Friday 30 December 2016

Reflecting On 2016

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I know you are going to be sick of seeing these posts in your feeds and timelines by now. They are pretty overdone, aren't they? Even though I know everyone does these posts, I think they are really important. It can be so easy to let your life flash before your eyes and never really take the time to stop and reflect on what you've done and achieved and where you are going, looking into the future. 

The great thing about these posts is that they are little Polaroids or snapshots in time, that help keep a record of everything you did in that year, so you never forget and always have something to look back on to see how far you've come. I did one of these this time last year, looking back at that post and seeing how much has changed in just a year and how far I've come with my blog, is pretty unbelievable.

2016, hasn't been the worst year of my life. Nor as it been the best year of my life. It's been a year of ups and downs, highs and lows. Days of despair and days of joy. But the main thing is that I got through, I achieved a lot, and I have been knocked back. But I've grown a lot as a person and honestly, can't wait to see what 2017 has to offer. Today I'm going to be reflecting on some of the major events that happened in my life this year, both positive and negative. Plus I thought I would also outline some of my plans for 2017! Let's take a trip down memory lane...

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Friday 23 December 2016

If You Do One Thing Today, Ask Someone If they are okay.

If You Do One Thing Today, Ask Someone If they are okay. support advice OCD anxiety depression mental health illness wellbeing blogger

I think most people with any form of mental illness, will be able to relate to the fact that their mental illness makes them feel lonely and isolated. I know for sure it makes me feel this way. It's for sure one of the worst parts of coping with a mental illness. I've talked about my battle with loneliness on my blog before, which you can read HERE

In that post, I talked a lot about mental illness being a significant cause of my loneliness. This is for various different reasons, one of the main ones being that it's really hard to talk about it with other people. Especially friends who don't experience mental health issues themselves or teachers who you are worried won't understand and will tell you just to snap out of it.

There's a lot of stigmas that surrounds mental illnesses like depression and OCD. When you say, you have depression people jump to the conclusion that your this bedbound being, self-harming and hasn't washed in a week. Or if you have OCD your just a neat freak or concerned about cleanliness and organisation. This stigma is why I find it hard to talk about my mental illness with others. 

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Monday 19 December 2016

The Goldfish Boy | Mental Health Book Review

The Goldfish Boy | Mental Health Book Review books blogger review


"Twelve-year-old Matthew is trapped in his bedroom by crippling OCD, spending most of his time staring out of a window watching the inhabitants of Chestnut Close go about their business. Until the day a toddler staying next door goes missing and Matthew finds himself at the centre of the mystery. Every one of his neighbours is a suspect, so Matthew must turn detective to unravel the disappearance of Teddy, whilst facing his fears along the way- with the help of a brilliant cast of characters"

I don't think I've ever been able to relate to a fictional character as much as I could to Matthew, in The Goldfish Boy. It was like reading my own battle with OCD expect without the missing next door neighbour's grandson. Before I even get into the review of the book properly, I want you guys to pre-order this book. Whether you suffer from OCD, mental health problems or not. It's one of the best portrayals of OCD I have ever read, and it needs to be read by everyone.

Without giving any spoilers, the main character of the book is a 12-year-old boy called Matthew, who suffers from crippling OCD, which makes him practically housebound. One day his next door neighbour's grandson, who he watches from his bedroom window, goes missing. The investigation to solve the mystery of where he's gone commences. 

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Friday 16 December 2016

How To Talk To Your Doctor About Your Mental Health

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Going to your doctor to talk about your mental health can seem like the most daunting thing ever. The fear of looking crazy, insane or just plain weird would stop anyone seeking the help they need. The fear that it's all just in your head, you're making it up, and there's nothing no one can do to help you, can make getting support from professionals challenging or even just simply sharing and talking about some of your deepest thoughts can be a challenge and make getting help, seem impossible.

But trust me, it's not. Talking to your doctor about your mental health is never going to be easy. Even after seeing my doctor, basically every month for around a year, I still find it incredibly hard to talk about my mental health sometimes. But what you have to realise is that getting help is one of the best ways you can get better and start getting your life back on track.

Seeking help is not a sign of weakness. In fact, it's one of the bravest things you can do. Your mental illness won't go on its own, most of the time they just get worse over time if you don't get the help you need, whether that be talking therapies such as CBT or medication. No one is going to think you are crazy, insane or mad. Realising something is wrong and getting help, is incredibly brave and something that should be admired. However, it can be difficult to know where to start, so here are nine tips to help you prepare and make the most out of your doctor's appointment. 

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Monday 12 December 2016

Christmas And Mental Health

Christmas And Mental Health mental illness wellbeing depression OCD anxiety

Christmas, it's the most wonderful time of the year, right? It can be! For many it is! December can be a month full of joy, happiness, love and celebrations. The lights are pretty, the Christmas songs are jolly, the food is yummy, and the films are funny. Everyone is having fun, everyone's happy. Everyone is laughing.

But what about the people who aren't happy, laughing or having fun? Christmas can be a really tough time for people who already struggle with their mental health but also those that don't. Christmas is expensive. Not planning and preparing a budget can lead to overspending, and debt, which let's be honest isn't going to be beneficial for anyone's wellbeing. Mental health charity SANE, have made an excellent video, showing the struggle that millions of people face every year with debt around Christmas time, which you can watch HERE.

And then there's winter specific mental illnesses, such as SAD also known as seasonal affective disorder, which is described by the NHS as " is a type of depression that comes and goes in a seasonal pattern. SAD is sometimes known as "winter depression" because the symptoms are more apparent and tend to be more severe during the winter." which is characterised by " a persistent low mood, a loss of pleasure or interest in normal everyday activities, irritability, feelings of despair, guilt and worthlessness, feeling lethargic (lacking in energy) and sleepy during the day and sleeping for longer than normal and finding it hard to get up in the morning" I personally don't suffer from this particular mental health disorder, but I know people that do and I know how distressing and horrible it can be. Particularly with the added stigma that some people don't even know it exists or believe it's a real mental illness.

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Monday 5 December 2016

50 Things You Can Do To Support Someone With A Mental Illness Today

help support depression OCD anxiety 50 Things You Can Do To Support Someone With A Mental Illness Today

You know I write a lot of posts about mental health on my blog. Most of which are mainly aimed at people who suffer from mental illness themselves whether that be depression, OCD, anxiety or something else. However, I know that a lot of my readers don't suffer from any kind of mental illness at all.

No one is immune from suffering from a mental illness or being caught up in the dangers and destructions that mental illness can cause. When your loved one; whether that be a friend or family member is suffering from a mental illness, it can be extremely hard to know what to do or how to support them. You can feel helpless against this all-powerful demon who's hurting your loved one, and there's nothing you can do about it.

But there is! There's so much you can to help them! You are never going to be able to magically make them better overnight, but there are little things you can do to support them every single day, to make their life and battle against their mental illness a little easier. I realise how tough it can be supporting your friends and family with mental health problems, as I have personal experience of both. Which is why I compiled this list together of 50 ways you can support someone with a mental illness today, I hope you manage to pick some useful tips out of it. 

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Thursday 1 December 2016

Thoughts On Turning 18...

Thoughts On Turning 18... newborn baby photo lifestyle blogger UK

OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!!!! 

Is this a joke? I'm an adult. I'm a freakin adult. Okay, I know I need to calm down. I'm hardly an adult, now am I? I mean, for sure I'm 18, but I still live at home, I don't have a full-time job, I'm still stuck in the mercy of education, and I don't do many adult things like pay bills, or do the food shopping. I know, I'm missing out on exciting stuff!

I know a lot of people read my blog, who are adults, like proper adults. Adults who are married, have proper jobs, who have a mortgage and some even have kids. Yeah, I'm a long way of achieving any of milestones yet. But something I have always wondered is why we define adulthood has having achieved these things. What if you never achieve these things? Or if you have no intention of achieving these so called important milestones. 

Obviously, I'm just starting out on my long journey to adulthood, but even by just turning 18, I have now a greater choice and freedom in the decisions I can make. I can now drink legally, buy 18 movies, get married without my parent's permission, etc. That's the thing about turning 18; it is such a celebrated milestone because, there is so much freedom and individuality in your choices, that you can make once you reach this age.

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