Anger and violence are issues often swept under the rug, but two local women from very different backgrounds have come together to share their stories in the hope of empowering others to seek resolution, just as they have.
Eileen Dennison and Emily (surname withheld) met through Positive Change Programme Charitable Trust, a not-for-profit organisation that opened two years ago and runs workshops for Alternative to Violence [AVP] conflict resolution and anger management programmes.
Both Eileen and Emily have attended several of the courses and although their personal journeys are different, the outcome has been the same - a complete life change.
Eileen, 41, has five children and two grandchildren in Dunedin and has been in and out of prison for violent crimes since she was 11 as a result of trauma.
"I was brought up in the military by a solo father, never witnessed violence as a child in my home, but I've spent nearly all my life in jail. I was a straight A student, good at sport, did modelling, but I got taken from my home when I was 11 and that was it for me. Started fighting, was good at it, and loved it. Jail became my life. It was empowering. I used intimidation, every kind of violence that you can think of. Wasn't scared of drug dealers - I would just kick their door in and take their drugs off them. I robbed chemists. There's a definite power and control, and fear thing. I fed on fear. I've been sentenced to over 25 years in jail. This is the first time since I was 16 that I've spent over a year out of jail. I got out on August the eighth, 2010," she said.