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 […]
Yes, I Do Miss Being Manic
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 […]
We Shouldn’t make Exceptions For Family When Talking About Mental Health
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 […]
Talking About Mental Illness Isn’t Attention Seeking
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 […]
Why I Decided To Go Freelance
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 […]
Mental Illness Is Complicated and Some People Just Don’t Get It
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 […]
101 Things No-one Tells You About Mania
It is more than just being happy Mania makes me feel euphoric Mania makes me feel constantly ‘on’ and ready Mania makes me feel a constant sense of anticipation Sufferers all have slightly different periods of hypomania and mania. An episode could last days An episode could last weeks A hypomanic or manic episode could […]
Is It Real? Doubt And Hearing Voices
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 […]
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 […]