Category Archives: Health

Mental Health Assessment Day

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August 23rd 2021 = Primary Mental Health Assessment Day.

The dreaded and long awaited (not really, I only waited a few weeks) telephone call with my Local Primary Mental Health Team.

It actually went well. It was not my first time having an assessment, but I must say, I did prefer this telephone method, as well as the assessment itself being better, I felt more at ease than previous assessments.

I won’t go into much detail at the moment, as I want to ensure I get the right support first and avoid any further excuses and delays to my Divorce (The Divorce is on the final stage, so I can apply whenever, however, waiting on finances and property….still). But when I feel it is appropriate I will be more open. I am also very aware that people are going out of their way to look into my life and pass details over to certain people – But at the end of the day I have nothing to hide, I am telling the truth and if you want to condone abuse and violence, then do not bother trying to use the words ‘Be Kind’ or ‘Mental Health Matters.’ For those of you ‘Flying monkeys’ (Google it if you are unsure) and those saying you support mental health, support domestic abuse victims or even work in bealth services, teaching or caring industries-You are a hypocrite and should find a job in a more relevant area!!

I felt reassured that I am not ‘crazy’ or ‘imagining things’ as I have previously been told. It was a reality check for my mind, that it isn’t just physical abuse that leaves scars, but gaslighting and emotional abuse too, especially over a period of time.

I fear for those that still have the real side to experience, I fear their happiness and their lives. It is hard to adjust when you have shared your story (or part of it) and go unbelieved or not heard. There is only so much you can do.

They will learn one day….

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September is PCOS Awareness Month!!

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© https://www.verity-pcos.org.uk/

PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) is something that cannot be cured, despite some claims, although symptoms can be improved and managed (for some) with medication, exercise and other lifestyle changes. It is a hormonal condition that manifests itself differently in each person. PCOS is very common and impacts how ovaries function.

Symptoms of PCOS can vary from person to person and no two people are often suffering the exact same symptoms. Some symptoms include;

  • Weight gain,
  • Difficulty losing weight,
  • Irregular periods or no periods,
  • Thinning hair,
  • Acne,
  • Excessive hair growth,
  • Fertility issues,
  • Miscarriages,
  • Cysts that burst and cause pain or internal bleeding,
  • Mood changes,
  • Depression,
  • Bloating,

These are just some of the symptoms. Many Healthcare Professionals will suggest weight loss will solve all problems, however for those that suffer with PCOS, we know that this is often very difficult and untrue.

PCOS puts a person at a higher risk of;

  • Type 2 Diabetes,
  • High blood pressure,
  • High cholesterol,
  • (High blood pressure and cholesterol can also lead to strokes or heart disease,)
  • Sleep apnoea,
  • Depression,
  • Endometrial Cancer.

September is PCOS awareness month and social media will see an increase in posts about this life changing syndrome. I will be uploading more posts about how PCOS impacts my life, however this post is a very basic, introduction to PCOS.

Please message me if you have questions and I will do my best to help you.

What is going on in the world?

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TW (Trigger Warning) Discussions of bullying and suicide.

As I have found myself with a lot of spare time this week I have been trying to keep up to date with the news and one topic seems to be coming up more often than others and it has really hit me….

BULLYING

Seriously, what is wrong with the world? Why must people hurt others so much it makes them want to be dead?

A 14-year-old boy has ended his life in Wales this week due to bullying in School. I’m sure that this is not the only death this week due to bullying, especially in younger people and children.

Other young people are reported to be afraid of returning to school following the Summer Holidays because of bullies. Schools have bullying policies but are young people really being protected.

I was bullied when I was in school, towards the end of Primary School and in Secondary School. It possibly played a part in my anorexia in Secondary School but I sought help for the bullying when things got to a certain stage (most of the time but a lot of incidents went unreported because it was just too much effort to report). It really affected me and quite often the only thing done was a discussion between bully and teacher, sometimes with me present-nothing seems to ever be taken further. Not that I am saying that every time someone is bullied it should go to the police, but when we live in a world that is seeing an increase in Mental Health difficulties and awareness, suicides and the carrying of weapons such as knives and guns, we never know when things will get really serious or how long it will take someone to be tipped over the edge. Some people will brush bullying off their shoulders and their feelings build up over time , but other times that first instance or first severe threat or comment can result in the end of a life.

I will go further into bullying in later posts but there is an increasing level of stories about bullying in schools, homes, streets and workplaces and many of us are suffering and the bullies get away with it. Often bullies get away with their actions because of their status, their family or the fact that they have been in a company for a long time and ” would never do that” – even when other staff have reported it. One situation I have experienced is being treated badly and having a witness to this, but then this person has been spoken to and denied it and they are believed, even though I had a witness to the incident. It is incidents like this that make me not like people (and I like people!) but I have been let down and treated badly so much in life, one thing I hate is if I witness a bully, bad treatment, ‘slagging off’ or gossiping and talking badly about someone, it takes a hell of a lot of persuasion for me to make a good impression in my mind about that person, if you are one of these people I often hold a grudge against the person, you won’t know it, because I remain civil (unlike a lot of people) but secretly I do not trust you and do not like or respect you as a person.

I do not respect bullies. I will be civil and treat you with general respect – because that is the type of person I am. But I will not like you and probably not change my mind.

I am glad that Heads Together have started a campaign regarding workplace bullying.

I recommend a visit to this page, and encourage workplaces to use this also as the number of people who have experienced bullying in their current workplace is a huge 48%!! Here is the webpage the page also directs you to;

https://www.mentalhealthatwork.org.uk/

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Mental Health Monday – Monday September 10th 2018

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This week, it is all about Money.

hustling sabrina the teenage witch GIF

 

Mental health and money go hand in hand. Mental ill-health can make managing money difficult (not always!) and worrying about money can make mental ill health worse. It can be a vicious cycle.

I recently talked to someone from the Mental Health and Money Advice Service.

https://www.mentalhealthandmoneyadvice.org/

I had no idea how much they can support people ( I wish I used them and their help when I was off work!) Seriously check them out if you need some support with money. They can even help you if you do not know where to start; (The link below this screenshot is for Wales, so make sure you select the right part of the UK in the options in the top right corner of the website);

 

 

 

 

 

Mental Health Monday – Monday August 20th 2018

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Hello to another Mental Health Monday;

Today I want to discuss one of my ‘pet peeves’ about mental health.

  • “If you need anything I’m here”
  • “Hope you are ok”
  • “My door is always open”
  • “I/We care and are here for you”
  • “Love you”
  • Etc….

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via GIPHY

I am sorry but personally I have been told this and seen it so much. It is utter BS!! very few people care. I spent 7 months – YES 7 MONTHS at home off sick with my mental health and I had 2 visitors!! 2 – now you say this is better than none but only one of those visitors actually asked how I was.

Please let me know I am not alone with these frustrating phrases and how I feel about them? if you do not suffer with mental or physical health difficulties, or you do but you feel it doesn’t impact you much please PLEASE PLEASE be thoughtful when you share these ‘raising awareness’ or ‘my door is always open’ posts – because realistically is that the case. I have tried to force people to visit me just for the sake of seeing them and having someone to speak to but 99.9% of the time there is an excuse, someone else or something else is more important or you just do not care.

Please tell me I am not the only frustrated one??