Who We Are.

I've had an acute mental health diagnosis for 24 years. Initially misdiagnosed with schizophrenia aged 24, then changed to Bipolar One around the age of 30. One element I recall, from those early encounters with chronic mental health, is that the condition and the words associated with it really messed with the core identity of…

No Kanye, Bipolar Ain’t No Superpower.

My Kanye West can at best be described as a bit of a muddle of a man. One day espousing the plight of the African American, the next being a very public advocate of Donald Trump, the later being a man who shows little fear of being openly racist about the same community. So when…

More Opinions. (John)

it would be better to ask me a question about my life and learn something than have an opinion on it and learn nothing. (Elle) Today's blog by me was all going to be about endorphins and me having taken up a wee bit of running. (We'll come to that another day) But after reading Elle's…

Opinions (Elle)

Well, up until now John and I have been building the blog as a kind of extended gentle conversation on whatever comes to our minds relating to mental health. I'm sorry – but I want to take a small step off the path for long enough to just get something off my chest and out…

Inclusivity (Elle)

I think John's latest post  is his best yet – and i'm chuffed that he might think i've got some of that punk attitude. Coming from John, whose sense of inclusivity i've always admired, I take it as a big complement. So i've been thinking hard about inclusivity. I'm going to get a bit philosophical…

Sometimes a bit of back-up helps….

  I don't generally follow 'celebrities with mental illnesses'; nor do I find myself asssociating with the '50 famous artists with bipolar disorder' etc.  Bipolar disorder is often associated with creativity, for example, but we'd be sensible to hold this lightly.  John has talked about this previously.  The harsh truth is that many with bipolar…

Further Insights (John)

Insight is fascinating. To have insight into our condition is a human endeavor for self-reflective people. I think Elle's last blog was (if you'll pardon the pun) highly insightful. Her thoughts and experiences regarding insight, while you are under the cosh of delusional psychosis, really chime with my own experiences. I too have experienced flux…

Insight (Elle)

John's last post about signs has me smiling. Sometimes when you're deluded the signs are massive and neon with flashing lights and the whole universe pours into that moment and makes complete sense of everything. You're probably quite unwell at this point. Any feeling of omnipotence, or feeling like you have a divine purpose in life…