Reducing the stigma around mental health
By Gabriela I haven’t been okay in quite a while. I like to paint a smile on my face and pretend I’m invincible, like I have all of the answers, but that’s not true. I still struggle, and I still hurt. I still get the living shit beat out of Continue Reading
By NK I was startled when I heard the sudden knock on my door. It was pre-dawn, who could be it be? I wondered. I opened the door and I froze. Clad in black with a shawl draped around its neck and a leather bag slung over its shoulders was Continue Reading
By Ed Having never written my thoughts down before, I’m not quite sure where to start. Expecting it’ll go wrong For as long as I can remember I have struggled with feeling alone and down. It’s almost my default position. Whenever something’s going well there’s always something else there to Continue Reading
By Lou Bell But you don’t look unwell I am a mum and a wife. I have ADHD and ASD, and some of my children have inherited these conditions as well. Every day is a battle. A battle to stay calm, to stay focused and to stay positive… and that’s Continue Reading
By Sophie Ann It’s hard to explain depression to someone who doesn’t suffer it. I feel like I have a rucksack on my back that is full of bricks. It weighs me down and making me constantly feel empty and down. Even in sleep, I can feel the bag, making Continue Reading
By Gabriela One thing that no one understands, is that my mental illness will never just disappear. It is a part of me, and I am stuck with it for life. It has become my best friend, and my worst enemy, all at once. I have no way of putting Continue Reading
By James Leedham Mental health is rarely a solo illness. Whilst the person suffering will often feel isolated, alone, thinking that no one understands them, they are often surrounded by a support network of many people who care about them, parents, siblings, partners and friends, and whilst these people might Continue Reading
I found myself completely isolated after being bullied at school. I found myself escaping the nightmare by reading. Books keep me calm
By Sara-Jane Morphew This is the conversation going on in my head most of the time. In the beginning, after my diagnosis of depression and anxiety, decisions on what to eat and what to wear were the most difficult thing to do in the world. If someone didn’t provide me Continue Reading
By Sophie Ann a candle flickers beside me, close enough so i can feel the heat but not burning my hair black. music rings through my headphones, supermarket flowers singing my emotions in a comforting sort of way. my phone to the right of my laptop flashes with a notification Continue Reading
By Gabriela I did not want to see someone, no way, hell no. It couldn’t be that, I was not that messed up, I was not that weak and I was certainly not insane. Seeing a psychologist and asking for help seemed like failing. Experiencing distress didn’t mean I was Continue Reading
By Alan D.D. When I was younger, in my teen years, when depression and self-harming were taking control of my body and mind, everything I did felt like a new fault for the collection. It was as if everything I did wasn’t good enough for anyone or anything. This was Continue Reading