Getting Real About Mental Health

These aren't imagined experiences. They are real stories from those of us whose lives have been impacted by mental health matters.

Have a story to tell?

Confused by all the different options? How to find the right therapist for you.

So, you’ve considered whether you should explore therapy and decided to give it a try. Where do you start? For me, I wasn’t very familiar with the differences between counsellors, therapists, psychologists, is there a difference in the 1st place? Do they have to have certain qualifications? Should I go for subsidised options or do […]

No More Burying Feelings – Siblings of the Mentally Ill child.

After over 35 years of being a schizophrenic’s sister, I am only now realising what it means to be a schizophrenic’s sister. The full impact of this wasn’t even something I discovered by way of therapy. It hit me like a lightning all by myself, one fine day. Yes, my therapist knew I was the […]

Survivor Guilt – Siblings of the Special Needs / Mentally Ill child

I could never understand why I would often say I feel “guilty” when talking about my family situation. Well-meaning and practical people would respond by saying “you have done nothing wrong, you shouldn’t feel guilty.” Which I consciously agree with. And yet, the feeling creeps in, now and then. In my mind, there is an […]

The Invisible Child – Siblings of the Special Needs / Mentally Ill child

When there is a special needs or mentally-ill child in the family, the impact on the well sibling is often not seen or understood. It is brushed aside with the focus being centred on the affected child and its parents / caregivers instead. “As a child I tried desperately not to have a problem because […]

The Lovely Isolation

One of my happiest memories is of the Nordic wilderness of Abisko, a place so remote, even my Swedish friends wondered why I was heading there. It was in 2014 when I turned 40, and to mark the occasion, I wanted to challenge myself. I had always thought I hated the cold, so why not […]

Begin typing your search term above and press enter to search. Press ESC to cancel.

Back To Top