*First published during the more ‘severe’ lockdown conditions of the pandemic on the online forum for mental health stories: The OC87 Recovery Diaries. ‘There are no little things. Little things are the hinges of the universe.’ Fanny Fern In my first stay at a mental health institution, in 2013, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder […]
Where do I even begin? If I were John Irving, or Jeanette Winterson, or Angela Carter, or Haruki Murakami, I guess I’d begin with the perfect sentence. But the perfect sentence eludes me today. I am grateful for the day it is, at least I can say that much. Grey skies and rain. Not some […]
Many moons ago, I shared a piece on my blog by way of advice for the loved ones of those suffering from depression… But losing a friend to suicide recently brought with it some serious contemplation on the nature of mental health issues. The stigma. The secrecy. The shame. The cruel but oh so intimate […]
No need to hurry, no need to sparkle, no need to be anybody but oneself. Virginia Woolf These words once writ by Virginia Woolf have become words to live by for me. When you have bipolar disorder, it comes with its challenges. The depression that occasionally rears its ugly head can be a cumbersome […]
So today, though somewhat late for Wednesday Appreciation Day, I thought I might say a very, very big thank you indeed to those furry friends who have been on the frontline, so to speak, in so, sooooo many ways during this strange and unsettling pandemic! Though they may not have the words to tell us […]