From Rock Bottom to Rebuild: My Client Corrina’s Real Story of Mental Health, ADHD & Business

⚠️ Trigger Warning: This post includes references to suicidal thoughts, mental health crisis, and emotional collapse.

From Rock Bottom to Rebuild: My Client Corrina’s Real Story of Mental Health, ADHD & Business

This isn’t a story about burnout.

This is a story about what happens when your body, your brain, and your life stop coping — and you realise that the business you built is actually destroying you.

Corrina didn’t come on the Vision to Grow podcast to talk strategy.
She came to share the truth — the kind most women keep locked behind high-functioning facades, “I’m fine” replies, and smiles that don’t reach their eyes.

Because in 2020, Corrina hit a wall so hard it nearly ended everything.

“I just want to die.”

That’s what she said to her husband. Calmly. Quietly.
No meltdown. No drama.

Just total emotional exhaustion.

Because it wasn’t just the business. It was the motherhood, the pressure, the masking, the constant need to “hold it all together” for everyone else.

It was the kind of moment most people never talk about, especially not women in business. Especially not the ones who are supposed to have it all “together.”

But Corrina did talk about it.
And what she shared matters.

The Pressure of Being the Glue

Corrina and her partner run Spotty’s Mechanical, a growing family business with big demand.
But when the backend is messy, the systems aren’t holding up, and everything depends on you to function?

That’s not a business. It’s a trap.

Corrina describes that time like living in a fog.
She couldn’t focus. Couldn’t rest. Couldn’t stop the noise in her head long enough to think straight.

Days would blur.
Sleep barely helped.
The kids needed her. The business needed her. The pressure never stopped.

And the scariest part?
From the outside, everything looked fine.

The Break That Changed Everything

Corrina had always known she was wired a bit differently.

She was energetic. Driven. Hyper-creative.
But also forgetful. Distracted. Scattered.
And constantly fighting the shame of never quite keeping up.

Then came the diagnosis: ADHD (and a few other Acronymed mental health concerns that she shares on the episode.)
Late-diagnosed. Unmasked. Finally explained.

Suddenly, everything made sense: the spirals, the overstimulation, the feeling that her brain was in overdrive 24/7 while everyone else had a map she’d never seen.

It was heartbreaking. And freeing.

“It’s not that I couldn’t cope. It’s that I never had the tools.”

The Quiet Collapse of High-Functioning Women

Corrina’s story isn’t unique.
It’s just rarely told.

So many women especially those running businesses, raising kids, juggling mental health are hanging on by a thread.

And they’re praised for it.

Praised for pushing through. For “doing it all.” For being “so strong.”

But strength isn’t sustainable when it’s built on silence and self-sacrifice.

And Corrina decided she wasn’t doing that anymore.

Rebuilding From the Ground Up

Corrina didn’t just need a break.
She needed a rebuild.

That meant structure. Proper team roles, delegation, onboarding, clarity.
It meant pulling things out of her head and into systems her team could actually run.
It meant trusting others with the work and trusting herself to let go.

It meant getting support, both in business and in life.
It meant redefining what success looked like, not as productivity, but peace.

Now?
Her business runs without her being the glue.
She’s not waking up with dread.
She’s not crying behind locked doors.
She’s present. Clear. Supported.

She’s Honestly Mental: A Movement, Not Just a Brand

What Corrina created next is something special.

She’s Honestly Mental is her response to every DM she got after sharing her story.
The ones that whispered, “That’s me too.”
The ones that said, “I thought I was the only one.”
The ones that admitted they were also hiding.

It’s a space for women in business who are navigating ADHD, motherhood, mental health, identity loss and doing it all without a playbook.

It’s a mental health gym. A community. A raw, real support system.
Because pretending you’re fine is not a strategy. And suffering in silence is not a rite of passage.

Listen to the Full Conversation

🎙️ Episode 10: Corrina Rawlinson on Going Mental, in the Best Possible Way.

If you’ve ever thought, “I can’t keep doing this,”
If you’ve ever felt like the business you built is crushing you,
If you’re ready to stop surviving and start building something sustainable,

You need to hear this.

Listen now

Need Support?

If you’re struggling with your mental health, PLEASE don’t do it alone.
Visit Beyond Blue or call 1300 22 4636 for 24/7 support.

Connect With Corrina

• Check out She’s Honestly Mental
• Follow Corrina on Instagram