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It’s been 2 days since I bought a tub of ice-cream and I haven’t eaten it
I should explain. Ice-cream is my ultimate binge food. Not in the way that movies portray it, that cliche where the skinny actress turns to it after a breakup. No, for me it was much more than that. It was capable of consuming my every waking thought. On a bad day, I would plan my…
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Stigma and Time to Change
This blog was written for a local council to mark Time to Talk Day 2021. A 2015 parliament paper* describes Mental Health stigma using Time to Change’s definition: “the set of negative attitudes, pre-judgements, prejudices and behaviour that can make it harder for inviduals with mental health problems to live a normal life”. Time To…
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Time to Talk Day 2021: The Power of Small
This year, the theme of time to talk day is the power of small. People underestimate the small things, but they mean so much, and they can lead to something very big indeed. For me, it really did all start with those small conversations. Now and then, when a friend or colleague asked how I…
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First Steps
Heart racing, body trembling,Light headed, dizzy, gasping for air,Red faced, filled with shame,Fear: of everything,Of failing,Of feeling this way forever. My counsellor told meShaking legs will hold me up.So I stand, take a tentative step.I don’t fall,So I take another,And start the hardest journey I will ever take. You think Mental Illness means I’m weak?Then…
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It’s OK to feel overwhelmed
I have a big week coming up. It’s Time to Talk Day on Thursday 4th February. My poem “First Steps” is being published. I’m speaking at an online event. A blog I wrote is being published locally. I should be excited, right? No, I’m overwhelmed and anxious. I’ve managed to self-sabotage by over-exercising, triggering my…
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Fat Girl Thin Then Fat Again
There’s no point denying it. I am fat, obese, curvy, plus size, or however else you want to phrase it. I have used disordered eating as a way to control my emotions and deal with stuff for nearly 40 years. For nearly 30 of those I was told by medical professionals to go on a…