On the bus earlier, there was a couple whispering a few rows behind me. It freaked me the fuck out. Why? It reminded me of the voices I hear. The cruel, whispering words that shake me to my core. I often hear whispering when I'm depressed, they're malicious and make me feel extremely vulnerable. I [...]
Author: Katie Conibear
We Need To Stop Using Mental Illness To Negatively Describe People
"They're mental" "So bipolar" "What a psycho" "That's crazy/insane" Lets be honest here; It's lazy and ignorant to use a mental illness to negatively describe someone. They're a myriad of words you can use to describe a situation, or person. It doesn't have to have anything to do with mental illness. What do you mean [...]
Unexpected Stigma
I have been very lucky with the care I've received from medical professionals in the past few years since my diagnosis of bipolar and psychosis. The two psychiatrists who've been charged with my care have been understanding and respectful. All good news. That is, until this week. I have a new psychiatrist. My first appointment [...]
When You’re High Functioning With Mental Illness…
Being publicly high functioning despite a severe mental illness means people getting annoyed with you when you don't deliver on promises or can't give them emotional support. They don't realise all your effort is already exhausted maintaining that high functioning persona. Commitments pile up on you and you can slowly start to unravel if you're [...]
Impatience And Bipolar
Impatience, real impatience: Jumping up and down Stamping my feet shouting, "I need to know NOW" There's something about having bipolar that makes me impatient. When I'm depressed or manic, I need things to happen right now. For instance, at the moment, I'm waiting for three significant pieces of news. I'm beyond over waiting to hear [...]
Ten Years Of Mental Illness
Ten years ago I was a whirlwind of extreme moods, constantly battling against each other. I would suffer from severe depression, which decimated my sense of self worth. I was constantly signed off ill from work, and my career suffered because of it. I always felt exhausted and for a twenty three year old that [...]
Those of us with severe mental illness are here and should be visible in the mental health conversation
Self care, wellbeing, mindfulness, depression, anxiety. All words the general public are accustomed to hearing. They are part of the mental health conversation and have become integral to increasing understanding of mental illness. What about psychosis, schizophrenia, PTSD? These are terms that still make people feel uncomfortable and on edge. People still believe that if you [...]
Falling Through The Gap
I've lived with mental illness for more than half my life. Even so, it's only been in the past few years where I've felt able to talk openly about bipolar, psychosis and bulimia. It's everyones responsibility to help people like me find their voice. We shouldn't have to feel brave for speaking up, we must [...]
Is Mental Illness Your BFF?
Mental illness can overwhelm us at times. It can dictate our decisions, affect our relationships and stop us from doing the things we enjoy. Sometimes mental illness becomes more than just an illness, it becomes our life. Or to put it another way, our best friend. It's an obsession we don't want. An obsession with [...]
A Life Lived Vividly Series: ‘I Thought The Voices Were Normal’ Realising I Had Psychosis
I suffer from bipolar disorder, well known for it's symptoms of mania and depression. What many people don't realise is that some sufferers also experience psychosis. These could include delusions, auditory, visual and tactile hallucinations. For me, I hear voices. This happens during periods of extreme moods, so when I'm manic or severely depressed. I [...]
