really broken
up until that memorable
staff night out.
He didn’t react well to this,
launching a verbal attack on
me in front of everyone.
Natasha!
Be careful,
you’re going to
spill that over
my new jeans!
You just
need everyone to
be looking at you
don’t you? You are
such an attention
seeker and...
C’mon...
...Let’s
just stay
clear of
him!
OKAY!

Later, he pulled me into
the bar’s kitchen as this
wasn’t being used, he
began to undress me…
What
are you
doing?
Whats going
on? C'mon,
Natasha - we’re
leaving!
I pushed and fought against him. my saving
grace being my friend pulling me from his
grasp as we left to go to another club.
Taxi!
Wait! I’m
coming with
you!
about to climb into a taxi to
make our way to another
club when a hand gripped me
by the scruff of the neck.
He yelled as we scrambled
for the door. He ripped
me from the taxi and
threw me to the ground...
No matter how much I pleaded, he took me
home. He attacked me again verbally in the
house and I spent the night sleeping on
the bathroom floor safely away from him.
That’s it -
We are going
home!
Open
this door,
Natasha!
Okay,
Okay!
That night I sneaked out and
finally left him, but that was
just the start of things…

I felt Exhausted and drained. I was
anxious and still trying to focus on
my dissertation. I had began isolating
myself. I wasn’t eating, I didn’t listen
to music. My friends tried to reach out,
but I always had an excuse.
One day it got worse.
I suffered from a bad
panic attack.
Gripping my phone I called my
Mum. nothing seemed to help.
not even speaking to mum. I
was sweating, shaking, crying
and laying on the floor.
Mmum...
I...I...cann'tt...
breaatthe...
My Mum asked my
Grandparents to
go to my Uni flat…
...Before long my
Grandparents and flatmates
were carrying me to the car
to drive me around to help
me calm down...
I started drinking heavily at parties. Being drunk was
the only way to sleep. I would stay out late and get
drunk so that I would sleep in to the afternoon...
...and then I began
staying in bed. I didn’t
shower, brush my
teeth or change. I
isolated myself.

Mum was so worried
about me, but when
she came to visit she
was shocked to see
her daughter looking
so weak and skinny.
You’ll not
be coming back
to this flat until
I’m sure you’ll
be safe!
I moved back to my Mum’s. I still
wasn’t eating and I stayed in bed most
days. Mum took me back to the Doctor.
I couldn’t look at him as I was so
embarrassed and ashamed…
Have you
been down lately?
Depressed? Have
you thought about
considering
suicide?
...Y-Yes...
Have you
planned it?
...Y-Yes...
Have you
tried it?
A week and a
half ago...
Have you
tried to follow
through on
your plans?
...Yeah...

Dad
What
Am I
doing?

We are going
to get you the help
that you need, we will
get you onto
antidepressants.
In three
to four months
we will have you
in front of a
counsellor...
She’s telling
us how she already
tried to commit
suicide and you have
the nerve to say
three to four
months?
three to four
months? You
must be joking;
this girl needs
help now!
These pills
will take two weeks
to settle into your
daughter’s system. then
we need to monitor her
and see how she
progresses.
Mum drove me back to Uni – she knew
as long as I was getting the help
offered that she could relax. It
would also mean that I would have a
quiet space to study for my exams
This girl
is doing so much
better than she
thinks she is, Nadase
together we can
help her see the
truth!
And
what’s
that?
She’s worth
so much more than
this, she is so precious to
many people and is stronger
than she thinks too.. Natasha has
overcome so many difficulties
and troubles. We need her to
see that she deserves more
and that her life will
get better…
Only then
will HOPE
be able to
grow
Okay,
Lets go!
that’s
right.

A few weeks later...
Have you
checked your
results,
Natasha?
After a few very
anxious moments...
I couldn’t believe it!
mum and I had worried
that I wouldn’t even
make it through and I
had left with a 2:1.
2:1, you
got a 2:1!
No, I don’t
have time; I need
to finish packing,
getting ready for
L.A., Claire!
Woohoo!!
What’s your
login? I'll
check your
results!
What?!
If you are having
me on I swear! I am
going to phone my
granny; she’ll hunt
you down if you’re
having me on!
No, I
swear!
I hadn’t realised that I needed to repeat
my prescription for Antidepressants
and so when the bottle was finished I
assumed that was all I needed to take...
When I returned from
three months in America
I moved into a house
with some friends.
Slowly everything
began to become more
challenging again!
Old issues began
to spring up again: I
began fighting with
my Dad and his
girlfriend again.
Mum was worried, she suggested
that I visit Woman’s Aid as she’d
already spoken to them about me!
I’m worried
if you don’t get
someone soon your
shutters will go
back up again.

And
then what
happened?
He would
have made me feel
so guilty when I
didn’t see him or for
things that were
never my fault.
So I went
to Woman’s Aid.
it was when I spoke
to them that I realised
Dad was really
manipulative.
Women’s aid asked me to fill in a form
and when I had finished, I couldn’t
believe that I had thought the stuff
that happened to me was okay.
In relationships, I didn’t deserve to be
shoved around. When he hit me I convinced
myself it wouldn’t happen again.
When he forced
me into behaving
the way he wanted
his girlfriend to
behave.. I thought
that this was Okay!
When I started to see it this way,
I started to see how I had been
manipulated from the start...
Women’s Aid were amazing! They
let me speak to a Psychologist,
who said that she wanted to put
me back onto my meds, offering
a more balanced approach. Things
began to improve, although I
still had my good and bad days,
things were definitely improving...

Why are
you here?
umm... because
if I'm here my Mum
won't worry. I don’t
really see why I'm
here otherwise.
She began to help me uncover things in my past that I hadn’t ever really
dealt with, lots of small issues that I felt I’d deserved. But she helped
me to see that these issues needed sorting out once and for all.
Now
we've gotten
rid of
Fovos...
I have two
sessions left
and have come
so far! Thank
you!
And
relicta
too...
with them
gone we have
gotten rid of
Natasha's doubt,
fear and
depression.
She helped me see that I was trying
to fix everything, and trying to hold
things together for my family; but this
wasn’t my problem or responsibility,
and it was certainly out of my control
to change… This was so refreshing to
hear and also very empowering.

I started
getting better,
I started enjoying
things that I used to
enjoy. I was meeting
people, doing charity
work and...
...I was getting back into
pageants again. I used to
love beauty pageants.
I was still worried
about what people
would think and that
they’d potentially
find out about my
poor mental health.
On my return to the
pageants, I came 2 nd !
I did another pageant
last year as friends
supported me as
I was skint…
I did a lot of fundraising
for a charity called PIPS.
I had done so much talking
about mental health but I
never really talked publicly
about my own mental health.
Natasha,
there is so much
strength inside you.
Knowing your own truth
is where this battle
starts.
knowing
what you deserve
and setting your
standards there.
I made the decision talk
to the judges about how
we needed to focus more
on the mental health of
young people. They asked
me why and I was
confident to talk to them
about my own struggles.

This wasn’t for pity:
it’s because i’m still
recovering and I want others
to get help. The judges even
said that half the people on
that stage are struggling
with there own issues.
The
head judge
even admitted
to her own
struggles.
It resonated
with a lot of people
and so I began
talking to anyone
who would
listen...
I had newspapers from India,
America, Canada, England and
Ireland that wanted to talk about
this because I wanted to talk about
the mental health and not just
the pretty dresses and the makeup.
In my next
pageant,
I came
first!
I was really happy
knowing that I could
reach out to others
who I could help.
Then, PIPS
reached out with
a job offer and...
...here
I am.
everything
is looking up. I am
managing myself
better. My boyfriend is
a superstar and I still
have so much support
from my Mum!
You know
that being honest
with yourself is vitally
important. You have come
so far, but you’re still aware
that you’ll have challenges
in the future as
we all do,
I know!
but you now
have the tools you
need to stay well
moving forward…

For the first time - only just
a few months ago - I realised
how much I had achieved at 24.
And to think, I never expected
to see my 23 rd Birthday.
I am
so proud of
you, girly!
Okay,
gotta go now.
talk soon,
Natasha!
Wait!
tHANK YOU!
You’ve done so
much for me, BUT, I
need your help with
someone else.
iT’S lola!
Of course,
that’s why the
Uberheroes
are here…
We’re here to help!
we are always there
in the background. and
of course, I promise
that she’ll get the
help she needs...
...To be Continued!

Further information
Like the characters in the comic you may feel that these stories have connected with you, or
that the content of the stories has given you a lot to think about!
You might want to know more about what help is available, or maybe you’re concerned
about a friend and want to know what practical help you can offer. Alternatively you might
want to speak to your parents or guardians but you’re nervous about how they might react.
The Uberheroes comic is a great stepping-stone to start these conversations with an adult
you trust about your fears, worries or concerns.
Whatever the situation, listed below are some of the many resources available in
Northern Ireland, Ireland and the UK :-
Support Services
Hope 4 Life NI – www.hope4lifeni.org.uk
Mental Health & Wellbeing programmes for Children, Young People and Adults
Ask an Uberhero a Question via our website - www.uberheroes.co.uk
Ask an Uberhero a question is an online support service for you to connect
with one of our team if you are worried or concerned about anything; this is
a great way to ask our heroes for their advice and support.
PIPS
For 1-2-1 Counselling Call 028 9080 5850
Helpline number call 0800 088 6042
Email: info@pipscharity.com
Call in for a chat – 281 Antrim Road,
Belfast, BT15 2HE
Childline
For 1-2-1 Counselling Call: 0800 1111
For info and advice go to:
www.childline.org.uk
Samaritans
Samaritans helpline Call: 0845 790 9090
Helpline Email: jo@samaritans.org
Helpline Numbers
Child Abuse Investigation
Unit Emergency line
0845 600 8000 or 999
National Association for People
Abused in childhood National Support helpline:
0800 085 3330
Includes database with UK wide Support organisations.
NSPCC
24 hour Child Protection Helpline Call:
0808 800 5000
Lifeline
Free Phone Lifeline: Call 0808 808 8000
Helpline Email: www.lifelinehelplineinfo.com
Talking to your friends, members of your family and teachers can help you start to better understand
what you’re going through; you may be surprised to find that others have had similar experiences and
are willing to share their experiences with you. Your friends or family may know of someone who they
trust, who would be willing to listen and offer you safe advice, having external support will help you to
see you’re not alone in thinking or feeling the way you do, it will also help rebuild your confidence,
self-belief and self-worth, which is the first step in healing and recovery.
Come follow us on our social media sites too...
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