Loosening the Chains of Mental Illness
Life with borderline personality disorder, complex anxiety disorder, and depersonalisation disorder.
With 2018 drawing to a close, now is the perfect time to set goals for the year ahead. While the most popular one may be to 'lose weight', I am focusing more on my mental health than my physical, although dropping a stone or two would be brilliant. I can't say that I have the … Continue reading New Year’s Resolutions For Your Mental Health
I have always been quite creative, something I have since learnt can be a positive quality of borderline personality disorder. As a child I was often found with a pencil in hand, writing story after story giving my own twist on the Mr Men book series. While I cannot remember the full context, I do … Continue reading How Arts And Crafts Can Benefit Your Mental Health
I have always been a bit of a closed book, preferring to help others as opposed to being helped myself. It isn't even the fear of being a burden, more that I like to cope with my difficulties alone, unless I reach 'crisis point.Myself and my brother have developed our own system, allowing him to … Continue reading Mental Illness: Reaching Out In Times Of Crisis
It was three years before I came to accept that medication was needed for my mental health. I had already completed CAT therapy, bereavement therapy, and one round of CBT, before Sertraline was prescribed by my GP. I can recall the fear in taking that first tablet, needing my brother at the other end of … Continue reading There is No ‘Magic Cure’ For Mental Illness
I would give anyone £10 if they can honestly say that a few ‘likes’ on social media hasn’t improved their self-esteem. We are all in the habit of posting new hair and makeup selfies, or in my case, endless photos of my pets. What about when our self-esteem revolves around social media, though? I have always … Continue reading The Curse Of The Facebook ‘Like’: Social Media And Your Mental Health
You are worthless Depression chips away at your self-confidence, your hopes and dreams will be shattered into a million pieces as you become convinced that there is no point in trying because you will fail anyway. It is because of this that I contemplated quitting my BA Hons and MSc numerous times. My work was rubbish, … Continue reading The Lies That Depression Will Tell You
I understand myself how difficult Christmas can be when living with mental illness. There is the pressure of 'painting on a happy face', even when the black dog is smothering you, and having to socialise, despite wanting to hide beneath your quilt and shut the world away. I can honestly say that I am, in … Continue reading Christmas Coping Mechanisms For Your Mental Health
I was always under the assumption that medication meant weakness, that it only masked the issues as opposed to dealing with them, but I now realise that I was wrong, so very, very wrong. I cannot lie and say that it has been an easy ride, because it hasn't. I have experienced the majority of … Continue reading The Stigma Surrounding Antidepressants
When living with any mental illness it is important to have various coping strategies in place to ensure that you are keeping yourself as safe and as healthy as possible. Below is a list of the strategies that I have adopted over the years - some of which I hope may be of use to … Continue reading Mental Health Coping Mechanisms
“I don’t feel like me anymore. I don’t feel real” “I don’t know who I am anymore” “My reflection scares me, it doesn’t look like me” “It feels as if I am living in a cartoon or a movie” “It is as if I am looking down on myself, detached from my body” “I no … Continue reading “It feels as if I am living in a cartoon or a movie”: the reality of living with dissociation.
Loosening the Chains of Mental Illness 