“Of all the things a preteen girl worries about; crushes, periods, schoolwork, and zits; sorting through the fear of dark mental and emotional issues while trying to self-diagnose and manage them shouldn’t be one. Puberty is confusing enough, but depression is often overlooked as a mere symptom of an adolescent’s move into developing and growing... Continue Reading →
My name is Scott. I live in the North East of England and was originally diagnosed with depression and anxiety over twenty five years ago. I was a quiet kid, kept very much to myself as I was growing up. My family appeared pretty normal at first but cracks have shown with all of us... Continue Reading →
O, that this too too solid flesh would melt,Thaw, and resolve itself into a dew!Or that the everlasting had not fix’dHis canon ‘gainst self-slaughter! O God! O God!How weary, stale, flat, and unprofitableSeem to me all the uses of this world!Fie on’t! O fie! ’tis an unweeded garden,That grows to seed; things rank and gross... Continue Reading →
“My name is Katy. I grew up with a brother, a sister, and a father who all suffer from Bipolar disorder. My brother has Bipolar type I, and in his manic state he becomes very aggressive. When this happens, he tends to direct his frustrations on the rest of the family. Over the years, he... Continue Reading →
“Hi, my name is Gary Cooper, 26. I am a Lecturer in Biological Science, Zoo Keeper and I have depression. Throughout my life I have, like many others, suffered the tragedy of loss, of relationships, friends and quite recently; Family. Surprisingly it is none of the above that defines who I am, I’m just a... Continue Reading →
Lo and behold, I found myself there again. It was in between those drifting days in the space within Christmas and New Year, that bizarre time of the year when time slows down yet everything speeds up and the meaning to life is yet to be caught up with. Except my meaning, which had gone... Continue Reading →
Some people say, that grief washes over you like waves. Those some people, are absolutely right. When the morning approaches, it hits my body before my mind even has the chance to wake up and acknowledge the day. I feel it; a solid, heavy burning weight, like my heart has been set alight before I... Continue Reading →
Self-care is a really difficult thing to endure when you are feeling under the weather yourself. This week, I have had to force myself to get up off the couch, get showered and eat. Life changes, illness, pain and other indemnities have left me feeling tense and angry over the last few weeks and this... Continue Reading →
I walked in to the room and was immediately alerted by the wild look which had taken over her panicked face. ‘What’s happened?’ I looked around the room for some clarification of the unexpected welcome. Everybody was silent, their heads bowed in ignorance. I looked back at her. She didn’t offer any words, just widened... Continue Reading →
Last year, I had the honour to be approached by the founder of The Recovery Letters blog, James Withey, who asked me to submit a letter for his upcoming book, the Recovery Letters – Addressed to People Experiencing Depression, which compiled letters from people who had once suffered – to the currently suffering. My contribution... Continue Reading →
THE MANIC YEARS 