Category Archives: Mindfulness

Have you tried mindfulness?

Posted on August 7, 2019 by purplepersuasion

I was sitting at my dining table with Tom and two members of the Crisis Team. They were there because I was experiencing overwhelming intrusive thoughts of running away and killing myself. My mind was totally out of control; I … Continue reading →

Posted in Crisis care, Mindfulness, Psychological therapies, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Have you tried mindfulness?

Review: Ellen Forney’s Rock Steady

Posted on May 24, 2018 by purplepersuasion

I started out by really, really wanting to like this book. I adored Ellen Forney’s graphic memoir, Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo and Me, which came out a whole six years ago. So I was excited when a friend told me that … Continue reading →

Posted in Bipolar, Book reviews, Books and reading, Medication, Mindfulness, Mood disorder, Self-management, Treatment planning, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Ellen Forney’s Rock Steady

Blessed or distressed? Bipolar and creativity

Posted on March 31, 2016 by purplepersuasion

Bipolar people can get fed up with the whole creativity thing. There’s such an expectation that we’re all going to be “tortured geniuses” that if you don’t feel creativity is a part of your make up, you can almost feel … Continue reading →

Posted in Bipolar, Crisis care, Hospital, Hypomania, Inpatient care, Mania, Memoir, Mental health, Mental health services, Mindfulness, Mood disorder, NHS services, Psychiatry, Self-management, Social media, Suicidal thought, Suicide, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Changing woman

Posted on November 20, 2015 by purplepersuasion

As the seasons change it’s hard not to notice the dark nights and wet and windy weather. I feel like I’m changing too. Until very recently I felt trapped within cycles that felt as closed and inevitable as the shifts … Continue reading →

Posted in exercise, Mental health, Mental health services, Mindfulness, Mood disorder, Recovery, Self-management | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

I don’t ask for the moon

Posted on September 20, 2015 by purplepersuasion

So here I am in this… zone. It’s a zone that I’ve been in before, although not for as long this in years. I’m scared to write about it actually in case drawing attention to it bursts the bubble. I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Activism, Bipolar, Depression, Employment and benefits, Medication, Mental health, Mindfulness, Recovery | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

What mindfulness isn’t 

Posted on July 16, 2015 by purplepersuasion

I have said many times that I am a fan of mindfulness and that in some ways undertaking Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) was a game changer for me. I might not have a regular formal practice (see below) but … Continue reading →

Posted in Bipolar, Mental health, Mindfulness | Tagged , , , , , , , | 20 Comments