-
-
My heart was in my mouth while reading this list from Sam @the_nicu_mummy. The fear and the anxiety around your child being ill is just horrendous. For Sam, her nightmare began during pregnancy and then straight after giving birth, her baby boy was taken to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, which is somewhere you never hope to find yourself.…
-
This powerful list was written after the writer's abusive relationship ended but those chest-tightening feelings of anxiety are still ever-present. The unrelenting fear she lived with for years isn't far below the surface and she still crumbles even in the gentlest breeze, and yet her strength shines through. Thank you so much for sharing your important story...…
-
Struggling through years of debilitating insomnia, brain fog and anxiety, and heartbreakingly while trying for a baby, Nicola discovered she was postmenopausal - aged just 38. The menopause is something that will affect half the population but you assume it happens later in life, right? Nope, not always the case. And so thanks to people like Nicola, the more it's spoken about, the more the silence is broken and the more we can all help each other. Which can only be a good thing.…
-
Each year, hundreds of people take their own lives because of a gambling addiction. That's a shocking statistic. When I think of addiction, my mind usually goes straight to wondering what life must be like for the person directly affected, but I don't always think about their loved ones. And actually, their lives are turned completely upside down as well. As this anonymous writer shares, all trust was lost in her relationship, and she had no idea how what to do or how she would cope... …
-
One way or another, we've all had a grim year, but to be working for the NHS during the pandemic requires a whole different level of resilience. As a consultant in intensive care, Dr Carmen Lopez Soto really has seen it all. She's cared for the sickest patients and had the most heart-breaking conversations with their loved ones. I genuinely don't know how she has got through it - and is still going through it. I am in awe of her...…
-
After my first baby, I was exhausted, lonely, terrified and felt like I was walking through glue, but assumed this was normal; this was how all new mums felt, wasn't it? It was only later, when I looked back, I realised I'd been suffering from postnatal depression. Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week starts tomorrow and with that in mind Iwona Pinkowicz wanted to share her incredibly honest story about how she had to reach breaking point before she was diagnosed with PND...…
-
Today seems like a good moment to share this one. I have been recording the audiobook version of my book 'BUT WHY?' week and I found it really tough. I had forgotten that being dyslexic makes reading out loud from a script challenging; I can't seem to get my eyes, brain, and mouth to communicate to one another properly. With this in mind Frankie Watkin's account of how dyslexia impacted her self-esteem felt entirely relatable and relevant. Thank you Frankie .…
-
Like many, I have been feeling the pinch (understatement) of the last year - balancing work and kids has felt more relentless than ever. However, this list from an anonymous writer made me stop and think. Stress and pressure are tough for everyone, but having to be at the receiving end of disrespect and abuse, with next to no rest must feel utterly gruelling. …