Me, By Experience

I was inspired to write this post after the #TimetoTalk day run by Time to Change last Friday. For those who don’t know, #TimetoTalk is a mental health awareness day, encouraging anyone with experiences of mental illness to talk. It got me thinking a lot about my own journey in sharing my story; the pros and the cons. There have been a few articles coming out recently with parts of my story; I’ve been featured in the Times Educational Supplement as well as the Southern Health Journal and The Daily Echo . I’ve been surprised by the range of emotions this has brought out; some positive, others less so. I think that it is important to share your story. It helps build understanding and compassion, and I think it has the potential to provide a lot of support for others who may be struggling. We all have our walls up, presenting the most perfect image of ourselves that we can over social media, and yet we still fall for it when we look around us. It’s never been easier to form wildl

My last post was a difficult one to share, as it was incredibly personal and emotional for me to put out there. However, I’m so glad I did, as I’ve been blown away by the supportive comments and positive feedback I’ve received. I found it really interesting to read some of the stories and comments written by others in response, particularly from people who admitted that they had bullied others in the past as a way of dealing with their own problems. I’m so glad that people reached out to contribute to the dialogue regarding bullying and the impact it has. However, in the midst of so much positivity and support, I was devastated to receive an abusive comment on my last blog post. When I first read it, I became paranoid that it had been written by someone I know, hiding behind anonymity. It made me worry that I was making a mistake by putting my thoughts and experiences up on this blog in the first place. I’m determined not to let one nasty comment bring me down that way. I have bee