Mental Wellness

Let me begin by telling you a little bit about me. I am an outgoing person; I am sociable; I love people and, when I'm well, I get energy from being around them (this makes me an extrovert). I am a happy person; op timistic and a believer in people being fundamentally good. I am trusting of others.   I also have an anxiety disorder. This series Inspired by an  excellent photography exhibition on anxiety and mental illness by Danielle Langham, over the next few posts, I would like to talk to you about anxiety.  This post will discuss the main features of anxiety in terms of Psychology , Neurobiology , and Symptomatology (I could have just said ' symptoms ' then, but I was enjoying the flow too much - I do love lexicology 😉).  In upcoming posts ,  I will discuss my own experience of anxiety, secondary to Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD), and finally, I will give you tips on how to cope with, and reduce, your anxiety . This will...

So you've got through part one of the blog about w hy eating can be so difficult for people with moderate to severe mental illness , and you now have your free zero-preparation food list and tips around how to make steps 1-5 more easily  digestible . Shall we continue to break down the process ? 6)  Deciding w hat to eat By having  snacks and zero-preparation foods dotted around your house and, importantly, within easy reaching distance , you may already find yourself with increased appetite, motivation and ideas on what to eat at a given time. If,  like me, your illness is variable, and there are times you feel you have a little more energy , you can use this time to plan ahead .  You could write a short list on your phone , or on a notepad next to your bed . If it's too much to do alone, ask a friend, partner, family member or mental health professional to help you do this.     I like to think of...

Getting a well-balanced diet isn't easy at the best of times, however for somebody with a mental illness, and in particular  moderate/severe mental illness ,  eating anything  at all can feel a truly  insurmountable  task. A planning, shopping, eating, kitchen nightmare . Let us digest the stages involved in eating at home: Planning the food shop Going to the shops Doing the food shop in a highly stimulating environment (noise, people, brand packaging) Going home Unpacking the food shop Deciding on what you want to eat at a given time Planning how to prepare the meal Getting the food from the fridge/cupboards Preparing your meal Eating your meal Washing the dishes Drying the dishes Putting the dishes away Collapse in a heap Now, not everyone necessarily does all these stages all of the time, but, can we just agree that it is never as simple as imagining a meal and it magically appearing in front of you !...