I've been putting off seeing my doctor for ages. Why? I'm afraid. Afraid that they won't be able to help me. That they'll fob me off with a 'just keep doing what you're doing' response. Anxious that they'll want to change my medication. Again. I've had a difficult year with medical professionals. Long story short, [...]
TW: Suicidal ideation The period between 2003 - 2013 was a whirlwind of changes for me. The catalyst for these changes came from my online world. A place that held me safely in it’s hands. It was a place without judgement and a community full of compassionate individuals. I could feel the warmth and [...]
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 [...]
Evil Nasty Freak Bitch Jealous Dangerous These are all words that people relate to psychosis. We all need to stop using it as a derogatory term. So often I hear people described as psychotic when they're being cruel, or acting unpredictably. Recently I saw someone on twitter describing an ex as a 'psychotic nazi.' Politicians, especially [...]
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 [...]
Not everyone realizes that some sufferers of Bipolar Disorder also have psychotic symptoms. These could include delusions, auditory and visual hallucinations. For me, I hear voices. This happens during periods of extreme moods, so when I’m manic or severely depressed. During mania, the voices can be comforting. I have many ideas racing through my [...]
Living with mental illness is tricky. It's a sneaky bastard that creeps up on you when you least expect it. Often when we relax, mental illness barges its way into our lives and tries to take over. A prime example of this is when we go on holiday. We can't always be 100% sure we [...]
My last psychiatry appointment was a tough one - I was told with certainty that I should, no, needed to give up alcohol. My response was a hopeful one, surely half a bottle of wine on a Saturday night was alright? The answer was a definitive no, even that amount of alcohol was far too much. We [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
