I'M NOT DISORDERED TAKES PART IN THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD RESEARCH STUDY | AD

The University of Sheffield have developed a questionnaire called ReQoL (Recovering Quality of Life) to help understand feelings and monitor the progress of recovery and quality of life for people who have different mental health conditions.

The research is being carried out by the University of Sheffield and is funded by the Department of Health.

It involves a quick (5-10 minutes) multiple choice questionnaire that does not affect your care.

For more information on the study please contact Dr Anju Keetharuth at the University of Sheffield by email at reqol@sheffield.ac.uk or by telephone on: 0114 222 0884

You can also read about the findings of the study and more details on the website: http://www.reqol.org.uk

A QUICK CHAT ABOUT MANIPULATION

manipulate

[muh-nip-yuh-leyt] /məˈnɪp yəˌleɪt/

verb (used with object), manipulated, manipulating.

1. To manage or influence skilfully, especially in an unfair manner: to manipulate people's feelings.

2. To handle, manage, or use, especially with skill, in some process of treatment or performance: to manipulate a large tractor.

3. To adapt or change (accounts, figures, etc.) to suit one's purpose or advantage.

4. Medicine/Medical. to examine or treat by skilful use of the hands, as in palpation, reduction of dislocations, or changing the position of a foetus.

I thought that I’d put the definition there because manipulation is something that can occur without you even knowing – or realising – it. And maybe someone will read this post and realise what is being done to them and seek the right help that they need to make it stop. And this is the point of my post – I had no idea when I was being manipulated (the Police, and mental health professionals have also referred to it as grooming which, I realise, is different but the two are linked so closely that I’d say both occurred. To me).

STRUGGLING IN RECOVERY IS NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF | MY THOUGHTS ON MY RECENT SECTIONING

So I’ve talked recently about my mental health deterioration.

It kind of started on March 19^th with an overdose (that I’ve talked about here) and ever since I’ve been under the care of the Crisis Team.

From early April I started to feel much better and began having less thoughts to overdose, with the voices quietening down and the visual hallucinations lessening. I decided that it’d be positive, and rewarding to complete my planned work for Cygnet Healthcare at their National Service User Awards 2018 (#NSUA2018 on Twitter) and made the decision to travel to Coventry for the event on April 11^th.

I still wouldn’t say that was a mistake. That I got sectioned being there… it could’ve happened anywhere. At any time. If anything; I think it was probably overdue!

It’s difficult to fully talk about the situation that led to me being in A&E from the Awards, but it was basically due to a health reason and because of the result of that, my mental health deteriorated once more.

WORDS CHANGE THEIR MEANING IN RECOVERY

struggle

ˈstrʌɡ(ə)l/

verb

gerund or present participle: struggling

1.     make forceful or violent efforts to get free of restraint or constriction.

"before she could struggle, he lifted her up"

And it's not like when people use 'love' in different ways and to different people.

“I’m struggling” is something I’ve said a number of times in my life - like, a countless amount of times. But slowly, over the course of my mental health journey - I won’t say ‘recovery’ because I’m currently sectioned under the Mental Health Act and in a Psychiatric Hospital; so ‘recovery’ is debateable right now – that word that sentence, has begun to change it’s meaning…

NATIONAL SERVICE USER AWARDS 2018 | #NSUA2018

[Note to see who won each category; follow #NSUA2018 on Twitter!]

I remember when I was in Cygnet Hospital Bierley and they first mentioned the National ServiceUser Awards (NSUAs) and I couldn’t have been more interested! It was only the second time that Cygnet Healthcare had hosted the NSUAs and so there wasn’t much experience or knowledge when it came to the invitations I was involved – and by that I mean that I hand-made every single one!

The following year, I attended as a finalist alongside YoungMinds in one of the categories and we won!

So, this year, when I got told that I could have a spot doing the social media for the 2018 NSUAs I was over the moon and very excited! After many talks I was finally named the Event Blogger and then the Head of Social Media took poorly on the actual day of the Awards, I stepped up and attempted to fill his shoes with a barrage of tweets (each with the #NSUA2018 hashtag!).