I've seen a shift recently in how people view advocacy and raising awareness around mental health and mental illness. To some it's now 'boring' or no longer necessary or needed. I think they're wrong. It should be obvious to anyone in the UK that mental health services are underfunded. Waiting times are atrociously long and [...]
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 [...]
For the past few months I haven't been sleeping properly. It has taken over all aspects of my life. Most notably, here on my blog. I haven't blogged for months, because I simply haven't had the concentration span to finish a post. I've been irritable and moody. My short temper is now just a very [...]
Psychosis happens amongst people with the mental illnesses schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, post partum psychosis, and sometimes those with bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder and severe depression. Psychosis is experienced in two different ways; hallucinations and delusions. Hallucinations are when a person hears, sees, smells, tastes or feels something that isn’t really there. It’s a sensory [...]
I find myself pining for the person I become when I'm manic. I've written before about how mania isn't always fun. I do miss it at times, no matter how many times I tell myself the negative aspects of it. Mania can be a mind blowing, euphoria filled trip. It's honestly better than any drug [...]
Family members shouldn't be given a free pass when they make stigmatising comments about mental illness. There's always one isn't there? Sometimes there's two or more. I'm talking about family and that person who makes inappropriate statements. It can be super awkward when you live with a mental illness and that individual starts saying something [...]
I talk about my mental illness, a lot. I'm not ashamed of that. Living with mental illness is a huge part of my life and I can't ignore that fact. Unfortunately, being so honest leaves me open to criticism. Mostly, that I'm attention seeking. Why is talking met with such ferocious negativity? People think we're [...]
I wake up to my alarm ringing and the cat sitting on my head. I look across and my husband is still blissfully asleep. It's six o'clock. It's freezing. It's dark, and I have to be at work in an hour. It takes me twenty minutes to walk, or I can take the rammed packed [...]
I've been really struggling this year... I've been out to gigs with friends. I've had nights out dancing and joking. I've caught up with friends over coffee. I can still have a social life and *shock* have a good time even when I'm having a bad time with mental illness. I've written about having a [...]
It is more than just being happy Mania makes me feel euphoricMania makes me feel constantly 'on' and readyMania makes me feel a constant sense of anticipationSufferers all have slightly different periods of hypomania and mania. An episode could last daysAn episode could last weeksA hypomanic or manic episode could last monthsMania is not always [...]
