Saturday 10 October 2020

World Mental Health Day 2020

Where to begin with this utter shitshow of a year?

From Coronavirus to the rise of the far-right to the impending financial collapse of humanity, it does somewhat feel like we're experiencing the series finale of humanity. It's been like living in a novel co-written by George R. R. Martin, George Orwell and Bill Hicks. And not in a fun way.

Unsurprisingly, the unique set of conditions created by these "uncertain times" (as it seems must be mentioned in every single email, just in case we hadn't noticed the slow-motion apocalypse that's been unfolding in front of us) has had an incredible impact on the mental wellbeing of so many people in so many difficult ways.

Be it being separated from family, seeing their jobs at risk due to economic consequences or those who have not been able to say a proper final goodbye to their loved ones, 2020 has unleashed an unrelenting series of toes to the baws with no respite in sight.

The mental health services, which have been torn to shreds along with the rest of the NHS, have been placed under further strain from this. They cannot properly provide for the number of people who require their services. They couldn't before. What chance had they now?

Pubs and cafes were re-opened before counselling and therapy sessions. Not to diminish the importance of the hospitality industry - which has also been force fed a shit sandwich at this time - but for so many these sessions are vital for their recovery and their wellbeing. It is ridiculous that not more has been done to address this issue. The government have abandoned this issue and have gone to chase an economy and a Brexit that appear to both already be irreparably damaged.

To compound this neglect even further, the only time a lot of people have seemed to give two shits about the mental wellbeing of others has been as a justification to lift some of the restrictions placed to help tackle Coronavirus. This selfish behaviour only serves to trivialise the plight of those who are struggling with their mental wellbeing, acting as if a couple of pints can cure depression, anxiety, BPD etc.

Yes, it is important to combat loneliness, and the hospitality industry will need support in the aftermath of this, but in terms of helping with people's mental wellbeing, there are far more immediate concerns. That the government has failed to address this shows that their approach to mental wellbeing is little more than lip service.

On the subject of the government's failings, the fact that the furlough scheme is due to come to an end at the end of October is ridiculous. In Germany it is guaranteed to cover a period of two years. In Ireland it is one year. In the UK, 8 months. At the same time we can't afford to support the arts, or give nurses and keyworkers a pay rise, but we can afford to give MPs a raise of £3,300 and to spend £120m on track and trace software than runs on Microsoft Excel 2003. 

It has never been more obvious; the Tories do not give a fuck about anyone apart from themselves and their friends. And until they are either properly held to account or ousted from power nothing will change.

That is why it is more important than ever that we look after each other as well as ourselves. It is not enough to just say "open up" or "be kind" or any other such hashtags. If you can help someone then please do. If you want to help someone open up be someone they can open up to. 

Selfishness and self-interest has helped drag us into the horrendous situation we are just now. It is time to realise the impact we have on the world around us. It is time to remind ourselves that there is such a thing as society.

Look after yourselves.
Love each other.
Fuck it and fight it.
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Saturday 21 March 2020

Corona no dae that? A rant about Covid-19

These are interesting, frightening and deeply uncertain times we are living in. 

For many social life has been abandoned, jobs have been lost (in some cases due to morally bankrupt companies abandoning them, for example G1 in Glasgow and Britannia hotels in Aviemore among others) and people an uncertainty that is not comparable to anything we have seen for generations.

It has been met with some ridiculous behaviour. The UK & Scottish governments reacted with all the pace of a snail climbing a small hill. Schools & nurseries  are closed to most children (I had to try and explain to my three-year-old that she wouldn't be going to nursery for a while,  that was absolutely horrid because she can't grasp the severity of the situation). Idiots are hurling abuse at doctors and nurses, people who are doing everything they can to help look after our health and wellbeing after a decade of seeing their resources decimated in the name of austerity. People are ignoring advice regarding social distancing with many revelling in their arseholery. Others are stocking up on toilet paper, kitchen roll and hand sanitizer (which is way less effective than washing your hands), fighting over these commodities in order to make sure they're alright and fuck everyone else one month after we were all saying #BeKind. 

Whilst it has brought out the worst in some, almost to the extent that when this storm passes we could dedicate a Hall Of Shame, it has also brought out the best in humanity, with tremendous acts of charity, compassion and community abound. It has reminded many that it is important not just to look after one's self, but also each other. We're not islands, we're not separate despite all those trying to separate us, we as humans are connected and feel each other's pain.

Having said that, it is extremely important to look after ourselves. These uncertain times can take a tremendous toll on our mental wellbeing, and I personally have felt my anxiety and depression being exacerbated by the storm of uncertainty we are trapped in. But storms pass. They can leave us feeling battered and weary, but it won't last. If you need help to get through the tempest there is nothing wrong with asking for it, be it talking to a friend,  a doctor,  a counsellor or whoever. The storm will pass, and in the meantime we have to find our way to dance in the rain.

Whatever platform you see this on please feel free to message me if you want to. Please look after each other. Keep being wonderful and wash your bloody hands.

Fuck it and fight it.
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Saturday 23 November 2019

The Blog With Nothing To Say

I haven't died. I haven't gone missing. I haven't been abducted by aliens.

I haven't posted for a long time because I've felt that I haven't anything really worthwhile to contribute.

I've had a shite year, full of stress, poor mental wellbeing and physical sickness - who the fuck gets gout at 27?! I mean seriously?!

I feel like nothing is clicking in my life, and I know a large part of it is down to me. Nothing is going my way so my head's dropped and I'm not chasing things because I'm approaching them from a profoundly negative "nothing goes my way this won't either why bother" attitude. I don't feel the enthusiasm or motivation I should to escape from this rut at this point.

As such I haven't felt like I've had anything to contribute. Throughout my life I've been fighting the idea that's seemingly from nowhere tattooed on my psyche that "I'm nothing special" and this year hasn't been great in terms of that battle. Maybe getting this off my chest is the first step to getting back to being myself. 

I've gotten out of this rut before, but it doesn't make the climb any easier. 

Look after yourselves.

Fuck it and fight it. 
X

Thursday 10 October 2019

World Mental Health Day

I have seen a number of posts referring to the importance of World Mental Health Day. Rightfully so. It's a frightfully important subject and it's only right that awareness is raised.

But it's simply not enough.

Going through my social media I've seen stories of people seeking urgent assistance with their mental wellbeing only to be met with a 34 week wait. I myself have only recently started a course of CBT over the phone after seeking assistance for over a year.

What is the point in encouraging people to open up when there is nobody there to help them? I would never want to do anything to put people off discussing their mental health but it is not enough to just encourage this. More has to be done to help.

Since 2011 mental health trusts - in spite of frequent government promises of record spending - have suffered in real terms losses of their annual budgets, the number of people dying by suicide has more than doubled in some areas and the resources available to those who reach out are rapidly diminishing.

But the UK Government have come out and launched a new campaign with a catchy new name and probably a good hashtag so that'll help.

If you're struggling please do reach out. Please do talk about how you are feeling. But do not think it is acceptable for you to be treated as a second-class citizen. You deserve to be happy. You deserve to be healthy. You deserve to exist.

You're more than a hashtag. You're here and you matter.

Fuck it and fight it
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Saturday 24 August 2019

The Unforgiven

I feel like I'm a walking waste of potential and there's nobody to blame but myself.

I have ideas I want to pursue but talk myself out of them before even trying. I get halfway through job applications then just abandon them because I know I'm not going to get it. I have creative ideas I want to try out but don't because I'm terrified of having it confirmed to me that they're shite ideas, executed in a shite manner because I'm shite.

I'm stuck in this awful loop. I'm terrified of being a failure which means I don't try things which means nothing changes which makes me feel like a failure. I'm just stagnating and can't find the motivation to get out of this rut and I hate it.

I really fucking hate it. And it's my own fault I'm in this rut. Because every time things seem to be going well I find a way to kick myself back into it.

I never give myself any credit and don't see my achievements as achievements but rather as glorified failures.

I'm not flying, I'm falling with style.

And I don't know how to stop thinking this way, which just makes me frustrated and irritable and not fun to be around.

I want to get better. I want to be more positive. But I don't know how or where to start. I will keep fighting and trying because what other choice do I have?

I'm starting CBT soon, hopefully that'll help. Hopefully it'll help pull me out of the mire I've got myself stuck in again. Hopefully I'll be able to overcome this mental block and get back to doing things. Because I'm not willing to give up yet. I'm not dead yet. I can still fix this. Then maybe I can forgive myself.

What I've felt
What I've known
Never shined through in what I've shown
Never be
Never see
Won't see what might have been
What I've felt
What I've known
Never shined through in what I've shown
Never free
Never me
So I dub thee unforgiven

Fuck it and fight it x

Monday 5 August 2019

Leigh Leigh Super Leigh

On Saturday I took my dad to the Celtic - St Johnstone match as his Father's Day gift. Throughout my struggles with my head my family have been a tremendous source of love and support, and I love being able to spend happy times with them because their have been a lot of less happy times.

It was Flag Day - the first game of the new season, an opportunity to celebrate the success of the previous season and, considering how much the two of us love Celtic, a great day out.

The match ended 7-0 Celtic with a number of great goals scored but one in particular meant more to me than the others; the final goal, scored by Leigh Griffiths.

It was Griffiths first league appearance for Celtic in 8 months after taking time to recover from mental health issues - not something often discussed in football. Since his return to the squad Griffiths has opened up about his mental health and shared his experience in the hope that it will help others to open up and help them with their battles.

The goal he scored he took well but it was a cherry on top - the game had been won long before his shot hit the back of the net - yet it meant so much for me to see him back on top of his game.

I always love seeing people who have been in a dark place come out the other side of it, be it friends finding happiness in a new career, or a new relationship, or finally achieving a dream which once seemed so far out of their reach. Seeing others do it helps me know that I can get through the darkness as well. Celebrating someone doing that with 50,000 others appreciating that same fact was something that felt very special. Sharing that with my dad made it even more special.

Fuck it and fight it.
Hail hail.

Friday 26 July 2019

We're (Over) Halfway There

We're coming to the end of July and this year has been a weird one so far.

It hasn't been a bad one, although there have been a lot of frustrations and rough patches, but it hasn't been great.

I don't feel that I've developed much at all, in terms of professional life, personal life and my mental health. I feel that I have stagnated and let myself fall into a familiar hole. And despite the fact it's a familiar hole, I never seem able to find the bloody ladder out.

I've reached out for help again, and put myself in for CBT over the phone. Maybe not as appealing as doing it face-to-face, but a 4 week wait was much more appealing than a 34 week wait (at best). However, the wait in getting started has served to increase this frustration. Another thing that, for now, isn't improving or changing.

I'm still an expert in beating myself up, and find myself in a state of dissociation far more often than I would like. Either nothing matters all that much or the smallest thing going wrong feels like a complete and utter catastrophe. This only ever seems to work when it comes to negative things, never positives. My achievements don't feel like achievements, but rather glorified failures.

I know that I need to rewire my brain to try and get out of this mindset - I have been told this often enough by a number of different people. I just don't know how to. I desperately want to but I don't where to start.

Fuck it and fight it.
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