“My name is Andrew. I’m 44, married with two lovely kids. I have suffered with depression since my early teens. This is my journey. The depression came about because of an accident, not to me but to my Father. We jokingly say that he fell off the back off a lorry; actually he was leaning... Continue Reading →
When you feel wrong, write – By Charlotte.
“The first time I knew for definite that something had gone wrong in my brain was in the middle of a GCSE exam. “You’re going crazy,” a random thought popped into my head. “You’re about to have a breakdown.” Now up until this point I’d been answering questions about photosynthesis, happy as Larry. But this... Continue Reading →
Living in Fear, by Marco.
“I never quite appreciated anxiety when I was younger. I always figured it was just a feeling of nervousness associated with something, like an interview or a presentation. It’s only now that I realise how serious a mental issue anxiety is. My name is Marco and I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression some 9... Continue Reading →
Battling Depression; the aftermath of Bullying, by Samantha Walkden.
“My name is Sam. I’m 23. And I suffer with depression. I was diagnosed in 2011, at the age of 19, although I have recovered and relapsed a few times since then. To be honest people had been raising concerns about my mental health since I was about 16, but society has some pre-conceived notion... Continue Reading →
Speak. Louder.
Recently, The Manic Years has had many of you emailing in your first hand experiences of what it is like to live with difficulties from a variety of backgrounds reguarding mental health. So far, the stories in the feature has inspired people, reached out to many and succeeded on expressing a multitude of inner turmoil that is so often hard to... Continue Reading →
Life after Death, by Sommer Phlipot.
“There is a song by The Lumineers. It’s called Deadsea. There is a verse that really spoke to me at a time where I was at a significant crossroads; “Yes, there are times we live for somebody else Your father died and you decided to live It for yourself you felt, you just felt it... Continue Reading →
Of losing hope, by Róisín.
“I’m not 100% sure of what’s gone on in my life, but it’s been awful really. My Dad was an alcoholic who abused me, and my Mom didn’t mean to be neglectful, but she had to work all the time because my dad refused to get a job. When I was just starting school, she... Continue Reading →
Alis Volat Propriis/She flies with her own wings, by Miranda.
“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 →
Music and Blogging, by Scott Hamilton.
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 →
Seeking Solace in Literature, by Lloyd Thomas.
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 →
THE MANIC YEARS 