Anon: If I Can Survive This I Can Survive Anything

My story is simple but oh so complicated. My mental health hasn’t been great on and off for years. In part, this was because I was a carer to my husband but also because of a constant background concern about our older son who had had serious mental health problems since his teens. My husband … Continued

Billy’s Story

Billy’s story Age: 15 It started a couple of years ago when I was 13 years old. When I went back to school I felt I wasn’t really prepared for it, I was in year 9 and I didn’t keep up with the pressure and preparation for GCSE. I felt like I would throw up … Continued

Ruth Durkin: A Four-Legged Therapist

For animal lovers, our pets are more than just a creature to stroke or walk. They provide unconditional emotional support simply by being there. The story I’m about to share is one of a very special feline called Bobbi. This ginger lady came into our lives through a cat shelter and was mine and my … Continued

Norrms McNamara: Challenging My Dementia Demon

My wife was a full-time carer before I was diagnosed with dementia and now she looks after me. Elaine saw the little signs first, I was doing some very weird and wonderful things as we say, like putting red hot tea in the fridge, emptying my wallet and ripping up notes, as well as emptying … Continued

Ruth Durkin: Leaving lockdown? Now I can, I daren’t.

Life since March 2020 has been unusual to say the least. Despite being allowed to go for walks and to the shops whilst social distancing, many people are feeling fed up and stuck at home or at worst; imprisoned. I’ve been suffering from mental health problems for most of my life so in a way … Continued

NA: Who I Am

I am a very confident lady, but my childhood has made me who I am. When I was a child I always thought I wasn’t useful, because when I was being brought up the perception about daughters wasn’t right. When I was a child people surrounding me didn’t like when daughters were born, but when … Continued

Anne Sophie: A Letter to the Person I Could Have Been

I have been wondering about you since I started therapy. You’re more mythical than Bigfoot. I’ve only caught you in glimpses and I still doubt that you exist. But in some way, I believe you are out there. I try to be you and you keep slipping through my fingers like sand. You are like … Continued

Ruth Durkin: How to Talk to a Friend

If a friend confides in you that they are feeling unwell in terms of depression, anxiety, stress or any other mental health related condition, it’s important to approach your conversation with integrity, sensitivity and respect. Here are a few examples of responses I have had, some from close friends and family, when I’ve attempted to … Continued

Ruth Durkin: Why I Feel Better at the Beach

The beach in Whitby, North Yorkshire, has always been a sanctuary for me. The salty smell in the air, the damp sea fret, the squawk of the seagulls, the sharpness of the salt and vinegar and the relentless crashing of the waves combine to create a heady state of equilibrium in me. Other coastlines have … Continued

John Adamson: A – Alcohol

He liked a drink, my Dad. I never thought of him as an alcoholic but he was certainly a drinker. He drank every day, though rarely before about 7pm, and nearly always beer or lager. An occasional glass of wine with a meal and the odd glass of port around Christmas, but he was never … Continued