‘If it gives just one person hope, it will be worth it’: Patricia Dempsey to launch powerful memoir in Portlaoise

Portlaoise woman Patricia Dempsey will launch her deeply personal memoir, This Is My Story, at Portlaoise Library on Thursday, October 22nd at 2pm.

The book tells Patricia’s extraordinary story of living through decades of mental health difficulties, hospitalisation, despair and uncertainty — but also of resilience, recovery, love and ultimately hope.

Written by Patricia herself, This Is My Story is an honest and deeply personal account of her experiences from a young age and the challenges she has faced throughout her life.

But while the journey described in the book includes some incredibly difficult chapters, Patricia is keen that the central message is one of hope.

“I wanted to let people know that there is hope and that there are many supports out there. If it gives just one person hope, then I know it was worth it,” Patricia said when she first began sharing her story publicly.

A story that began five years ago Patricia’s story first came to wider public attention in 2021, when she shared some early chapters of her life story in a small booklet.

At the time, Patricia had begun putting her experiences down on paper, documenting her journey through mental ill-health and some of the most difficult periods of her life.

Those few chapters were the beginning of something much bigger.

Over the past five years, Patricia continued to develop and work on her story, expanding those initial chapters into a fully published memoir.

This Is My Story now brings together Patricia’s experiences, reflections and the lessons she has learned throughout her journey.

The completed book goes beyond the difficult moments, exploring the resilience, relationships, support and determination that have helped Patricia move forward.

For Patricia, sharing her story is ultimately about breaking the silence that can surround mental health and letting others know that difficult times do not have to be the end of the story.

Her message is simple: there is hope.

Strength, resilience and hope This Is My Story offers an insight into what it can be like to live through serious mental health difficulties — not from a clinical perspective, but through the eyes of the person experiencing them.

It is a story about the lows, but also about finding a way forward.

The book will be particularly meaningful to anyone who has experienced mental health difficulties themselves, as well as family members, friends and carers who have supported someone through a difficult period.

The launch will take place at Portlaoise Library on Thursday, October 22nd at 2pm.

Everyone is welcome to attend.

Patricia will also be available to sign copies of the book on the day.