So many things can have a negative impact on our mental wellbeing, which if not dealt with, could lead to a mental health condition developing. Chronic stress, major life events, ill-health, serious injury and grief, are just a few to mention. These can lead to anxiety, depression, mental breakdown, PTSD, eating disorders, self-harm and suicide, so it is important that our mental wellbeing thrives. Good mental health will help us deal with the nasty things life can throw at us.
Oh my goodness, climbing was SO exhilarating! The feeling of heaving myself to the top of the wall and managing to complete the climb was amazing. I am very unfit and overweight so it was indeed a challenge, but I had fun trying out all the different walls.
The idea is to drink a cup of coffee or caffeine product quickly, then have a nap immediately afterwards. It sounds contradictory, and initially, made no sense to me, but the science behind it proved otherwise.
Painting is filling a large hole in my time; I spend most of the morning painting. For someone who finds it hard to concentrate on things like books and tv programmes, it is unbelievable how much I can do. On those long sleepless nights, painting is also perfect for relaxing me and taking away the anxiety of not being able to sleep.
One-two, buckle my shoe ... Thump, slam, crash. Scream out loud. There it goes again, and again, yet again. Three-four, knock at the door ... scream out loud. The knocking is inside my head, in the space between the front of my skull and between my ears. It is there that the pinball machine resides.
The thing about mental illness, though, is it carries a sting in the tail. People seem to think that if someone has a mental illness, it is as a result of some kind of weakness. Physical illness is unfortunate, but mental illness seems to be perceived around the world as of their own making, and therefore they must be weak to have ended up ill in the first place, and weak for being trapped in the illness.
Getting out of bed 'full of the joys of spring' in the deep, mid winter is, for the most, unheard of; falling out of bed and tripping up in the dark is more like it. For people with a variety of sleep disorders, life all year long can be difficult, but without a doubt, wintertime is the most challenging part of the year because of the effect the reduction of available light and drop in temperature has on how the brain and body functions.
A new romance is a beautiful thing, but I find it even more beautiful when mixed with bipolar disorder. My emotions, depth of feeling and admiration are enhanced by several notches when compared to my non-bipolar romantic encounters of the past, before I became ill.
It's a day that is observed around the world each year because, frankly, our mental health is as important to our survival as physical health is. It's not just to make the world aware of those of us struggling with a mental illness; it's about everybody. It's about being mindful of the fact that we need to look after our mental health.
When we hear reports of 'the leading cause of death,' things such as cancers and heart attacks tend to come to mind. But, the truth is
