What happens when a child's trauma is dismissed by the very people meant to protect them? At just ten years old, Katerris Lawrence was writing suicide notes on her schoolwork while battling depression.
Katerris joins us to share her powerful journey from that wounded child to the author of "The Depression and Me," a memoir twenty years in the making. Growing up in Portsmouth, Virginia, where "everybody looked out for each other," Katerris experienced a profound betrayal when her uncle molested her at age nine. The subsequent dismissal of her pain—being told it "wasn't that serious" and expected to interact normally with her abuser at family gatherings—compounded her trauma in ways that shaped her entire life.
With remarkable vulnerability, Katerris reveals how she survived those darkest moments through conversations with God that felt more therapeutic than formal counseling. "I would say, 'God, this feels unbearable, can you help me?'" she explains, describing how prayer became her lifeline when professional help fell short. The birth of her son finally gave her a reason powerful enough to keep living, sparking a healing journey that continues today.
Beyond sharing her personal story, Katerris offers profound insights about breaking the cycle of silence around trauma, particularly in Black families where "we don't talk about things." Her message to fellow survivors resonates with compassion and clarity: "Whatever happened to you was not your fault... don't carry that weight anymore."
Looking forward, Katerris plans to establish a non-profit to create the support system she wishes she'd had, helping trauma survivors navigate their healing journeys. For anyone struggling with depression, childhood trauma, or supporting someone who is, this conversation offers both comfort and courage to keep moving forward.
