Fearing my own patients- The Secret Psychiatrist

Hey! I hope you guys are doing well! Sorry about the lack of posts at the moment, I am really busy with third year stuff but I promise when my exams are over (three weeks) I will be back as normal. Today though we have a really special article from the Secret Psychiatrist all about fearing their mental health patients. It's really interesting and I hope you guys enjoy it! Love, Eleanor x



When you go to work do you expect to be hit? When you walk out of the office, do you expect to be spat at? When you go to the car park do you expect to have a note stating someone will kill you?

I apologies to start this article with such force, however this is my life. I became a doctor with the plain intention of saving a life. It sounds cliché, I admit, but one does not sacrifice their life for one with constant examinations into their thirties, missing your own birthdays as well as important family events, doing 84 hours a week, for their own fun as a doctor. It is with the primary aim of wanting to help people.

I had intended to be a surgeon, I admit it. I enjoyed getting my hands technical with grasping the stitch in a beautiful pattern, to solve a problem then and there, the fast pace, the adrenaline, the actual life in your hands. It was an intoxicating feeling. Then, for one fleeting week, I was exposed to psychiatry whilst being a junior doctor. I had a poor experience in medical school of psychiatry and never got to grips with what it was. I was clueless. If I’m honest, which I always am, you also see the world of medical specialties in a different light once you actually become a doctor. How you view specialties as a medical student is far different to actually working within it as the doctor. In my fleeting week, I was one of the doctors in the psychiatry department. It felt like I had met my soul mate. The instant attraction. Psychiatry was my partner. From that week, I changed my career route to psychiatry and I have never looked back. Gone are the days of bright theatre lights, the rubber gloves suited and booted for surgery, the blood, the organs, and the sutures. I entered through the doors to the Mind, the ocean of personalities, the psychodynamic rays of light, and found my new forefather: Freud.

But with this magical land of neologisms, I came across a demon. That demon was staff abuse. Psychiatry does deal with a mix of patients, and usually in hospital you face the most psychotic patients at their worst. When in such a state, there can be an increased risk of aggression and hostility towards the forefront staff.

There is also a sub speciality of forensic psychiatry, in which you have patients with mental health from a background of some sort of forensic involvement, either directly from prison or with a past history of such. There are rapists, there are paedophiles, and there are psychopaths. I as a doctor cannot choose whom I want to treat. We see the extreme, and treat the extreme.

But this comes with risk, and the risk is normally to us as staff. A psychiatrist has a lifetime risk of being stalked by a patient/or a relative of a patient up to 20%. I have seen staff assaulted, threatened, abused by their patients, and in the sad reality there can be deaths. I am not saying that all patients are at high risk of harm to their staff like this, but that does not mean there are not any statistics of staff not being harmed. I never thought I would have to look at my personal safety when coming to work, but I do. It’s a reality for all of us psychiatric staff. I have been threatened myself and been very nearly attacked by my patients. I have had to make police reports, and take strategies to make sure that I am as a safe as possible. I have had to change my social media so that patients are less likely able to stalk me, and no longer take my car to work as colleagues have had threatening notes left on their cars. I would be lying if I said at times I am not scared of my profession. I have had times when I have not been able to sleep for replaying a near miss incident of a patient trying to attack me earlier that day. I’m not a ninja. I am a doctor to heal. I have had friends say: “well what do you expect, you chose mental health?” That is a stigmatised comment, I know, but the fear is there, and it’s prominent. I commend all the staff, especially the nursing staff for the risks they face at work. I love my job, and I still don’t think I would chose to be another kind of doctor other than a psychiatrist.

 I have taken an oath to respect my patients no matter who they are and treat them with the best care I possibly can. However, that does not mean I should fear for my life.



The Secret Psychiatrist www.thesecretpsychiatrist.com
Twitter: @thesecretpsych
Instagram: The Secret Psychiatrist
Email: hithesecretpsychiatrist@gmail.com
Podcast: www.mentalhealthbookclub.com

Giulia's mental health story (MHAM2018)

Hey guys! I hope you are doing well! Today is going to be the last mental health awareness march post! I do have a few more mental health posts coming up but this is the last one for MHAM2018! I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who got involved and I really hope we made a positive difference! Today we have a mental health story from Giulia aka The High-Heeled Papergirl http://thehighheeledpapergirl.wordpress.com, who is opening up about her experiences of mental health. This post could be quite triggering, but I wanted to share it as it is a perception of what living with MH problems can be like. 

I remember back in high school, when I use to enhance my eyes with makeup that used to make it looked like I had cried. I was desperately hoping that beyond the uncontrollable laughs, people would look through the sad eyes. All I ever wished for was someone to understand.

A year ago, when I realized that moving from one country to another wouldn’t change the fact that I was depressed, I started self-harming. The physical hurting was numbed by the emotional pain. Living with a dozen other people 24/7, I so badly wanted to grow closer to some of them. I wanted them to look beyond the shyness and the silence. I wanted them to know the suffering. I wanted them to know so many other things about me. I started cutting. Although all I was wishing for was someone to notice the scars, I still felt ashamed and scared to disclose my sleeveless arms. 

Months passed by. Some periods were happier than others, but regularly I found myself soul-crushed, excruciatingly hurting. This usually happened after a time when I felt empty and numb for quite a while. All of the emotions would come back crashing down on me. At some point, I found myself trapped in the consumption of alcohol. After one too many drinks, I was more outgoing and friendly, talking freely to people I had always wanted to share a nice conversation with. I felt happier. I never really saw my father, alcoholic back then, in a special mood, the only reason I had always disregarded alcohol before was because of how harmful it can be when it turns into an addiction. But I did not know that (even though I thought I did) until I experienced it myself. Even if I was more joyful when I was drinking, I found out that this bliss couldn’t last. On nights, I ended up alone for any reason, or times I was offended by the slightest comment, I could do nothing other than blame myself and list all of the things I had always hated myself for. On the warmest nights, as the sun was rising, I often ended up crying by myself in the streets. Crying: something I had never liked to do in front of people. And yet, here I was, expressing all of my pain to the world. Some passerby's had been utterly kind, lending me a shoulder to cry on in order to avoid being taken to the police station. Other people whom I knew had been less understanding, blaming the many drinks I had had before. But although alcohol was surely responsible for the heightening of certain emotions, it was mostly amplifying the way I expressed myself.

As I told the few people who’ve seen me in tears on those days and nights, I was never faking anything when I was telling people face to face how much I wanted to die. I’ve always been a thousand times more honest about everything in that drunken state. When I was deliberately walking on the road in the dead of the night, it wasn’t an action that had never crossed my mind, be it in the day or in the night, month or years before. It wasn’t as if I did not know that a car could run over my dead body. I was not over-reacting. I was not playing a role. These were (are) the times when the mask falls off my face completely and so simply. Honesty is what I’ve been seeking all my life and I found it in alcohol (no, it isn’t the need to forget that has drawn me to it). I know that I have been destroying myself ever since I started drinking. However, it’s not like it was something new to me. I always have felt the pain, always have had the destructive thoughts in my head that led me to isolation and loneliness. In cutting and drinking, I found a way to express the pain to people, the same as in writing I found a way to be honest with myself. 

I would like to give up drinking. I would like for the pain to cease. I would love to stop cutting. But most of all, I would be beyond grateful if the recurrent thoughts of suicide stopped once and for all. I can go for days without thinking about it, my motivation rate will increase and I’ll be happier. Yet, at some point, it always comes back. There’s not even a need for a trigger. It is back completely out of the blue. The burden of pain, the burden of life, will feel heavier. I’ll shut down. I see no future for me. I’m stuck, as always, waiting for something to happen to me. Perhaps waiting for the day when something, someone, somehow takes my life back from me for good. 

But there is a way out of it. Strength, faith and a willingness to open up will guide us through the darkness. You and I will make it through. 

5 ways to practice self-care everyday- Jade Marie (MHAM2018)

Hey guys! I hope you are doing well! Today for #MHAM2018 we have the lovely Jade Marie doing a blog post all about practising self-care every day! 

I hope this is useful for you! Remeber if you want to get involved with mental health awareness march 2018, email me at Smitheh01@gmail.com.

5 Little Ways You Can Practice Self Care Every Day

Okay so I know I go on about self care quite a bit on my blog, but I honestly think that it's one of the most important things you can do for you mental health. The problem is many people seem to think that it needs to be some huge fancy affair when in fact, you can practice self care in the little things you do every single day.

At the end of the day, self care is anything that makes you feel good and it can be something simple like doing your morning skincare routine or wearing your favourite outfit. I've seen a lot of people saying recently that they don't know where to start, or that they don't have the time to do any self care because they’re too busy. 

Well this list is for you!

Make your bed

I used to hate making my bad as a kid, I never saw the point in it. Now its the first thing I do when I get up in a morning. Not only does it make my room look tidier, it also helps me start my day off feeling productive and energised. It might sound weird but it works for me and as we say in the North; don't knock it until you've tried it! 

Have A Shower

If I could live in my shower I honestly think I would. I've always been a water baby (I could easily spend 3+ hours playing in the bath as a kid) and for me theres nothing like a shower to make me feel better. Woken up feeling crap? Get a shower. Had a bad day at uni/work/life in general? Get a shower! 

I’ll also use the scents of different soaps to help improve my mood. If I want to make myself feel energised and motivated I'll use orange scented products like Soap and Glory Orangegasm. But if I've had a bad day and want to relax and unwind then I tend to reach for something with lavender in it, normally my Yardley English Lavender Soap. 

Experiment with different scents to see what works best for you and then use them as and when you need them. 

Turn your phone off 

As a blogger, I've noticed that I'm never really "off". Theres always some new comment/like/tweet to distract me from whatever I'm doing, and it can really get draining after a while. So I've decided that whenever I start to feel overwhelmed, I'm going to put my phone and iPad into do not disturb mode and do something completely unrelated to my blog or uniwork. I've also stated to do this when I'm out with friends or Chris; its a great way to live in the moment more and saves me worrying if I'm being rude by replying to messages or blog comments.

It was really weird the first few times I did it (it turns out I’m a lot more addicted to my twitter feed than I realised!) but now I've come to look forward to it. Having a time where where I don't have to stop whatever I'm doing to reply to notifications is a great way to detox, relax and concentrate on myself.

The only problem is if you forget to turn DND mode off and you don't get the message from your boyfriend telling you he's outside waiting for you to unlock the door when the temperature is below 0…oops! 

Go to bed early

I mean I do this almost ever night anyway; I love to sleep and won’t stay up past about 11pm unless something important is happened. But I know loads of people force themselves to stay awake when they don't really want to, just so that they don't appear like a "grandma". 

Personally if getting enough sleep so I’m not a grumpy bitch in the morning makes me a “grandma”, then I’m all for it! 

At the end of the day, if your body needs sleep- give it sleep! You will end up feeling so much better for it and it can actually help with things such as depression and anxiety.

Tidy up your space

Okay so I know this is the last thing most of us want to do (myself included) but tidying up your space can have such a positive effect on your mood and motivation. I’ve noticed that since I started to tidy up on a regular basis, I’ve been a lot more motivated to get work done; both on my blog and at uni.

That being said, I’m guilty of letting my room get into a horrendous state when I’m busy- especially if its close to a deadline. However I’ve started to make myself tidy my desk up at the end of every day and I’ve resolved to start putting my clothes away the second I get them out of the wash. 

Considering there’s a big pile of clothes currently staring at me from the bottom of my bed, I’d say I’m not doing too well on that one though…

What is your favourite way to practice self care on a daily basis? 

You can find Jade on twitter here and on Instagram here

Lots of love,

Eleanor x

How to stay motivated on bad mental health days by Alisha-Valerie (MHAM2018)

Hey guys! Today's MHAM gust post comes from Alisha- Valarie who is talking about how to stay motivated on a bad mental health day. If you would like to join in in brigning awearness to MH this march email me at Smitheh01@gmail.com.

Hello everyone! 

I'm Alisha Valerie from www.AlishaValerie.com and I wanted to share my top tips for staying positive and motivated on your worst mental health days. 

From my own personal experiences, bad mental health days always make me feel like utter shit. I don't want to do anything, I don't want to be around anyone at all, let alone let anyone touch me to give me a cuddle, because as silly as it sounds, it's like I don't want someone to hug me and catch my bad day off me. 

Thankfully since I stopped taking my chemotherapy and started taking cannabis oil I'm not suffering from too many bad days, but I wanted to share with you how I stay positive on bad mental health days so that it can hopefully help you too.

|| Don't Believe Everything You Think || I know this can be super hard but you need to be kind to yourself and try to stop thinking negative thoughts. If you follow my blog or myself on social media you'll know I'm a massive believer in the Law of Attraction, so I try to keep myself as positive as possible. If you can't seem to bring yourself to think positive thoughts then search them online. It sounds silly but it really does make a difference.

|| Have a Warm Drink & Breathe || Taking some time in the quiet with your favourite warm drink to simply breathe and stay calm is one of the best things to do. Drinking something you love inside your body can make your body feel loved too and it's a really simple way of loving and taking care of yourself.

|| Meditate || Oh. My. Gosh. I cannot rave about meditation enough, if you have never tried meditation or simply have a hard time concentrating then check out "Michael Sealey" on YouTube, he writes, makes and records guided meditations which you simply listen along to for free for all types of problems at all times of day so I'll be super surprised if you don't mind a meditation which suits you. Meditation can be one of the best things for your mind too as you're giving it time to relax without all of the over-thinking you may be doing. 

|| Take A Shower/Bath || Taking a hot shower or a warm bubble bath is a good way of washing away all of the negative vibes and bad thoughts from your body. Also using a bath bomb, bubble bath or your favourite shower gel or shampoo can really make you feel beautiful because the smells can remind you of your good days. 

|| Pamper Yourself || Whether it's painting your nails, applying a facemask, applying a conditioning treatment, no matter if it's all of these things or just one of these idea's just do some pampering. Having a small at-home pamper can really make a difference and can bring out a new more positive you.

|| Get Some Fresh Air || Sitting outside in your garden or yard and filling your lungs with some fresh air always helps me personally. Take yourself on a small walk, go play with your children at the local park, walk your dog, just getting yourself outside instead of being stuck between the walls of your home can really make a difference.

|| Write || Writing down how you feel can really get all of your thoughts out your head and help you clear your brain a little bit, plus because it's down on paper and you can see it in front of you, you'll stop over-thinking about it. Keeping a little journal or habit tracker can really help you track your bad days to so you can see how you're coping.

|| Recharge || Napping or quietly resting someone comfortable are two of the best things you can do to let your body heal itself. I'm a believer in time healing everything, and sometimes you just feel to have some time to let your mind heal and recharge. We all need that sometimes and you'll be surprised at how many people I know that this helps.

|| Reward Yourself || Rewarding yourself with your favourite drink, or a bar of chocolate, or even renting a movie you've been dying to see on Amazon Prime can really help you feel better because whilst you're doing that simple thing you love, you're rewarding yourself and loving yourself in the process. 

I hope some of these ideas really do help some of you out, and I really hope you're all having the most wonderful positive day. 

With love, Alisha Valerie. x

Blog | www.alishavalerie.com 

Twitter | www.twitter.com/alishavalerie

Instagram | www.instagram.com/alisha.valerie 

Tumblr |  www.alishavalerie.tumblr.com

Pinterest |  www.pinterest.com/alishavalerie

Experiences of living with multiple mental health disorders (MHAM2018)

Hey guys! Today is the second MHAM gust post! It's from my friend Chloe who is talking about her personal experiences with living and dealing with a mental health disorder. If you would like to join in in brigning awearness to MH this march email me at Smitheh01@gmail.com.

So, lets rewind 5 years ago. I was 16, still at school about to sit my GCSE’s, currently going through a traumatic family breakdown… from there until now I have been diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, with episodes of self-harm and suicidal intent. Ever since the day I can remember it has been a constant battle of being able to manage these and being happy. It can’t go without saying that these are only ‘diagnoses’ and do not define a person, but merely explain some struggles.

Currently I am on Sertraline 150mg (an antidepressant used to manage depression and anxiety disorders) and partaking in CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) which is 2weekly sessions trying to change my thoughts and behaviours, more will be explained below.

I have come to realise that having both a depressive and anxiety related disorder it can impact my everyday life, as one will always be shining through more than the other. I’ll take an example from the other day; my OCD relates to security and protecting who I live with, in turn I will check every door, window, electrical socket and taps. Although this may seem okay, it’s the motion of checking it 81 times… until I do this my anxiety is high, thoughts racing around my head that if there was a flood, if there was a fire it would be my fault, I would have killed whoever was in the house. It is therefore these thoughts (obsessions) that make me do the actions followed (known as compulsions). The obsessions can be vivid, or can be a flying thought, these change, most of the time I have no control over them, which in reality having thoughts of being the reason someone died is distressing. I remember the time I tried to reduce my checking from 81 to 78; I physically couldn’t leave the door, I was shaking and crying, this was only trying to reduce it by a number of 3. Which if I haven’t mentioned number 3 is a number that I live by while I am checking. I remember when I was 16 I would only check the door 3 times, since then it has escalated to many different elements of the home and has multiplied in terms of numbers (3x3, repeat three times, repeat three times again until I reach 81).

This then led me onto the next day where I didn’t have the energy, motivation, or willingness to get out of bed. I didn’t eat, I didn’t see anyone, I simply isolated myself, this was due to the higher levels of anxiety the previous day of reducing 3 checks (which if I’m honest, I couldn’t do, I had to repeat the checking 3 more times). The depression element usually comes in waves, I seem to experience episodes of depression more frequently than having it a constantly. However, when it does hit, it hits hard; this is where the elements of suicidal thoughts and self-harm come in, as it gets to the point where I can no longer see a way out. My thoughts are so clouded, I now remover my last episode of depression (it lasted 3 months) it turned into an episode of psychotic depression, I had elements of delusions (loss of contact with reality) others can also experience hallucinations (seeing unseen stimuli). I have to say this is the most unwell I have ever been; along with feeling depressed I would hide behind doors and walls to listen to my friend’s conversation; as I was convinced they were talking about me, that they didn’t like me and that actually they didn’t want me around. I became incredibly paranoid. Further leading to isolation and living in a little bubble that was a vicious circle. This wasn’t the case, and this is what makes it delusional, in reality they were my friends and they were never talking about me, however I had convinced myself they were.

On that note, anyone who is reading this, if you are feeling at any way unhappy, depressed, anxious then seek help. I wish I had done sooner; there are so many organisations out there that can help support whatever you’re going through from talking therapies, group work, and medication. Reflecting, if I had accessed CBT initially, I doubt I would have got to the stage that I am at now, checking 81 times. Even though I am saying that, I didn’t know I was unwell until a couple of years into the illness; this is something that is common with OCD sufferers. As cliché as this sounds, it does get better. Currently, for me things are stable and I’m hoping to manage and keep it this way for as long as I possibly can.

For more information:
OCD
Depression  
Psychotic depression

For support:
Sarmatians They are 24/7 – call on 116 123
NHS:

Me, my mum and schizophrenia by Jessica Wilby (MHAM2018)

Hey guys! I hope you are doing well! So I am officially launching mental health awareness march 2018! (#MHAM2018) I had a break last year but I really wanted to bring it back this year and bring some posts and stories to life by some lovely people who have agreed to help me this month! I am hoping we will have some bloggers and other people writing some posts for you guys, posts on awareness, telling their stories or some helpful tips for others with those disorders too! I am hoping that this little movement will be useful in either helping some people or bringing awareness to what living with a mental disorder is like. If you would like to get involved, send me an email at Smitheh01@gmail.com. Jess has kindly offered to do a personal post all about her mum and schizophrenia which we thought would be apt since it is nearly mothers day. 

Hello Ellie's readers! I'm Jess from Philocalist and I'm really grateful to Ellie for giving me this space to talk to you about something really personal today, in the spirit of Mental Health Awareness month.

With the subject of mother's day everywhere right now, I've been thinking about my own relationship with my mum. Whilst I know there's no such thing as a 'normal' mother/daughter relationship, I would hazard a guess that my experience is slightly more niche.

My wonderful, kind, creative mum has schizophrenia.

Don't let your imagination run wild when I say that. It's most certainly not how the movies make it out. She doesn't draw on the walls, fly into a wild rage at the drop of a hat, openly talk to the voices (although she does hear them), etc. Forget everything Hollywood has taught you about this complex mental health issue and go in with and open mind.

My mum had undiagnosed mental health issues for many years, so if I wanted to start at the beginning I wouldn't really know where to pinpoint it. There didn't seem to be a specific issue that 'pushed her over the edge', it wasn't as if she suddenly had a breakdown and *surprise* she's schizophrenic.

Instead it was almost like a vine slowly constricting various aspects of her life and relationships.

She became withdrawn, stopped cleaning, lost control of her emotions, lost her confidence. Maybe not all at once, but slowly and somehow that was worse. When you're young you don't immediately sense that something is wrong but you just know something is different. You can't play out after school because your mum has an intense paranoia that you'll get snatched 'by men hiding in the shubbery'. You can't have your best friend over for tea because your mum's hoarding has gotten way out of control and guests are no longer allowed. You have to walk everywhere rather than drive because mum had her driver's licence revoked (this happens when people suffer from hallucinations - sometimes if your migraine auras are really bad it can happen too).

And there's this temptation as a child to rebel, which my sister and I did because we lacked understanding. No one teaches you about this, do they? We didn't know how to handle it, we thought we just had strict parents and that mum slept all day because she could be bothered to spend time with us.

But then suddenly, it hits you. One day it clicks into place that mum's ill. Things aren't 'normal' and they probably never will be. So you've got to adapt and you've got to do it fast. Sometimes it was small things like walking to the shops arm in arm with her, regardless of getting ripped by school friends who'd spot you on the way. Then other times it was more dramatic, like secretly prank calling the community drop in center over and over after they told her 'Oh no you can't work here with problems like THAT' when mum tried to get onto a 'back-to'work' voluntary scheme.

It's not easy though. Picture yourself, 10-years-old, chilling in your bedroom listening to Busted full blast on your headphones. Suddenly mum comes in the room, teary-eyed and panicked. She turns the lights off and simply sits next to you without and explanation. She asks you to take the headphones off and you sit there, together in the dark in silence knowing that it's actually not silent for her at all, unable to leave until someone comes and gets your mum. However long it takes.

Episodes were thankfully few and far between, but they make a mark.

When you start going through puberty you have your own mental health issues to deal with, mine undoubtedly clashed with mum's. Arguments raged on. My sister moved out. And suddenly home became a lonely place leading to escapism in the form of internet addition and self loathing that manifested into self-harm.

Your teen years are a nightmare, but adding mental health issues into the mix complicates everything and it's hard to salvage a relationship with your mum.

But it is possible.

Young carers and teens in this situation have a lot of work to do. Supporting your family and yourself can be a hard journey, but I promise it will make you stronger and you will grow up with the incredible ability to take on almost anything.

Because when you remember to look after yourself, you lose the bitterness that your mum can't do it all for you. You gain an understanding and an independence that your friend's don't have. Most importantly of all, you take the pressure off your mum which paves the way for a glorious friendship to blossom.

Sure, you'll still have tough times. Unfortunately my mum couldn't come to my graduation because she rarely leaves my hometown, but it doesn't mean she isn't proud. Then there's times when you just want to tell her about something dramatic but you don't want to start off her paranoia, like when we were burgled... twice.

I guess what I want people to understand most of all is that it's not totally unthinkable for children and young teens going through this to come out the other end in one piece, with a family relationship no matter how unconventional that may be.

Sure, schizophrenia has had an impact on my relationship with my mum but it certainly doesn't define it.

Jessica Wilby
Fashion & Beauty Blogger for Philocalist.co.uk
 

Mental health awareness March- Bipolar disorder

Hey guys! Today's mental health awareness march post is on Bipolar disorder. Last week I talked about anxiety disorders and panic attacks and it was so nice to see you guys sharing and reading my post so thank you and I hope you continue to share this series and I hope it is helping people to become aware of mental illnesses and how the effect people.

Bipolar disorder is where a person suffers from very severe episodes of mania and depression. In a mania stage, one might be extremely happy, full of self-confidence and very loud.  In manic eppisodes people may make rash decisions, such as leaving their jobs, or spending lots of money. In a depressive stage they might be very sad, have difficulty sleeping and lack of self-confidence. In type 1 bipolar disorder, there is mania and mixed episodes, the person can feel very elevated or  have a mixed episode, which may include depression. In type 2 bipolar disorder, there is hypomania and depression, a less extreme mania, where they may feel energetic but do not loose touch with reality and can be often followed by a very depressive episode.

People with Bipolar disorder do go about their normal lives and symptoms can be treated, similarly exercise and eating right can often help some people. Most people with Bipolar have more depressive episodes than manic episodes, indeed many people can go for long periods of time without having any symptoms. Bipolar doesn't just affect mood either, it can affect energy, concentration, sleep patterns and self-esteem. People with bipolar are more likely to develop psychotic depression, where someone has lost touch with reality.

It has been found that without treatment bipolar can get worse, and getting into treatment is really important. It can require long-term treatment and often requires medication and therapy.

I hope this has enlightened you a bit more about bipolar disorder! If you would like to write a blog post about a mental illness, either the one discussed or a different one on my series please send them to smitheh01@gmail.com. You don't have to be a blogger, just have a wish to bring about awareness of mental illnesses.
Lots of love,
Eleanor x

Mental Health Awareness March- Anxiety and Panic attacks

Hey guys! Today is the first of my #mentalhealthawarnessmarch series, where I talk about a mental health problem and discuss it. If you missed my last post on this, I also ask for help from you guys so if you would like to blog about a specific mental illness on my blog this month feel free to send me your posts to smitheh01@gmail.com. They can be a story you want to share, what it is like living with one, or even just more of a fact sheet. If you don't want to blog about it but still want to support what I am doing please share my posts on social media and help raise more awareness!

Today I want to talk about Anxiety disorders and panic attacks. I am a sufferer of anxiety, and I know the first thing people always talk about is the fight or flight response and how this goes into overtime, so your body is in a near constant state of prepering to either fight or flight, just like you leanred in GCSE science, but knowing this didn't really help me. There is a difference between feeling anxious and having an anxiety disorder. Everyone feels anxious sometimes, new job, an exam ect but imagine having that anxious feeling the majority of the time, even when there is nothing to be anxious about. Or when there is something to be anxious about the worrying is sent into overdrive. That's what having anxiety is like.

Unfortunately due to the stress people are under today, having an anxiety disorder is becoming more and more common. Honestly now most people would consider themselves to have this mental illness, or most people have the symptoms of the disorder and I think that this is so bad that the everyday pressures are becoming so extreme that we feel like we can't cope under them, that getting onto a bus suddenly becomes something that is terrifying.

Panic attacks is another part of having an anxiety disorder, suddenly you feel faint, and your heart beats faster, you may have chest pains and feel unable to breathe. In a panic attack you may feel like you're going to die or you're having a heart attack and they can last for up to 20 minuets. They can be a very scary experience for people who have never suffered from them before

"My teeth would chatter uncontrollably and my whole body [would] tremble, I’d hyperventilate and cry with panic as the feeling that I was going to fall unconscious was so convincing"

Anxiety is definitly not something to joke about, it can be scary and it is a nightmare to live with, it makes everyday things hard, such as asking a question in scool/ lecture hall, or going out with your friends, or doing something you really want to such as learning to drive.

There are many ways to deal with anxiety however, and with the right treatment and coping stratagies, many people can get it under control. If you feel like you have an anxiety disorder, please go and see a doctor.
If you would like to blog about your experiences with anxiety for mental health awareness march, please send your blogs to me or contact my at smitheh01@gmail.com.
Lots of love,
Eleanor x

Mental health awareness march 2016

Hey guys! In a few weeks I will be starting my mental health awareness march campaign again. This is the third year I have done this now and once again I am asking for your help! I love it so much when people get involved and it's something which can bring a lot of people together and raise awareness for different mental illnesses. Feel free to send me blog posts you have written and would like me to post. You don't have to be a blogger or anything, just to have a passion for wanting to raise awareness for mental health. This could be a story you feel comfortable sharing about yourself or others, or perhaps more of a factual post about a particular illness you would like to talk about.

If you don't want to share your own writing but would like me to write about a particular illness, then please also contact me and smitheh01@gmail.com.

If you just want to show your support, please share this so as many people as possible can see this. Help me spread word about my campaign and hopefully more people will help out! Use the hashtag #mentalhealthawearnessmarch on twitter or Instagram or google plus ect and so I can find your posts and it will help us all connect together.

Here are three of many posts I have done in the past two years, and things people have sent to me for some inspiration! I had additionally done others on  anxiety, anorexia, binge eating and OCD to name but a few other posts i have done. If you want to find others, you can find my archive at the side of the page and look at my posts in march for the last two yeas.

Depersonalisation disorder 

Trichotillomania 

Alex's story- dyslexia 

I hope you will join and/ share this to others!
Lots of love,
Eleanor x

Mental Health Awareness March- Depersonalisation disorder

Hey guys! This is the last mental health awareness post! Thank you all for sharing my posts and whatnot and I hope I've helped in this past month!
The final disorder I want to talk about is depersonalisation disorder. This is where someone has feelings of detachment from their own body, thoughts or emotions, feeling like you are in a dreamlike state. They may not see their reflection as their own and have outer body experiences. In addition, their inner turmoil can cause anxiety and depression.

It is thought to be largely caused by severe traumatic life events such as childhood abuse, accidents, war and tourtue. It is not a psychotic disorder, this means that the person is aware they have this and can distinguish between their own experiences and fantasy and their grasp on reality stays stable.

The symptoms are common in one to two percent of the population and chronic depersonalisation in about 0.1-1.9%. People with depersonalisation disorder often think about the nature of reality and have an uncontrollable urge to question society and ask deep philosophical questions. Some patients also have hallucinations and may feel as though time is passing but they are not present in this time.

Patients may also have de-realisation, which is where they believe their environment is is lacking in colour and depth , the world seems unreal to them.

Depersonalization is the third most common psychological symptom, after feelings of anxiety and feelings of depression. It can also accompany sleep deprivation (often occurring when suffering from jet lag), migraine, epilepsy, obsessive-compulsive disorder, stress, and anxiety. It can be a side effect of many drugs too,

I hope this has educated you! Thank you again for all getting involved, but of course this isn't the end of mental health awareness and it's up to all of us to make others aware of issues and to work on improving how people see them in society!
Lots of Love
Eleanor x

Menal Health Awearness March- Pyromania

Hey guys! Today's Mental Health issue is Pyromania. I had never heard about this before and so it was something I definitely wanted to look into and research in more detail. Pyromania is an impulse control disorder, where they cannot resist starting fires, either to release tension or in the spur of the moment. Pyromania is one of the four categories of the types of arson, the other types being to get profit, to cover up another crime and for revenge. It is estimated that less than 1% of the population have this and 90% of these are male.

The reasons for someone getting this are split into two categories, environmental and individual. Individual factors include personal issues in someone's lives. Often Pyromaniacs have past convictions such as vandalism or sexual assault. Other reasons may because they don't have many friends or were bullied. Environmental factors include being victims of sexual assault or neglect.

Someone with pyromania has tension and a sense of emotional build up before lighting a fire and then feels relief or happiness after lighting it. The person must set fires on regular occasions, deliberately and are fascinated with fire's or equipment associated with fires. Pyromanics also do not have another motive for the fire, it is purely for the release of tension.

However there is not much research in this issue and so diagnosis is quite difficult due to the lack of knowledge about it.

I hope this has been informative! This is the last week of mental health awareness march, if you would like to help out and take part, please email me asap at smitheh01@gmail.com
Lots of love
Eleanor x

Mental health awareness march- Hoarding disorder

Hey guys! Apologies, this is a few days late! Nevertheless the mental health disorder I want to talk about today is hoarding disorder which I think sometimes lots of people forget about. Compulsive hoarding is when people excessively acquire items that have little value and cannot throw them away. This may become a problem as the junk may fill up peoples houses meaning they have little space or have unsafe environments.   People with hoarding disorder may also have OCD which is why they feel the need to compulsively buy things.

Hoarding disorder can be difficult to treat as often people don't realise it is a problem, or see their hoardings as things that they need rather than it just being useless. However it is really important to see someone about it as it can negatively impact people social lives, their jobs and families. People with hoarding disorders may state that they "may need this later" or "If I buy this I'll be happy" or "I will feel loss if I throw this away." Attempts to throw things away can  give people a very strong sense of loss or guilt and so it puts people off making decisions. Compulsive hoarding is often associated with family history of hoarding, previous deprivation, anxiety, depression, social anxiety struggling to cope with the death of a loved one and a lack of relationship with friends and family.

Someone who hoards typically keep things of little or no use such as carrier bags or broken things, they may become extremely attached to items and not let other people touch their things, they have difficulty doing everyday activities and making everyday decisions. Studies suggest it can start as early as 13-14 years old with broken toys and school papers but it can often start even younger. It is estimated around 2-5% of the British population have it.

Why is it a problem? Unfortunately like a lot of disorders it is often made fun of in the media and it TV shows however it can be problematic. It can mean their houses are more likely to catch fire or they are more likely to fall. Often they cannot enter rooms due to it being so full or they cannot even get into bed at night or use their shower. People who hoard are reluctant to let people into their houses and can become lonely and live in solitude so they are more likely to be depressed or have anxiety.

If you know someone with this or suspect that this is a super big problem for someone don't ignore it because the media has taught you this is something to be laughed at!
If you would like to talk about your experiences with this or with another mental issue please email me at smitheh01@gmail.com so we can raise more awareness!
Lots of Love
Eleanor x

Mental health awearness march- ADHD

Hey guys! Today's mental health awareness topic is one that I myself really wanted to find out more about because I often hear it in passing. Similarly with OCD people often throw the word around and not really understand what it means and I wanted to to some research and find out more!

Common symptoms of ADHD include having a short attention spam, restlessness and being impulsive. It can occur in anyone, a lot of people think it happens purely in people with learning difficulties but this is not true although it is more common. People with ADHD may also suffer from anxiety and insomnia.

Most people are noticed for having it at an early age from around 6-12 years old, it's quite often spotted by teachers when the notice a child is having difficulty paying attention in class. Many people live with this and are absolutely fine, many may not even consider it to be a "mental disorder" because they continue life as normal although for others it is severe and may interrupt their daily activities.

ADHD can be quite difficult to diagnose especially if the person is young, as young children suffer from a lack of concentration as it is, but as a person gets older it can be easier to tell. It is also the most common behaviour disorder in the UK and affects around 2-5% of children and is more common in boys. Something I found interesting however is that girls with ADHD are more likely to suffer from the lack of attention symptom rather than the hyperactivity and so it can often be harder to spot, many girls with ADHD may go undetected.

It is important to remember that people with ADHD cannot control their behaviour just like any other disorder. Children with it often get labelled negatively and this needs to stop because of the effects it has on them later in life. Just as we wouldn't blame a schizophrenic for having delusions we shouldn't blame someone with ADHD for being hyperactive.

If you suffer from ADHD and would like to talk about it for my mental health awareness month please email me at smitheh01@gmail.com. Likewise if you would like to do a post on another mental health issue you want to talk about please do email me too! The more awareness we raise the better.
Lots of Love
Eleanor x

Mental health awareness march- narcolepsy

Hey guys! Today's mental health issue I'm talking about is narcolepsy. Narcolepsy is a relatively rare sleep disorder, effecting 0.05% of the population. It effects the brains ability to to regulate normal sleep patterns, leading to disturbed nights and sleeping during the day.

Key symptoms:
1) disturbed night time sleep- frequent waking up during the night
2) excessive sleepiness- falling asleep at inappropriate times during the day and experiencing chronic tiredness
3) cataplexity- this only happens in some people with narcolepsy, it involves temporary muscle weakness in response to emotion. This stems from a mild facial weakness, buckling of knees or even collapsing. it can also last from a few minuets up to 60 minuets.
4)  sleep paralysis- an inability to move while being concious
5) hallucinations- vivid frightening dream like experiences which occur during the transition of sleep and wakefulness.

it can cause serious effects in everyday life such as inability to stay focused and do day to day tasks. There is medication though and many people can get it under control. There are many different theories to why it is caused, it does not seem to be the same for everyone, such as brain structure, lack of certain neurotransmitters or traumatic events. Notable people with narcolepsy includes Jimmy Kimmel.

I hope this has helped inform you! If you suffer from this or another mental illness and would like to raise attention to it for mental health awareness march, please email me at smitheh01@gmail.com.
Lots of Love
Eleanor x

Mental Health Awareness March- Trichotillomania

Hey guys! The next illness I want to talk about is Trichotillomania, or Trich. This was actually something I didn't even know existed until last year so I thought it would be good to bring up as many people may be also wondering what this is.

Trich is a compulsive desire to pull your hair out, this includes hair on your head, eyelashes and eyebows. It's an impulsive- control disorder, so a person is unable to stop themselves doing it. This can lead to guilt, shame and low self-esteem as it can often lead to bald patches on the persons head.

This illness acts like an addiction, the more a person pulls their hair, the more they want to continue to do it. In some cases, it may be a form of self harm or in others a way of relieving stress and anxiety and there are close links with OCD.

There are treatments for it although it can be quite difficult to treat, the main way to treat it is to find other ways of releasing stress and tension, replacing it with something that's not harmful to them or an alternative is medication.  The long term effects of it can be bad too, such as permanent hair loss and skin damage and so if you think you or anyone you know has it see a doctor!

If you know anyone or if you yourself suffer from trich and want to add anything or tell us about a personal experience please email me at smitheh01@gmail.com and I can post it! That way more people can learn.
Lots of Love
Eleanor x

Mental health awareness march- Binge eating

Hey guys, the first mental health issue I want to discuss is binge eating. When you hear about eating disorders, must people automatically think about anorexia and do not consider binge eating. People who binge eat are people who eat a lot of food in a short period of time, even when they are not hungry. This can be brought on by stress and if someone is upset and can trigger it. I think one thing people don't often realise is that binge eating can also come from restriction of food, some people do not have a diagnosis of binge eating but if people start telling themselves they cannot eat this or that, the likely hood is they will start binging on it at a later date or when it is in front of them. It can start from a desire to be thin but starvation can lead to people actually eating more. Nevertheless serious binge eaters will eat compulsively, some will even be dazed or forget what they ate. Immediately after eating, they feel embarrassed or guilty with their behaviour.

This disorder effects woman slightly more than men but not by much and it can develop in teenage years. It is estimated it effects 1 in about 40 people. A lot of us binge eat from time to time, some of us feel bad but all of us move on and our lives, but for people who binge eat it's not that simple, there can be a vicious cycle, a need to eat constantly and this is when people need to seek out help. As I suggested earlier, binge eating can be caused by traumatic events, low self esteem, depression, anxiety and restricting your diet or not eating enough.

Binge eating can lead to obesity but not always. I always hate it when people who have an eating disorder are told "well you don't look like you have one." People do not have to look very thin or very large to have an eating disorder, just as people who are naturally very thin or large don't have to have an eating disorder. Binge eating can lead to anxiety, diabetes and heart problems later in life.

But Binge eating can be helped, self-help, interventions, counselling and drugs. So of course there is always help available!
I found a great website for people here for goal setting for people with eating disorders: http://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/recovery/self-help-tools-skills-tips/goal-setting

And another website here for helping you decide a meal plan:
http://healingforeatingdisorders.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-meal-planning/

I hope these help and I hope this has informed you about the disorder. If you have had dealings with this or another eating disorder and feel confident to talk about it and let me share it on this blog (anonymous if you wish) for my mental health awareness month, please email me at smitheh01@gmail.com
additionally if you would like to help me this month but talk about another mental illness, please also email me, you can do so for the whole of this month! Together we will bring about change and awareness!
Lots of Love
Eleanor x