My personal experience of living with social and generalised anxiety disorders, seasonal affective disorder, depression, fibromyalgia, joint hypermobility and undiagnosed complex PTSD, and my experience with counselling, therapies and self-help. Challenging the stigma and discrimination around mental illness through sharing of my lived experience. Proud to endorse the Mental Health Media Charter – further info here https://www.natashadevon.com/the-mental-health-media-charter
Rather a grand title isn't it. True though. It's now the middle of November and we're tiptoeing into the wintery, dark months. Unfortunately for me, and a lot of other people, that means usually one thing. Season affective disorder comes knocking. Mine decided to finally officially join the table a couple of weeks ago, after … Continue reading Changing of the season
Well it's Thursday 10th October 2019. Another normal day you think. In fact it's a very important day - today is World Mental Health Day. A day to be aware of our own and others mental health. A day to show that mental health and mental illness are in fact different. Mental health is something … Continue reading World Mental Health Day 2019 – Me
Been a while but I'm back again. Had an almost 'lightbulb' moment not long ago when I came across a Facebook post about something called "gaslighting". I don't know what made me read it but I had a sudden moment of realisation. Reading it, I realised this was likely what happened to me. That's kind … Continue reading Bulb 💡
Well last week I finally did it. I left my job. At the moment it's quite a difficult thing to adjust to but realistically was the only option. The people were amazing frankly, and were what kept me sane and hanging on for grim death for so long, but I just couldn't adapt and cope … Continue reading Ok. Or?
At the moment we're only a few days from Christmas, should be a happy time right? Not for some of us unlucky sods. At the moment, I've been signed off sick thanks to my old friend anxiety returning with a vengeance. On top of this I've been ill with what started as a chest infection … Continue reading Exhausted
Well you can tell I'm Yorkshire by the title can't you!! In all seriousness, since I last posted, I have struggled. I went back to work but regretted going back and effectively diving in headfirst into what I'd been doing before in terms of workload. Yeah. Didn't entirely go well. Doesn't need much more saying … Continue reading Not reet.
So I'm here in the second week of tapering off my citalopram and next week I start sertraline. So far, frankly it's been hell on wheels. I feel an absolute fucking mess. My judgement is terrible, I can't sleep without medication at the moment, my moods are all over. I swing from okay to tears … Continue reading Tears and tablets
So today has been....well.....I dunno So today I had a migraine. Not unusual you might think. I had one yesterday too which is strange for me. Both times I took my prescribed migraine meds - sumatriptan. Now apparently it's known that there can be interactions between citalopram and sumatriptan with sumatriptan decreasing the efficacy otherwise … Continue reading Migraine
So my last post about making progress. I've seemingly got a bit of a roll on. As I'm writing this bit of the post at 10pm ish on Tuesday 10th July, the past 5 days including today have been pretty much minimal or free of anxiety. Today has also potentially showed how far I've come … Continue reading Calm.
So I feel like I've made some real progress not in terms of absolutely mountainous steps but apparently concrete progress. Over the last few days I've had situations triggering anxiety which would have normally put me 'out of action' so to speak for a full day causing a lack of focus in work and in … Continue reading Contact.
Anxiety and Me 