A Big Hello! Welcome To My Blog!

You probably won’t have come across me before, so allow me to tell you a little bit about myself and how it is that I happen to be here blogging about mental health.

About 14 years ago, I experienced a couple of quite severe “breakdowns” that led to a diagnosis of “potential” bipolar disorder.

After about three years on medication, I worked with a psychotherapist and gradually came off medication in a controlled and well-managed manner. I now manage my own mental health using a combination of natural approaches. Over the years, I’ve found many ways that help me to manage stress, moods, insomnia and general emotional wellbeing.

For many years though, I felt very alone on my journey. I had amazing support from friends and family, I was fortunate to find an excellent psychotherapist and I’ve come across many other wonderful therapists along the way - but I still felt alone as the person experiencing problems with my mental health, searching for inspiration, information and hope regarding natural approaches to mental health and emotional wellbeing.

At one stage of my journey, I also felt as though I had no choice but to give up on my aspirations and dreams. I believed that my mental health issues prevented me from achieving and living life to the full. Since then, I have gone on to travel extensively and become a professional scuba diver with hundreds of dives under my belt. I have launched and sold one successful business and just last night I was a finalist in the start-up category of the East of England Businesswoman Awards forThe Mind Sanctuary.

I have achieved and experienced so much that I didn’t even dare to dream possible at one stage of my life. Now I live in the countryside with my boyfriend and two gorgeous whippets. I could so easily have fallen down a gap in the system, lost myself in a maze of information or become stuck in a mindset that kept me a prisoner of my own mind. Somehow I didn’t. I don’t think I’m “cured” so to speak. I still have challenges with my mental health and emotional wellbeing that I need to be mindful of and manage on a daily basis. I don’t know if I have bipolar disorder or not - so long as I continue to manage my mental health I don’t believe that’s a question I need to explore.

I believe every person is individual and what helps one person, doesn’t necessarily help another. I believe that everyone needs to look after their mental health in the same way they look after their physical health. And I think both clinical and holistic approaches to mental health and emotional wellbeing are useful and have their place.

My favourite words at this precise moment are hope, empowerment, recovery, connection, community, creativity, nature and spirituality.

I’m compelled to share my experiences, ponderings and explorations, with the hope that someone somewhere will be inspired to embrace life and discover peace of mind. Or if not, they’ll at least feel less alone on their own personal pursuit to find whatever it is that helps them to live a mentally healthy life.

I was absolutely delighted and excited when Charlotte offered me the opportunity to blog here on the Uncovered website. I hope you enjoy and welcome your comments!