Learn to destroy bad habits and to add good ones that will transform your life!

There is a reason that you have struggled to lose weight or to quit smoking. It’s the same reason that you haven’t taken up that new hobby, started exercising or began to write that novel. It’s the same reason that has caused you to give up on every new year’s resolution.

If you share your mental illness with someone, you are asking them to imagine a condition they can only read about and can’t experience.

Really you are asking them to change the lens that they view the world by. To overlay upon their reality, one of your condition. They have to put that lens over every situation that they have ever lived through, every action both minor and major, every interpersonal interaction, as well as over their hopes and plans for the future.

As part of my first university degree, I was required to write an essay on suicide and analyse why there is a significant difference between the suicide completion rates between males and females. It was a critical analysis essay, so the writing style somewhat different to my usual. I share it here now in the thoughts that someone may gain something from reading my essay on suicide:

I don't know where to start other then by saying that writing saved my life, and I wanted to share that with you. Writing has been a lifeline for me throughout my journey with mental health challenges. In moments of deep despair and confusion, putting pen to paper has provided a powerful outlet for my thoughts and emotions, helping me to process my experiences and find clarity.

Each time that I was close to following through, one thought kept coming to mind. It was so poignant that I couldn’t shake it: before making a permanent decision, give yourself the chance to try before you die - try everything you’ve ever dreamed of - you might just find a reason to stay.