Saturday 9 November 2013

Hello potential reader, just please don't flame me!


This is either brave or stupid, but then playing without arm pads against ball speeds of 100mph, or forgoing padded shorts just to get a slight advantage of faster movement, without  (touch wood, never happened, but please don’t go away and copy this if you don't understand the technique and are not naturally fearless; do as I say, not as I do!). But regardless, I don't want sit back or tolerate this kind of behaviour that often makes me a second class citizen in the eyes of people who prefer to hate what they don't understand. And I just want to prove that it can affect anyone, anyone, from your shelf stacker to your celebrity to your inbetween office worker. Not to use the wrong words to demean the awful tragedy of Robert Enke, it , but if I keep, then it’s probably going to kill me and life is too precious for that to be allowed by others to happen.

People avoid talking about it, understandably, because of the fear of what would happen if people find out. But that's not going to change things. Like Salman Rushdie has always said, if you have to deal with silencing the bigots and cowards, you're going to have to learn how to shout even louder. Everyone has their life struggles, their cross to bear, their personal scars and burdens, but mental illness whilst being as hard as family problems or whatever else, is a different experience with a changed lens of perspective on this thing called life. And trying to breakdown false stereotypes and a culture of fear thanks to films and media, makes this difficult , as it is hard enough as it is for others to offer the chance to help with others going through similar experiences.

Doing this I’ve got to come out of hiding about secrets I have kept for my whole life. But one thing I do know for certain (from  experience) is that it is no good doing this. You cannot suffer in silence, in the worst times in the darkest places, you can’t shut yourself off or try and go it alone. 

I will use the blog to discuss issues to try and help with understanding and developing your own coping strategies akin to Byron Katie and other examples, as well as whatever life throws up as I make my journey through it.

So, yeah, please don't ridicule, flame, or troll. I hope it's of some use!!