*First published on thesewalkingblues.com, www.health-e.org.za & www.health24.com My confession is this: I have bipolar. Two and a half years ago, at the age of 29, I was hospitalised while in the throes of what is known as a manic episode. It was my first, and will hopefully be my last. For those of you […]
*This piece was later published on www.health-e.org.za under the title ‘Silencing the Critic’ for my column on mental illness, Through the Looking Glass At the time of my manic episode, I was a tiny, energetic creature. I am rather short and small-framed to begin with, and when I was at the Elizabeth Donkin Hospital, I […]
A few weekends ago, I was watching the BBC series, Junior Bake Off. My heart was stolen when one of the contestants (a freckly, bespectacled young creature with pigtails) described her baking as ‘imaginative’ and ‘a little bit silly’. At one point during their Halloween biscuits challenge, she accidentally poured black food colouring instead of […]
A few years back, I found myself committed to the Elizabeth Donkin Hospital. I was in a manic state and since I would not hospitalise myself, my family saw no other option (as difficult as I know this was for them). I was treated and diagnosed with bipolar. Shortly after being released, I entered the […]
After a life-long love affair with ink and paper, I’ve finally decided to find the words for the things that are close to my heart. This beautiful country, the people in it, the allure of a home-cooked meal (shared with loved ones of course!) and the wonderful world of books are among these things. Over […]