They say seeing is believing. So how do I show someone that I have an invisible illness? How do I explain it in a believable way? It's crazy that something so very real, incredibly painful and hugely debilitating to me can be disbelieved by others simply because they can't see it. I believe it because … Continue reading Invisible illness. Seeing is believing.
There's been so much media attention surrounding the importance of speaking out about our mental health difficulties and it's a common misconception that once you do speak out you can get the help that you so desperately need. Sadly from my experience it's been incredibly difficult to get that help and surprisingly easy to slip … Continue reading Mental Health: The struggles after speaking out.
Have you ever just sat staring into space pondering over a simple decision and then before you know it, 15 minutes has passed and you've forgotten what you were doing or given up and moved onto something else? That's what I like to refer to as my decision fatigue. Life with both a physical and … Continue reading How I reduce my decision fatigue.
Living with a mental illness such as depression is really tough. It can be very lonely at times. Friends don't keep in touch as often because I'm not out socialising. There's days when my only contact with another human being has been via text message. Days can seem very tedious, especially because I also suffer … Continue reading 10 reasons why owning a pet can help with depression.
When I was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome back in 2016 I'd never even heard of it. I asked the doctor to provide me with some information I could read and I was promptly provided with a print out from the internet about the condition. Paralysis, difficulty breathing, loss of bladder function, severe pain, possible death....it … Continue reading 10 things I wish I knew about life after Guillain-Barre Syndrome.
Learning to accept things you can't change sounds like it should be a simple thing to do. For me, it's been a really difficult lesson and one that I'm continuing to work on every day, but it does really help me to stay positive when I'm able to accept situations that I can't control. Many … Continue reading Acceptance is an important life lesson.
Maintaining relationships while you're dealing with any illness both physical or mental is really difficult. When I was physically ill and couldn't walk, it took away alot of the choices I once had. I was suddenly dependent on others to come and visit me. I had no control over where or when I could see … Continue reading Relationships are hard when you’re depressed.
Yesterday was one of those days where I just felt completely overwhelmed. Imagine beginning each day with a jug of water. Ideally that jug would be empty to start with and as the day progresses it begins to fill up with water as and when stressful situations occur. At the end of the day the … Continue reading Tidal wave imminent.
Since I became ill and found myself subsequently battling with depression it's been really hard for me to connect with people. I think that's partly why I began writing this blog because I have very few outlets for my emotions. One of those outlets was social media and in particular Instagram. Instagram allows just picture … Continue reading Messages to the unknown.
There have been a few times in the past week that I've been left wondering why it is that so many people seem to be lacking in basic human compassion and empathy. I met a lovely lady online struggling with her own identity and trying to find where she fitted into the world being transgender. … Continue reading Where is the love?
Under The Rainclouds 