As it is mental health awareness week I thought it was time I write my next blog.
Granted it has been a while since my last one but if there’s a perfect time to talk surely it’s now?!
As most of you will know (as I twitter on about it a lot) it has recently been my birthday. Usually I am counting down the days and sending 5608278 WhatsApp’s to my family of things I want ha ha. Then I end up buying them myself and telling them they owe me. I am a nightmare! But bar Christmas it’s my favourite time of year. This year I was a little nervous as my birthday week reminded me that the previous year some of the most horrific experiences I have ever lived through happened.
However … I am here to tell the tale.
That week seems like years ago and unfortunately I was unable to look after myself my mam had to babysit me, danni had to physically wash my hair as I was in too much of a state and I ended up like a fully grown up human baby. So to think a year on I’m holding my life together, happy house, puppy, and engaged is bizzare!!
Anyone who has had a mental health illness probably wants me to say after that things get ok and we all live happily ever after skipping through Flimby like we’re on the wizard of oz.
Unfortunately that doesn’t happen. Granted I am much better but I still have up and down days and will never be “cured” for the rest of my life. And that is the sad truth for most of us.
What doesn’t help is people’s perception of others lives. If you looked on my Instagram this time last year you would think things were perfect. I am trying so hard to be more honest on social media and not put out an image that we’re all constantly walking round with perfect brows and lashes sipping gin with a butterfly crown around our heads. – DREAM OR WHAT?!
As most people know coronation street has really highlighted the importance of talking to each other and everyone if facing battles we may not know as we’re so skilled at painting on a brave face as part of our morning routine.
For obvious reasons I found this really hard to watch yet it brought lightness to a very dark situation.
The harsh reality is every one we pass in the street, the man who goes to the shop every morning for his paper, the mother who jokes about being worn out with kids, your partner, friend, mother, brother, may end facing these same demons and all they could need is someone to say “are you ok, want to talk?”.
This may seem like a really depressing rant that Eeyore could have wrote and that really isn’t my intention.
I want to let you all know good days or bad let’s talk. Surely that’s what we’re all here for. And we can all fight the same battles together. Let’s be here for each other for the good moments and the bad. Whether it’s a trauma or you have one of them days where you wake up feeling shit.
If anyone at all reading this feels like this good or bad please know that I will listen anytime. I will happily talk rubbish to help someone avoid dark thoughts or listen to rambling and getting thoughts out of your own head. I hope some of you can do this too.
Be kind.
đ