Breaking the silence

Behind the smiles...living with self harm

 Introduced by Lyn Jenkins

To Samm, who sent me this heartfelt, extraordinary piece of writing I can only say, thank you for your bravery in sharing your experiences to help others and for your advice to others who have self harm in their lives. Like many people, I have struggled to understand self harm but thanks to your selflessness here in writing about it I can now say at a basic human level, I understand, and when others who read this feel the same understanding you will have done a wonderful thing for all of us. 

Now over to Samm: 

Behind the smiles, behind the laugh, she cries in desperation for someone, anyone to see the real her. To see the pain she cannot express with words. The hurt she feels deep inside. The cuts, the pain, this is all she feels will help her cope, to keep wearing the smile and laughing to keep everyone around her feeling comfortable.

'Don't shun us, we are just like everyone else' Comic Relief mental health video

MORE than a year on, this video still packs a punch.

Schizophrenia 'horror film' from Time to Change

YOU can read a BBC report about this video and the thinking behind it here.

'I don't feel worthy of their love' - how depression makes me feel

Photo by Benleto on Flickr

THE following piece was sent from a Breaking the Silence reader who did not feel confident enough to share their identity. If you can relate to what they are feeling or can offer any words of wisdom or advice, please do so in the comments.

Today is a bad day. Is my future suffering inevitable?

SEE I wrote that heading and already I feel guilty.

I'm not really thinking about me, I'm thinking of my nearest and dearest - and the heartbreak I would cause them if I came clean about how much I can struggle.

I don't want to be a burden to them. I feel like shit.

They shouldn't have to cope with me blubbing and wailing about how weak I feel, how much of a failure I am. Today, I don't feel worthy of their love.

Fixing a last taboo: Telling young people about psychosis

Mental Health: The Last Taboo from ITV Fixers on Vimeo.

ITV Yorkshire viewers saw Megan Mennell drawing on her experience of psychosis to raise awareness on how to spot early signs and understanding mental illness.

New website for pyschosis sufferers and carers

From Brighter Futures Counselling blog

A NEW evidence based website has been launched offering support and advice to relatives and friends of people suffering from psychosis - including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Written in simple language, the website aims to dispel myths and misinformation about psychosis and provide information about medication and treatments such as talking therapies and explain how mental health services work. 

'Mummy, what's the black dog?' How do you explain mental illness to children?

BLOGGER Tattie Weasle wrote earlier this month about how she talks about her depression to her children.

It's a post that really got me thinking.

When I was ill, I used to tell my daughters that "sometimes I get a bit sad."

That seemed to do. They were very young but they greeted this news with a cuddle and a "I love you" - which was very nice of course.

I didn't feel I needed to protect them from my illness. I felt they should know. I wasn't my normal self and they needed to know why. They'd already noticed a change in me and I didn't want them to be more confused than they already were by this.

Do you know the next Mind Journalist of the Year?

Introduced by Lyn Jenkins

Mind, a leading national charity for mental health, is looking for its Journalist of the Year 2010.

Here last year's winner, Eleanor Harding, talks about the work that won her the award and the effect writing about mental health has had on her and her career:

"The award was in recognition of articles written for our newsgroup's campaign, "Mental Health, It's Everyone's Business". We published fortnightly features which aimed to destroy the myths surrounding mental illness, something we learnt much from ourselves. The articles explored a range of illnesses including body dysmorphic disorder, schizophrenia and post traumatic stress disorder. Through interviews with experts and case studies, we were able to create concise, fact-based articles which we felt raised awareness of mental illness while showing the local community where they could go to for help.

'Happiness takes work' by Philip Marsh

Introduced by Linda Jones

PHILIP contributed to a piece I wrote about depression among journalists. 

He also sent me the following piece, which now that I am well, I look at differently. When I was depressed, I read Philip's words and nodded along, agreeing that happiness was dependant on your life, work and friendship.

But now as I read it, I find myself wanting to butt in, and tell the writer it's okay to be sad and that sometimes this is a health issue and nobody's fault.

A carer's cry for help: The reality of living with someone with mental distress

Introduced by Lyn Jenkins

'BECOMING a carer' suggests some kind of conscious decision but for most people that isn't the reality...they have not chosen to become a carer.

They had their own goals, dreams for the future and emotional needs to be met. Someone they loved reached a stage, physically or emotionally, where they needed help. Being a carer, in more cases than not, has little to do with choice, ability, preparedness and everything to do with being the nearest human being that 'cares about' this person.

Here, carer Nickie O'Hara talks honestly and movingly about the frustration, distress and dedication of becoming a carer of someone experiencing mental distress: 

WHEN you are the partner of a sufferer of mental health there is not an awful lot you can do to help them.  You have no idea what is going on inside their head as, a lot of the time, it is impossible for them to explain it.  Even if you do have personal experience of mental illness it will not compare.  Depression is a silent illness. It has no outward symptoms and can easily be dismissed.  My partner has officially had severe depression for ten years and for five of those years there have been many occasions where I have wanted to scream.