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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

Lucy Hamilton: Lessons Learned From a Month in Quarantine

On the 24th January 2020, I woke up in our 12th floor apartment in China with the New Year holiday ahead of me. It meant five days of no teaching, no evening commute, time to focus and finish my thesis corrections. My fiancé, Dave, was spending the week in the UK- a quick catch-up with … 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

Anne Sophie Cornelius: 18 lessons I learned last year

Last year was a wild ride, but one full of lessons and experiences that I really needed. Here is what I’ve learned: 1) Dark humour and memes about the meaninglessness of life might make you laugh for a time but be careful it’s not the sign of something deeper, and darker. Depression can be a … Continued

Ruth Durkin: Spotting the Signs That I’m Ill

The term Bipolar by definition states that two polar opposites exist. I have Bipolar II Disorder which means my low periods are particularly dark and that my mania is called hypomania, in that it doesn’t escalate to the extreme heights of Bipolar I Disorder’s mania. The pictures I have chosen to use alongside this piece … Continued

James Durkin: For Better, For Worse

There are many reasons you might be reading this website. Perhaps you are struggling with your mental health at the moment or have struggled in the past. You may also be here because a loved one, friend or colleague is having difficulties and you want to know what you can do to help them. Whilst … Continued

Peter Shaw: Being a better listener for people with mental health issues

Drawing on the Samaritans “Talk to us” campaign, we are all encouraged to learn to be better listeners. The Talk to us campaign is run annually, by the charity, to raise awareness and share tips around being a better listener and how this can help support people with mental health issues. As someone with depression … Continued

Justine and Jo Eckersley: Lisa’s story

I’ve heard Lisa’s story in different ways quite a few times over the two years we’ve worked together. It’s a story that’s been shared with hundreds of people – from David Cameron to the people we work with on a day to day basis at Sheffield Flourish. But the significance of what she’s been through … Continued