27 Oct

Posted at 18:34h in Mental health
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After the diagnosis, the anti-depressants and beginning with the therapy, (in the Autumn of 2009), I started trying to implement some practical changes in my life to encourage wellness. My therapist, Sam, suggested exercise. At this time I probably hadn't done any regular exercise since I was about 16. I had given birth to three beautiful babies and had experienced four pregnancies (I had a miscarriage in my first pregnancy when I was 23) since then. I wasn't massively overweight - but still carrying quite a few additional baby pounds. And totally un-fit. After a few months of going deep and quiet (to read...

18 Oct

Posted at 14:09h in Mental health
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A seriously great theologian and writer, Tim Keller, writes: One of the main metaphors the Bible gives us for facing affliction is walking – walking through something difficult, perilous and potentially fatal. The walking metaphor points to the idea of progress. Many ancients saw adversity as merely something to withstand and endure without flinching, or even feeling, until it goes away. Modern Western people see suffering as something like adverse weather, something you avoid or insulate yourself from until it passes by. The unusual balance of the Christian faith is seen in the metaphor of walking – through darkness, swirling waters or fire....

15 Oct

Posted at 19:42h in Mental health
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(This post is part of a series of posts about mental health. You can find the first one of these posts here.) I knew i needed a rest, to go deep and quiet. But it's all very well to say you have to stop. What i didn't know was how to do that. I had three kids, a husband who ran his own successful (and sometimes really stressful) business, responsibilities at church, occasional work, big stuff happening in my extended family, friends who were grieving, friends battling with infertility, and at least a dozen other friends with tiny ones just trying to get...

10 Oct

Posted at 14:12h in Mental health
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They say, a problem shared is a problem halved. I say, depends who you share it with. If you are sharing your problem with people who are weighed down by their own trauma, If you are sharing your problem with someone who is very busy, If you are sharing your problem with someone lacking in empathy or sympathy, your problem is not halved. Your problem is increased, or ignored, or misunderstood and dismissed. Pre diagnosis (for this part of the story see here) I didn't really know what was going on, and that i was headed for a spectacular crash. But i...

08 Oct

Posted at 15:04h in Mental health
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So i knew something was up. But I didn't have a clue about recovery - how do you go about getting better when you don't really know how you got ill?My counsellor used an illustration to explain a few things to me. It went something like this:She told me I was like a bucket (...

06 Oct

Posted at 20:53h in Mental health
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To start: a caveat. I am not a health professional. I have no training in mental health, or counselling. I am not a therapist. I only have my story. Although i hope (and if the response to the previous blog is anything to go by - i think) that some of what i write might be recognised by some people, this story is particular to me - my unique set of circumstances and experiences. Also, for the record, I have never and still don't find 'depression' a very useful word. It is often used inappropriately and as a catch-all. And I have never...

03 Oct

Posted at 14:43h in Mental health
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Last week, when it had to be pointed out to ASDA and Tesco that their 'psycho ward' and 'mental patient' fancy dress costumes were not acceptable, I decided I wanted to start to write about mental health. In particular, my mental health. Be nice, I'm about to make myself pretty vulnerable...