Category Archives: Recovery

The colour of madness

Posted on July 2, 2021 by purplepersuasion

It’s been a very long time since I’ve blogged and this will probably be short as I’m typing it out on my phone at the bus stop. An hour ago I finished my first session of therapy in five years, … Continue reading →

Posted in Bipolar, Mental health, Mental health services, Mood disorder, NHS services, Psychological therapies, Recovery, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The colour of madness

Warehousing

Posted on June 19, 2018 by purplepersuasion

During my first admission, I was bored. Really bored. Most of the time I sat around talking to other patients. In the absence of communal seating areas not dominated by a blaring TV, we sat on the floor in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Crisis care, Hospital, Inpatient care, Mental health, Mental health services, Mood disorder, NHS services, Recovery, The arts, Therapy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Warehousing

Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to work I – oh :(

Posted on May 8, 2018 by purplepersuasion

Recently I decided that I was ready to get a job. Aside from the freelance stuff I did a couple of years ago, I haven’t worked for a long time. The last time I worked for an employer was in … Continue reading →

Posted in Anxiety, Bipolar, Employment and benefits, GP, Mental health, Mood disorder, NHS services, Primary care, Recovery, Stress, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to work I – oh :(

And what do YOU do?

Posted on June 21, 2017 by purplepersuasion

Nothing. I do nothing. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of days I’ve worked in the past 18 months. When I was well, I had a career with professional training, and was promoted every two … Continue reading →

Posted in Bipolar, Employment and benefits, Mental health, Mood disorder, Recovery, Stigma and discrimination, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on And what do YOU do?

What do you know, I was there all along

Posted on September 2, 2016 by purplepersuasion

*TW: Although this a positive positive post, it makes graphic reference to past experience of overdose* I am reticent about sharing the good things. I’m more superstitious than I let on, and I constantly worry about jinxing my run of … Continue reading →

Posted in Bipolar, Crisis care, Hospital, Medication, Mental health, Mental health services, Mood disorder, NHS services, Psychiatry, psychology, Recovery, Self-management, Social media, Suicidal thought, Suicide, Therapy, Treatment planning, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Look Mum, no antipsychotics!

Posted on July 8, 2016 by purplepersuasion

On (re)diagnosis in 2011 I was recommended quetiapine, but also asked to consider lamotrigene. I was given the chance to go away and read the leaflets and come back the following week, but I wanted to get started. Also my … Continue reading →

Posted in Anxiety, Bipolar, Crisis care, Medication, Mental health, Mental health services, Mood disorder, NHS services, Psychiatry, Recovery, Side effects, Treatment planning, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

The green zone: how “recovered” do I want to be?

Posted on June 21, 2016 by purplepersuasion

I’ve been reflecting on and discussing the concept of recovery a lot lately. I meant to write quite a political post about the recovery model, about which I’ve been openly critical both on here and on social media, about how … Continue reading →

Posted in Bipolar, Crisis care, Employment and benefits, Medication, Mental health, mental health debate, Mental health services, Mood disorder, NHS services, Recovery, Self-management, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

The naked brain

Posted on June 9, 2016 by purplepersuasion

Ever wanted to run off to a cave and hide for a couple of weeks? Today it was agreed that after everything I described in my last post, my symptoms are “clearly iatrogenic” (medically induced) and “clearly intolerable” and that … Continue reading →

Posted in Bipolar, Crisis care, Medication, Mental health, Mental health services, Mood disorder, Pillshaming, Psychiatry, Recovery, Side effects, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Unpinned

Posted on June 5, 2016 by purplepersuasion

It is not always a bad thing to be pinned down. Rather like a tent, I need underpinnings in order to be who I want to be, to feel like me. I can’t erect the life I want unless some fundamentals … Continue reading →

Posted in Anxiety, Bipolar, Books and reading, Crisis care, Employment and benefits, exercise, Hypomania, Mental health, Mood disorder, Recovery, Self-management, Side effects, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Autobiogramophone: six songs of a bipolar life

Posted on May 11, 2016 by purplepersuasion

Here are six songs. I’m not making a story from this list; there is no beginning and certainly no end, just some songs, songs that represent a feeling, a mood state, a moment in my bipolar-filled life. I haven’t gone … Continue reading →

Posted in Bipolar, Mental health, Mood disorder, Recovery, Suicidal thought, The arts, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments