Tag: writing

Let Me Tell You Something About Me…

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Some of you might have noticed – or maybe not, who knows? – that I have very little personal information on this blog. I’ve occasionally mentioned university, that I work on the side, and, the most obvious thing, that I have a history of mental illness, but that’s pretty much it.

If you’ve ever visited my Home Page and read the ‘Welcome’ post there, you’ll know that I started this blog to share my writing and step out of my comfort zone. That being said, posting details about myself on here is a little too far out of my comfort zone. For now, anyway.

But then I thought it might be pretty weird for readers to not know anything about me. How can I expect people to engage with my writing if I don’t engage back? So that’s why I’m going to post some facts about me here. Nothing too crazy or personal, but just enough to give you an idea about who I am.

So here we go!

I study English and Creative Writing at a university in the UK.

I’m hoping to study an MA in Journalism.

I’ve struggled with my mental health on and off since I was 14. I’m now 22.

I have been diagnosed with panic disorder, depression and OCD.

I’m a HUGE Harry Potter fan (books and films), and have two Harry Potter related tattoos.

My favourite singer is Taylor Swift.

I’ve always wanted to write and publish a novel.

I love Disney. I can’t decide which film is my favourite: The Little Mermaid or Beauty and the Beast.

I’m addicted to caffeine.

I’m a dog person.

The place I want to visit most is New York City.

I like listening to sad music when I’m feeling down.

So there you go – some bits and pieces about me. It’s mostly superficial stuff, I know, but you’ve got to start somewhere! I’m hoping to reveal more as my time with this blog goes on, but this will do for now!

Can anyone relate to anything on my little list?

5 Ways To Beat Writer’s Block

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Writer’s block is unavoidable. It doesn’t matter if you write for yourself, for just a few readers, or an audience of thousands, every writer will experience the frustration of feeling completely and utterly stuck.

So how do you get through it? Here are my top five tips for overcoming writer’s block!

‘5 Ways to Beat Writer’s Block’. Made with Canva.

1. Try Free Writing

This is a technique I learned in one of my Creative Writing classes at university. Find yourself a pen and paper, and spend some time just writing literally whatever comes into your head. It helps to give yourself a topic, but try not to be too specific. The point is to write continuously; don’t lift your pen from the page. Even if you run out of things to write, don’t stop! Write about not having anything to write, repeat words, make something up, scribble and draw until you find inspiration. Don’t read it back until the end. Don’t edit. Don’t think too much.

You might be surprised with what you come up with!

2. Listen to Music

I usually listen to music while writing anyway, but it can be particularly helpful if you get stuck. Maybe you’re writing about yourself and have a certain song that conjures a memory? Maybe you’re attempting a break-up scene and need a power ballad to get you in the right mindset? Or maybe you’re stuck on a dramatic fight scene and need to listen to a movie soundtrack?

Find music that matches the tone of your writing and let it inspire you.

3. Read Anything and Everything

If you need to take a break, or maybe you just need some inspiration, it can be incredibly useful to read. Read work on a similar theme, read work by your favourite author, or read a completely different genre altogether.

Hopefully by reading anything and everything you will remember why you started writing in the first place and it will be easier to get back to it.

4. Take a Break

Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, the words just won’t come to us. If this is the case then take a break. It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you can return to your writing refreshed and, hopefully, without the block!

5. Write, Write, Write!

Now I’ve just suggested that you take a break, so this next one might sound contradictory, but remember that different things work for different people!

If you’re struggling with writer’s block then one of the best things you can do is write! Maybe you can use the free writing technique, or maybe just push yourself to write so many words a day – as long as you write, write, write!

Even if you think it’s rubbish, it’s important to keep going! You can always scrap it later, or maybe it will turn into something good!

How do you overcome writer’s block?

They Said I Should Lie

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It’s common for someone with a mental illness to feel ashamed. There’s absolutely no need to feel ashamed, and this is something I fight against on a daily basis – in my ‘real life’ or through writing – but sometimes it can’t be helped. I think it’s our job as fellow sufferers (and, you know, fellow human beings) to try and lessen that feeling of shame. We need to show people that having a mental illness is valid, and real, and okay.

It can be difficult, however, when a mental health professional doesn’t feel the same way.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve encountered some amazing people during my mental health journey. I can’t deny, though, that not everyone I’ve met along the way has been all that helpful.

The one that will always stand out for me is a professional I encountered during my mental health struggles in secondary school. Overall, this person was incredibly kind, but there is one situation that always comes to mind where I was left feeling shamed.

Long story short, this person encouraged me to lie about my absence from school. They said I should tell people that I have been having stomach problems, and that’s why I haven’t been able to get to school. Apparently, people wouldn’t react well to me being mentally ill, so I needed to tell everyone I had to be in close proximity to a toilet.

Now I’m pretty sure this person didn’t personally believe that there was anything for me to ashamed of, so why did they encourage me to lie? Maybe they thought it would be easier for me? Maybe they thought the other kids at school wouldn’t accept a mentally ill classmate? I’ll never know. But someone in that role encouraging a teenager to hide their mental illness from the world is just contributing to the stigma that surrounds mental health, and it needs to stop.

I chose not to lie, by the way, and my friends were supportive and loving and I’m incredibly grateful for them. Anyone who wasn’t that way isn’t part of my life anymore, and I’m better for it!

5 Things That Improve My Mental Health On A Bad Day

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Here are five thing that I find helpful when I’m struggling with my mental health. I just want to say that while these work for me, they may not be right for everyone, and that’s okay! Let me know what works for you in the comments!

1. Sleep

Dealing with a mental illness can be extremely tiring, especially if you experience the physical symptoms that come with anxiety/panic attacks. I find that having an early night, or even just a good nap, can really help me recharge and get ready to face the day. It might sound obvious to some – and I guess it kind of is – but I used to avoid going to sleep because I thought it would just make time pass quicker and I’d have to face my anxiety much sooner. In reality, being tired just heightened my anxiety and made the situation worse!

2. Saying No

When I’m struggling with my mental health, I like to give myself a few days to rest. More often than not, giving myself these few days means that I’ll have to say no to people when they want to make plans. In some cases, when I’m feeling particularly low, I’ll cancel existing plans. It’s important to put yourself first and do what you think is best for you and your mental health!

3. Finding A Distraction

While I think it is important to face your mental illness, I believe a distraction can be a good way of coping when things get particularly tough! If I’ve had a panic attack, for example, I like to give myself a bit of time to recover. This will usually include reading a book or watching Netflix. My favourite distraction is Harry Potter (book or film, I’m not fussy). I think it is the perfect form of escapism and gives me the time I need.

4. Talking About It

Even though it can be a scary prospect, talking about what you’re feeling or what you’ve experienced can really help! Whether you talk to someone in a professional capacity or a friend/family member that you trust, talking can help you process and deal with your experiences. If you aren’t ready to talk, or if you don’t think it will work for you (and trust me, you aren’t alone in thinking that), try getting your thoughts down on paper.

5. Being Kind To Myself

This is something that has taken me a long time to put into practice, but be gentle with yourself. It’s okay to have a bad day. It’s okay to need time to yourself. It’s okay to cancel plans. I recently had to take a day off work because of my mental health, and I spent days berating myself because of it. But why? I needed that day to recover and recharge so I could go on and do the job to the best of my ability; something I probably wouldn’t have done otherwise. Always be kind to yourself!

Maybe They Know And Just Don’t Care

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This is a bit of a different post for me! I’m not a confident poet, but I came across a poem I wrote a while back and wanted to share it with you.

Let me know in the comments what you think!

The wandering hand in a dark nightclub,

the footsteps that follow on a poorly-lit street.

The wolf-whistle coming from the builder on that ledge,

“Give me a smile, love”, as they dig up the path.

The boss placing his hand on a knee in a meeting,

knowing it will stay there

until the meeting is over.

The one that is valued only for looks and

not for knowledge, experience, ideas.

The girl that feels danger walking alone at night,

but doesn’t feel safe getting a taxi on her own.

Another unwanted email with a photo attachment.

The eyes that stray across the body at work,

trying to ignore the lewd remarks and suggestive looks.

Two bodies on a train,

one edging ever closer,

oblivious to the other’s distress,

or maybe they know and just don’t care.

Schizophrenia

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As I’ve said with my last few posts in this little series, I spent a lot of time on http://www.mind.org.uk to try and understand Schizophrenia as a condition – I have no personal experience with Schizophrenia so I hope I have given it the justice and respect it deserves. Like the others, this was part of a creative writing assignment at university that I thought was worth a post. Hope you enjoy reading!

Schizophrenia is feeling lost. I’m lost inside my own reality. I can’t keep track of the truth anymore. There are a sea of voices fighting for my attention, but I don’t know who I can trust. There’s a voice, the most common voice, that tells me to do disturbing things. Things I don’t want to do. This voice tells me I don’t have a choice. Do I have a choice? There’s another voice, a soft, feminine voice, that offers words of comfort, reassurance and love. Is she real? I can hear laughter and singing, screaming and crying. Constant whispers. Soft murmurs. Shrieks of terror. Howling. Sobbing. Sighing. Acceptance.

Schizophrenia is a blend of good days and bad days. On the good days I feel grounded. I can sort through the voices and make sense of the truth.

There are more bad days than good days.

On bad days I retreat to the back of my mind, the only place where I have a chance of escaping the cruel tongue of the voice. I lose myself for hours, clinging to this feeling of safety. The voice calls to me, searching, but I travel further and further inside myself. My body is no longer my body, but a hiding place.

Eventually, though, our game of hide and seek will come to an end.

OTHER POSTS IN THIS SERIES:

Life Without Anxiety Makes Me Anxious

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I had my first panic attack at fourteen – I prayed that I would never experience anything like that again. At fifteen, when I dropped out of school, mid GCSEs, I longed to be back in a classroom. At sixteen I got my first prescription, and couldn’t wait for the day that I got my last. When I was seventeen, I had to withdraw all of my university applications, and I cried, and I cried, and I cried. At eighteen, watching all of my friends start new lives in new cities, I ached to get better.

Why, then, does life without anxiety make me feel so… anxious?

The first time I had this feeling was bizarre, to say the least. I was at university and about to do a presentation for the first time in around six years. I had had several sessions of hypnotherapy (check out Hypnosis if you like) to get me to that point, but I still held the belief that I couldn’t do it. I just knew that I’d get to the room, get set up, and completely fall apart with anxiety.

I was right about the anxiety, but wrong about the cause.

The first twinge of anxiety started on the journey there. I read over my notes, made sure I had everything in order, but I had the same thought running through my mind, over and over; why wasn’t I having a panic attack?

I slowly typed my username and password into the computer, each key bringing me closer and closer to my biggest fear. What was wrong with me? Why wasn’t I crying, hyperventilating, running from the room?

As I set up the presentation and picked up my notes, anxiety settled in the pit of my stomach. I wasn’t going to have a panic attack. I would have to present.

I realized something about myself that day. I was so sure that I would have a panic attack, and not have to go through with the presentation, that the reality of being able to face my biggest fear caused a new layer of anxiety that I have never experienced before – I was anxious because I wasn’t anxious.

I was used to hiding behind my diagnosis; I used it as a crutch. Oh, you want me to do a presentation? No, thank you. I actually have panic disorder. Did you know? Well, now you do for next time!

Panic attacks were my “normal”. I had gotten so used to experiencing anxiety and panic in certain situations that I actually expected a panic attack to occur, and when it didn’t occur, I had no idea how to handle it. What now? Am I supposed to do the thing? The thing I’ve been avoiding for years? Really?

Of course, anxiety and panic attacks are not that simple. One successful presentation doesn’t guarantee another (I found out just how truthful this statement is not that long ago), but now I have to face my new “normal” of giving things a go.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this? Let me know in the comments if you can relate!

Insomnia

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Insomnia is aching eyelids. Night after night, trying to force myself into unconsciousness. No matter how hard I try, sleep is just out of reach. I long for sleep, rest, oblivion, but it’s beyond my control. Insomnia is like a waking nightmare; I close my eyes but they are quickly prised open by an unknown force that never leaves. I feel the fingertips caress my delicate skin, gently soothing, comforting, and I start to relax. Maybe sleep is finally in my grasp. Just as I’m about to succumb to the darkness, the soft strokes change, and my eyelids are wrenched open. The fingers shred the delicate skin around my eyes until there’s nothing left; my eyes can never close.

Insomnia is begging. I beg the doctor for drugs, something, anything, that will put me to sleep. I long for darkness; for dreams; for nightmares.

OTHER POSTS IN THIS SERIES:

Addiction

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This post – like my last post, Paranoia – is based on curiosity and research (thank you, http://www.mind.org.uk) and was submitted as part of a creative university assignment based on mental health conditions.

Anyone struggling with addiction should head over to http://www.mind.org.uk and look through the resources available. There are lists of websites and phone numbers that can offer support to people suffering from addiction.

Addiction is being controlled like a puppet on a string. The strings wrap around my body with the strength of steel cables. No matter how hard I try to claw my way out of their grasp, the puppeteer pulls harder, and I’m flung into the arms of my controller; my vice. I have tried for so long, for too long, to separate myself from this toxic relationship. I know it’s toxic, but I’m in too deep. How could I possibly leave when mere hours of separation makes sweat seep from my pores? My fingers shake with need, itching to grab a cigarette from the pack; rip the cap from a bottle; roll up a fiver and make a line. Chills sweep through my body, rack my frame, and force my body to convulse violently. I hunch over the toilet, clutching the seat in my sweaty hands. I’m too hot. It’s so cold. I brush my matted hair away from my face, flinching in agony. One delicate touch on my sensitive flesh is agony. Everything aches and I know nothing but pain. Excruciating, overwhelming pain. 

OTHER POSTS IN THIS SERIES:

Paranoia

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My previous posts in this little series (Depression, Panic, Anxiety, Anorexia and OCD) all contain elements of personal experience. I did a little research along the way, but, for the most part, these are very personal accounts of how these disorders can manifest themselves within an individual.

This post, however, is a little different. I have experienced mild feelings of paranoia as a symptom of anxiety, but I have no personal experience with the disorders most closely linked to paranoia. I’ve done research on http://www.mind.org.uk to try and gain as much of an understanding as I possibly can without experiencing these conditions firsthand. This post is simply a product of curiosity, research and a creative university assignment.

Paranoia is the groping of a dozen hands. They rip my clothes from my body and tear through my skin. They gouge through my flesh with their fingernails, exposing my every thought and desire.

I know they’re watching me. They think I have no idea, but I’ve always known. They’re everywhere I go now. I saw one, just this morning. I was waiting in line for my coffee when I saw her. The teenage girl behind the counter, with thick black liner and a nose ring, and dark roots giving away her natural colour. The dark bags under her eyes highlighted the bored look on her face, and her gaze always landed back on the clock on the far wall. She took my order and asked for my name. I couldn’t let her know that I know. I had to ignore my rapid heartbeat; trembling fingers; laboured breaths. If I gave her a fake name would it give me away? They can’t know that I know, so I gave my real name. I walked to the opposite end of the counter and waited for my drink. I looked at every face in the café, trying to work out who I could trust. There was a man, maybe in his early thirties, that kept glancing in my direction. He wore a shirt and tie with the sleeves rolled up. Smart yet casual. We made eye contact, and he smiled. Could I trust this man? He looked away and took his phone from his trouser pocket, his fingers moving quickly across the screen. Rapid heartbeat. Trembling fingers. Laboured breaths. The corners of my vision began to blur and all I could focus on was the phone in his hand. Who was he texting? I frantically looked from customer to customer, desperately searching for answers. A young woman sat alone, shredding a napkin with her fingers. Her gaze alternated between her phone, resting on the table next to a mug of coffee, and the door. Her phone screen lit up with an incoming message. Rapid heartbeat. Trembling fingers. Laboured breaths. The man was texting her. They were talking about me.

My name was called. It was the teenage girl again. I looked from person to person; from the teenage girl, to the smart yet casual man, to the young woman that sat alone. They were working together. I couldn’t let them know that I know, so I reached out with a quivering hand and accepted the drink. The teenage girl told me to have a good day.

I was back on the street when I realised. The teenage girl told me to have a good day. Did she know something? Was something going to happen today? I glanced at the takeaway cup in my hand. She must have put something in my drink. I didn’t see her make it. It’s the only plausible explanation for the glances, the texting, her asking for my name. Rapid heartbeat. Trembling fingers. Laboured breaths.

I binned the drink without taking a sip. They think I have no idea, but I’ve always known.

OTHER POSTS IN THIS SERIES: