Tag Archives: Mental health

It’s official – the WCA is unfair

Posted on May 22, 2013 by

Today, three judges at a tribunal equivalent to the High Court ruled that certain aspects of the process of applying for ESA (Employment and Support Allowance), including attendance at the WCA (Work Capability Assessment), were unfair to people with serious … Continue reading →

Posted in Mental health, Politics and current affairs, Stigma and discrimination | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Bipolar highs: a runaway train

Posted on May 14, 2013 by

I’ve been delivering talks to delegates on Mind training for almost a year now. I’ve been invited to speak at a range of different courses run by Mind – many have been “open access” courses that anyone with an interest … Continue reading →

Posted in Mental health | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Don’t manufacture my meaning: a response to Darian Leader

Posted on April 29, 2013 by

Does illness have a meaning? Does mental distress represent underlying patterns? In experiencing the major mood shifts that constitute bipolar disorder, are we playing out unconscious thoughts or feelings from our earliest years? Darian Leader, writing in the Guardian (Bipolar … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Mind the gap!

Posted on April 17, 2013 by

What a lot of gaps there are for mental health service users to fall into! First, there’s the gap between symptoms developing and receiving a correct diagnosis (which will probably be at least ten years, if you have bipolar). Even … Continue reading →

Posted in Mental health, Politics and current affairs | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Psychotic: what’s in a name?

Posted on April 9, 2013 by

On BBC1’s One Show Alex Jones recently aired a 2009 quote from Danny Boyle. To be a film-maker, according to Boyle, “you have to be psychotic in your desire to do something.” Around the same time, Caitlin Moran tweeted about … Continue reading →

Posted in Mental health, Stigma and discrimination | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Ever wondered what I sound like? New Converge podcast

Posted on April 8, 2013 by

Ever wondered what I sound like? Here’s a heads up that as of this morning you can catch me in conversation with Philippa Willitts (who you can also find on Twitter as @incurablehippie) on a brand new podcast called Converge. Converge is … Continue reading →

Posted in Mental health, Politics and current affairs, Stigma and discrimination | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Seeing through the leaves: growing up alongside the asylum

Posted on March 14, 2013 by

As some of you know, I’ve been working on a bipolar memoir for a while now. It’s been particularly interesting to look back to my early childhood and consider the messages I may have internalised about mental health. It’s hard … Continue reading →

Posted in Mental health | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments
Posted on March 4, 2013 by

This week I met up with a total stranger to talk over my feelings about suicide. I described my experiences of suicidal thoughts and the overdose I took during my 2001 episode, and explained what I believe helps suicidal people … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Sharing my self-management plan

Posted on February 19, 2013 by

It’s fair to say that when I first sought treatment for my most recent bipolar episode back in May 2011, I wanted my psychiatrist to fix me. I’d heard so much about how “treatable” bipolar was, I was sure that … Continue reading →

Posted in Mental health | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

While the tide is out: human resources for mental health #HR4MH

Posted on February 6, 2013 by

This is a transcript of a talk given at the human resources for mental health event held on 05/02/2013. To find out more, go to Twitter #HR4MH Let me start by telling you a little bit about me. On paper, … Continue reading →

Posted in Mental health | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments