My name is Katie. I am 18 and a half years old. From the age of 14 in 2008 I was bullied at school. It wasn't every day but it certainly was frequent enough for me to be scared and fearful of being at school and running into certain people from my school in the community. I was called a 'rat, a 'skank', a 'slut', a "boy', 'flat chested' and numerous other insults. I was also physically abused twice by being slapped and punched in the face. A girl threatened to kill me if she saw my face outside of school. The two main perpetrators left school and I continued my education until year 12 with constant difficulties. I was diagnosed with major depression in early 2010 and with post traumatic stress disorder in early 2011 which continued until I finished school in 2012. I am now at university studying psychology and I have written this story not with the aim of gaining anybody's sympathy but to simply prove to people that you are not alone, that bullying is a horrible horrible thing and it may affect you for the rest of your life as I believe mine will, but you can continue life knowing that you have the strength to soar.