A few days ago, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Annie in her home, to have an open discussion with her about her past struggles with drug addiction. Annie, who is a single mum of a little boy, aged 3, lives by herself and has volunteered as a mentor for recovering addicts after... Continue Reading →
Last year, I had the honour of being 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 →
“What do you say when telling people about your mental health problems? How much do you reveal? Do people really want to hear your life story? Will they think you’re looking for sympathy? Do they want to know how your birth Mother left when you were young? How you always felt different and isolated... Continue Reading →
“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 →
A tribute to those suffering from schizophrenia: I wake up in darknessI feel the eyes looking at meOthers say ignorance is blissBut they can’t see!I strap on my knifeThey are out to get meThis blade will save my lifeTake a toll or three I argue with my thoughtsWhy do I refuse to listen?Why can’t I... Continue Reading →
“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 →
“You’re crazy! You’re a bitch! You’re a mess! I wish you’d just get your shit together! Why can’t you be normal? Just get out of bed! It’s like you’re two different people! It’s all in your head! You’re just lazy! Good for nothing! Worthless! Pathetic! These are just a few of the things I’ve heard... Continue Reading →
“My personal story with mental illness begins when I was 13 years old. I began to feel different than the rest of my peers and I showed signs of both depression and mania. I was put on mood stabilizers, anti-depressants and sleeping pills to quell the mood shifts. I began to self-mutilate, choke myself with... Continue Reading →
“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 →
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 →
THE MANIC YEARS 