I've lost my connection to the term 'Mental Health.' It means different things to different people, and that's a problem. I consider myself a mental health blogger, but I'm thinking of changing that. To be honest I'm a mental illness blogger. I'll explain why. For some people, myself included, mental health refers to mental illness. It's a term [...]
Category: stigma
Stress and Mental Illness: Are They One And The Same?
In my previous post I discussed Is Stress A Trigger For Mental Illness? In this post I'm hoping to highlight how stress and severe mental illness are not one and the same. We all go through periods of stress, where we feel run down, overwhelmed and generally feel like we need a reset button for life. It [...]
Talking About Mental Health Is Vital, But It’s Not Enough
I often find myself saying, "Talking about mental health is so important." and "Just be open and honest and you'll feel so much better!" I have done so many times on this blog. But in my heart, I know it's not enough. So many of us are being let down again and again. Services are [...]
When Speaking About Mental Health, Language Matters
Why does language matter? What is the difference between describing someone as 'Is Bipolar' or 'Has Bipolar'? Firstly, language is a powerful tool of expression. We tell stories with language and these stories conjure up images and ideas in the listener. We can impact the way people think or perceive the world around them with [...]
Still More To Do To Tackle Mental Health Stigma
For mental illness sufferers, an underfunded NHS, discrimination against benefit claimants and a negative tone from the media is still creating a society that misunderstand and stigmatise. A lack of funding for mental health and parity of esteem in the NHS reinforces the view that mental illnesses aren't as important or as serious as physical [...]
Taking Medication For Your Mental Illness Doesn’t Equal Weakness
Every evening at 10pm, my husband's phone starts to beep. It's a daily alarm to remind me to take my medication. I go to the kitchen drawer where the tablets are kept, and rustling around (because it's our lets shove everything we don't know where to keep in this drawer, drawer) I'll find them. I'll [...]
Breaking the Silence
Too many people with mental illness are silent. Silent with friends and family, Silent at work. Silent from their doctors, silent with themselves. Breaking that silence can feel like the hardest thing in the world. We worry about what others will think of us, and that they will judge us. Maybe they'll think we're attention [...]
Mental Illness and The Sometimes I Can, Sometimes I Can’t, High/Low Functioning Distinction
The first time I heard the terms 'high functioning' and 'low functioning' was when I first applied for benefits a few years ago. This is the idea that although you have a disability, such as a mental illness, you're either able or not able to look after yourself and live your daily life. I had [...]
Stigma in the Workplace
The nature of having bipolar has meant I've had quite a few, varied jobs. I've worked in retail, childcare and for the local council. One thing each of these jobs has in common is whilst there, I've experienced mental health stigma. Whilst working in childcare, I was a supervisor of a team in charge of [...]
Mental Illness is More Than Depression and Anxiety
For many people, as soon as the term 'mental health' is brought up, what comes to mind is depression and anxiety. In no way in this post am I trying to say that depression and anxiety aren't important, they can be crippling and severe. The problem here is that so much emphasis is put on [...]
