We all know that one of the common and nasty side effects of struggling with a mental illness is the tendency to believe ourselves to be unworthy. Unworthy of love, unworthy of opportunities, unworthy of happiness. And a common side effect of those feelings of unworthiness is the tendency to make ourselves smaller. To attempt, [...]
This next guest post is written by JC Stephenson, author of 'A Murder in Auschwitz'. Here he shares his experiences with depression: its randomness, its creeping intrusiveness, its all consuming nature, and the hope there is for overcoming and living beyond it. My Fog I did not see it myself. It took someone else to tell [...]
Verbalising (or in this case typing!) the reality of experiences of anxiety is difficult but helpful. I still find that using the phrase ‘living with mental illness’, or anything like it, causes something in me shrank away in a ball of shame and fear. In spite of my advocacy of openness when it comes to [...]
I wrote this particular post for last year's #TimeToTalk blogathon but I felt it was still pertinent today so I wanted to reshare it. Staying silent about the realities of mental health and mental illness massively contributes to the ill effects of mental illness and perpetuates the stigma and shame which is, unfortunately still so [...]
Talking about mental health is not always easy. In fact, I think it's rarely easy. It's the kind of conversation we avoid out of embarrassment or fear - and I think that happens whether you're trying to talk about your own mental health or whether you're trying to broach the subject of your concern about [...]
Hello there, friend. It’s time to talk. Every year, on the first Thursday in February, Time To Changeheads up #timetotalk day. Time To Change is an organisation dedicated to ending the stigma and discrimination around mental health, and the #timetotalk campaign is all about opening up conversations, giving people the opportunity to speak openly about their [...]
This week was Mental Health Awareness Week and all week I've been wanting and meaning to write something to share with you, my lovely readers. But I've had a funny mental health week and have just not quite been in the right frame of mind. I've felt edgy, restless and anxious, as if something is [...]
I have started writing this post several times and don't quite know how to say what I want to say. I have heard and seen too many stories of people struggling with their mental health and not being able to find a way out; too many stories of people for whom the only escape they [...]
This is the final post in my 24-posts-in-24-hours series for #TimeToTalk day. Thank you so much to all of you who have popped by to read, like, share and comment; it means a lot to see so many people engaging with this important issue. #TimeToTalk day is a great opportunity to open up conversations, to [...]
I'd like to take a moment to share with you a short and simple breathing exercise which I have found incredibly helpful. We hear often about the importance of breathing and noticing our breath in strategies for dealing with anxiety or panic attacks, but it's not always clear what exactly that means and we (read [...]
Thrive In Chaos 