Anyone regular to my blog might have noticed a bit of a hiatus. I apologise for being absent for 2 weeks, but frankly, the stress of existing alone has been enough for me lately. I’m back though, and I’m starting my posts with a subject I’ve touched on before – mental illness in the mediaContinue reading “Mental illness, the media and the government – how the recent narrative is so dangerous.”
Category Archives: anxiety
Premature grief – mental illness and preparing for loss.
***TRIGGER WARNING*** This post will talk about grief and how it affects our mental health. Please only read on if you feel strong enough. Alternatively, for help and support please visit the mental health and suicide prevention support lines page on this website. ***TRIGGER WARNING*** Unsurprisingly, I have a hate/hate relationship with grief that’s onlyContinue reading “Premature grief – mental illness and preparing for loss.”
The gift of present
If you approached my partner and asked him the person that he thinks of as the worlds biggest worrier, he’d hand me the crown in a heartbeat. A lifetime of unresolved anxiety has left me constantly confident that catastrophising every element of life is normal and sometimes necessary. Panic Disorder taught me these things –Continue reading “The gift of present”
Life in a breakdown – my hidden realities of mental illness
****Trigger warning – this post will talk about depression, anxiety, self harm and suicidal thoughts. Please only read on if you feel safe and strong enough to do so. If you need help then my dedicated mental health and suicide prevention support line page has in-depth information with places to call or visit online thatContinue reading “Life in a breakdown – my hidden realities of mental illness”
Mental health and creativity – when inspiration runs dry.
I make no secret of the unique distraction that creativity gives me. The quiet around me as I concentrate on writing something new, drawing something pointless and trying to teach these things to our daughter is consuming and, sometimes, essential. As I’ve tried to explain through my creative coping strategies campaign, using ANYTHING you enjoyContinue reading “Mental health and creativity – when inspiration runs dry.”
Fu*k mindfulness. I can’t do it.
If you’re looking for a stress solution or REAL mental health care, then I apologise, but this post ain’t it. Can I instead direct you towards the Our Brains page on this website where there are some more practical thoughts and actual places to go and get proper help, support and advice. Go to theContinue reading “Fu*k mindfulness. I can’t do it.”
Grief, resurrected
My grief is heavy. It’s heavy every day from the minute I wake up to the second I drift off again. It sits on my shoulders always, but from time to time it’s quiet and I’ll forget for a bit, then out of nowhere I’ll be reminded of the space that exists, the space theyContinue reading “Grief, resurrected”
Wonderful People on my Writing Journey Part 1
I’ve made the decision to start a series of posts about people I’ve been lucky enough to meet on this long and winding journey into creativity and health. Through emails, research, recommendations, and websites, I’ve found people that I’d never have met outside of ‘Steph Writes and Illustrates’. They are exciting, charitable, talented, creative, inContinue reading “Wonderful People on my Writing Journey Part 1”
Isolation – the lonliness pandemic
Before I steam in to this post, I need to acknowledge the serious reality of lonliness for some people and make it clear that I’m not trying to pull the ‘woe is me’ card. Although I feel lonliness and am basically isolated, I’m acutely aware there are others suffering and alone in a far moreContinue reading “Isolation – the lonliness pandemic”
Surprise! Stress approaching!
Sunday morning. Breakfast in bed with a steaming, sugary latte and the sound of white noise lingering as the tv news reports murmur and traffic starts to build outside. You munch a pain aux chocolat (because you’re classy…even if the pastry is landing all over your Egyptian cotton sheets) and sip at your coffee, savouringContinue reading “Surprise! Stress approaching!”
Creative Steph 