Nikki Everett has written a book sharing the traumatic story that changed her life

Nikki Everett was leading a normal life when a sudden event upended her life. In a new book she shares her story.

Nikki Everett has written a book about living with PTSD and working in prisons. Picture: Brad Fleet

Nikki Everett led a normal life as a single mother and a professional prison worker before a sudden traumatic event changed her life.

Caught in the chaos while working at a men’s maximum security prison, she witnessed one prisoner stabbing another, while she was isolated and surrounded only by other prisoners.

She felt like she was going crazy as fears and triggers began controlling every aspect of her life, and found that her friends and family could not understand what happened to the confident woman she was before.

Ms Everett was diagnosed with complex-PTSD and has now written a book detailing her experience of “feeling isolated and misunderstood”.

In her book she described visiting a doctor’s office where she sobbed: “I can’t stop thinking … about the stabbing at work”.

The book, Uncomfortable Comfortable, was launched on Wednesday afternoon at an event hosted by Lifeline Geelong celebrating International Women’s Day at GMHBA Stadium.

Nikki Everett’s memoir explores her healing process from a traumatic event. Picture: Brad Fleet

The memoir explores the experience of being diagnosed with complex-PTSD after a traumatic event.

It touches on her healing process, and she hopes her story will bring insights and support to people struggling with their own trauma.

“I truly believe that “uncomfortably comfortable” has the power to bring about healing,” said Ms Everett.

“And by healing, I don’t mean curing mental illness; rather, it’s about changing how we view ourselves and how we treat ourselves.”

Ms Everett found it difficult to revisit the stabbing when writing the book.

She said she went into “dissociation mode” and did not remember writing the chapter discussing it at all.

She edited the chapter with a friend, who also worked in prisons, using text-to-speech.

“I heard the words but not the sentences,” she said.

While it was difficult, she said her passion for helping others to find strength in their trauma continued to drive her forward.

“For the past seven years, I’ve lived in my safe little cocoon. I know first-hand how cruel the world can be,” she said.

Managing complex-PTSD takes much of her energy, managing “internal and external worlds”, she said.

“I will surround myself with support if negativity comes my way. I am sending nothing but love out into the world,” she said.

Ms Everett is a Lifeline Ambassador, with the book launch helping to raise funds for the organisation.

Originally published as Nikki Everett has written a book sharing the traumatic story that changed her life