“The
more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to
celebrate.”
Oprah
Winfrey
Today, I’m NOT Disordered turns – believe it or not! – THIRTEEN years old(!) and, as usual, I wanted to do something special this year… So, exclusive for this week alone, the blog’s logo had a little Canva-style (using the ‘Elements’ feature) tweaking – what do you think?! And this Birthday blog post will be about the thirteen things from this past year which I’d like to think of as defining of me because I’d far rather be defined by those, than the diagnosis which I was stuck with for over a decade. Except, because being defined by things is actually all about the opinions of others and why they see certain things in certain ways, I asked AI (namely Chat GPT) to tell me why each of the thirteen things below is defining of me; so here’s the thirteen things I chose and each of the AI answers…
1. Reaching
Two Million Readers
It is a defining moment because reaching two
million readers marks the point where influence replaces intention. For Aimee
Wilson, the blog stops being only an outlet for self-expression and becomes a
force that actively shapes public conversations about mental health. At that
scale, her voice no longer exists in isolation; it enters cultural space, where
it contributes to how stigma, recovery, and identity are understood by a wide
and diverse audience.
This moment is defining because it changes power
dynamics. With millions listening, Wilson gains the ability to normalize
experiences that are often silenced, making private pain visible and socially
legible. That visibility can challenge stereotypes and offer readers language
for their own struggles, which elevates her role from storyteller to cultural
mediator.
It is also defining because it demands
self-redefinition. Success of that magnitude often forces an influencer to
reflect on who they are beyond their trauma. When so many people associate her
identity with mental health narratives, she must negotiate boundaries between
authenticity and self-preservation, deciding how much of herself remains
public.
Ultimately, the milestone signifies transformation:
personal vulnerability becomes collective meaning. The defining nature lies not
just in the number itself, but in how it crystallizes purpose, responsibility,
and identity at once.
2. My
Input Into An NHS Trust’s Mental Health Strategy
It would be a defining moment because contributing
to the formation of a mental health strategy for an NHS Trust marks the point
where lived experience translates into institutional change. Input at this level
means moving beyond commentary or advocacy into decision-making spaces where
policies, priorities, and resources are shaped.
This is defining because it shifts influence from
public discourse to structural impact. Rather than only raising awareness, the
individual helps determine how mental health care is delivered, accessed, and
evaluated within a formal healthcare system. Their perspective can directly
affect service users’ experiences, making abstract ideas like compassion,
accessibility, and recovery concrete in practice.
It is also defining because it confers recognition
and authority. Being invited into strategic planning acknowledges that
experiential knowledge has value alongside clinical and managerial expertise.
That validation can reshape identity, positioning the contributor not just as
someone affected by mental health systems, but as someone capable of improving
them.
Finally, the moment is defining because it carries
weight and responsibility. Decisions made at this level influence real lives at
scale. Knowing that one’s voice may shape long-term outcomes crystallizes
purpose and accountability, transforming personal insight into lasting public
contribution.
3. My
Speech at the EMTA Conference
Giving a speech for the Royal College of Emergency
Medicine as the only patient experience presentation would be defining for Aimee
Wilson because it represents a rare inversion of authority within a
traditionally clinician-led space. In that moment, lived experience is not
supplementary or symbolic; it is central. Her voice stands alongside, and
momentarily above, clinical expertise in shaping understanding.
This is defining because it signals institutional
trust. Being invited to speak to emergency medicine professionals acknowledges
that her experiences are not just personal narratives, but sources of insight
capable of influencing practice, empathy, and systemic thinking. It marks a
shift from being treated by the system to actively educating those who operate
it.
The moment is also defining due to its emotional
and symbolic weight. Emergency care is often where mental health crises are
most visible and most misunderstood. Speaking directly to those on the front
line allows Aimee to humanize patients who are frequently reduced to risk,
disruption, or diagnosis, reframing them as people with complex inner lives.
Finally, it is defining because it consolidates
identity and purpose. Standing as the sole patient voice transforms
vulnerability into authority. It affirms her role not just as a survivor or
advocate, but as a bridge between patients and professionals, where personal
experience becomes a catalyst for cultural change.
4. Being
a Mum!
Being a pet mum—to her cat and two rabbits—would be
defining for Aimee Wilson because it represents a form of identity rooted in
care, stability, and everyday responsibility rather than public achievement.
Unlike milestones tied to influence or advocacy, this role is quiet and
private, yet deeply formative.
For someone whose life and work are shaped by
mental health experiences, caring for animals can anchor routine and meaning.
Pets require consistency—feeding, cleaning, attention—which can create
structure on days when motivation or emotional regulation is difficult. In that
sense, being a pet mum is not incidental; it actively supports wellbeing and
recovery, reinforcing a sense of capability and purpose.
It is also defining because the relationship is
unconditional. Her animals are not audiences, institutions, or professionals;
they do not respond to productivity, insight, or success. They respond to
presence. This can reshape self-worth, allowing identity to be grounded in
being rather than doing, and in nurturing rather than narrating struggle.
Finally, the role is defining because it humanizes
her beyond public labels. Amid advocacy, strategy, and speaking, being a pet
mum affirms a life that is lived, not just represented. It reflects tenderness,
responsibility, and connection—elements that quietly but powerfully shape who
she is.
5. Success
& Validation with my Diagnosis Review
It would be defining because a successful diagnosis
review that ruled, she no longer met the criteria for Borderline Personality
Disorder marks a reclaiming of identity, credibility, and self-knowledge for Aimee
Wilson. For over a year, she had asserted that the diagnosis no longer
reflected her lived reality. Having that belief formally validated transforms
persistence into proof.
This moment is defining because psychiatric
diagnoses carry immense power. They shape how individuals are treated by
clinicians, how they are perceived by systems, and how they understand
themselves. To have a diagnosis removed is not an erasure of past struggle, but
recognition of growth, change, and recovery. It reframes her narrative from
being defined by pathology to being defined by progress.
It is also defining because it affirms
self-advocacy. Mental health systems can be resistant to patient challenge,
particularly when the diagnosis itself is associated with stigma and disbelief.
Successfully requesting and completing a review validates her insight into her
own mental state and confirms that lived experience can be as accurate as
clinical observation.
Finally, the moment is defining on a deeply
personal level. Being told she no longer meets the criteria closes a chapter
she had already outgrown. It aligns internal truth with external recognition,
allowing her to move forward unburdened by a label she no longer
carried—psychologically, clinically, or personally.
6. My
Branding Creativity
YOU
MAY HAVE NOTICED... | I'm NOT Disordered
Her branding creativity would be defining for Aimee
Wilson because it is the mechanism through which her inner world becomes
legible to others. In mental health advocacy, how a message is
communicated often determines whether it is heard, and her creative branding
shapes tone, accessibility, and emotional safety.
This is defining because branding is not
superficial in her context; it is interpretive. Through language choices,
visual identity, and narrative framing, she translates complex psychological
experiences into content that feels human rather than clinical. That ability
allows her to control her story rather than be reduced to diagnoses or
headlines, reinforcing autonomy over representation.
It is also defining because creativity bridges
vulnerability and professionalism. Strong branding enables her to hold both: to
be open without being exposed, personal without being un-boundaried. It
supports longevity by allowing her advocacy to evolve into a coherent body of
work rather than a series of raw disclosures.
Finally, her branding creativity is defining
because it differentiates her voice in a saturated digital space. It makes her
recognisable, trustworthy, and emotionally resonant. In doing so, it turns
lived experience into influence, influence into identity, and identity into
something sustainable—an authored presence rather than a reactive one.
7. My
Campaigning to Better Services
WHAT
ABOUT US? | TIPS FOR ALL THE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES WHO ARE FAILING US | I'm
NOT Disordered
It is defining for Aimee Wilson to campaign for
better mental health services through her blog posts and online content because
it marks the point where personal experience is consciously redirected toward
systemic change. Her platform is no longer only reflective; it becomes purposeful.
Writing becomes an act of advocacy rather than expression alone.
This is defining because campaigning reframes her
relationship with the system that once held power over her. By publicly
critiquing gaps in care, access, and compassion, she shifts from being
positioned as a passive recipient of services to an active challenger of how
those services operate. That repositioning reshapes identity—from someone
affected by failures in care to someone demanding accountability and
improvement.
It is also defining because digital campaigning
expands reach and permanence. Blog posts and online content can be revisited,
shared, and mobilised, allowing her ideas to influence conversations far beyond
her immediate audience. This turns lived experience into evidence and narrative
into leverage, giving weight to voices that are often dismissed.
Finally, campaigning is defining because it
integrates meaning into survival. Rather than distancing herself from difficult
experiences, she repurposes them. The act of consistently advocating for better
services transforms pain into purpose and establishes her role as a sustained
agent of change—someone who not only speaks about mental health but actively
works to make systems better for others.
8. My
Survival
Her survival from a suicide attempt would be
defining for Aimee Wilson because it marks a profound rupture between an ending,
she once believed inevitable and a future that still exists. Survival, in this
context, is not simply continuation; it is a forced re-orientation of meaning,
identity, and self-understanding.
This moment is defining because it redraws the
boundary between despair and possibility. When someone survives an attempt,
life is no longer theoretical. Every day that follows is evidence that
certainty about wanting to die was not the same as certainty about life being
over. That realization can fundamentally alter how pain, hope, and permanence
are perceived.
It is also defining because survival carries moral
and emotional weight. She must now live with the knowledge that she came close
to death and remained. That can sharpen purpose, intensify values, and clarify
what matters. Survival often brings grief for the self who suffered, alongside
responsibility to the self who remains.
Finally, it is defining because it reframes her
voice. Speaking, writing, and campaigning after survival is different from
doing so before. Her existence itself becomes testimony: that crisis does not
negate future impact. Survival turns vulnerability into embodied truth,
anchoring her identity not in what almost ended her life, but in what her
continued life now makes possible.
9. Losing
Gracie
Losing her youngest rabbit, Gracie, would be
defining for Aimee Wilson because it represents the loss of a relationship that
was foundational to her sense of care, grounding, and everyday meaning. As a
pet mum, her identity was shaped by constancy, responsibility, and quiet
attachment. Gracie was not symbolic; she was part of the structure of Aimee’s
daily life.
This loss is defining because grief for an animal
is often minimized, yet it can be profoundly destabilizing. When a pet has
provided routine, comfort, and emotional regulation, their absence creates both
emotional pain and practical disruption. The silence where care once existed
can feel disorienting, especially for someone who finds stability through
nurturing roles.
It is also defining because it introduces grief
that cannot be reframed as advocacy or achievement. Unlike public milestones,
this loss offers no external validation or productive outcome. It demands
endurance rather than action, forcing her to sit with sorrow rather than
transform it.
Finally, losing Gracie is defining because it tests
the resilience built through care. Loving deeply enough to grieve is evidence
of connection, not weakness. This moment reshapes her understanding of
attachment: that the act of caring is still worthwhile, even when it ends in
loss. In that sense, the grief becomes part of her identity—not as damage, but
as proof of love fully lived.
10.
Providing a Platform for Others
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TO: A LITTLE BOOK OF LEADERSHIP LESSONS BY STEPH EDUSEI | I'm NOT Disordered
Using her blog as a platform for others to gain
publicity would be defining for Aimee Wilson because it marks a shift from
influence as ownership to influence as stewardship. Rather than centring
visibility on herself, she actively redistributes it, choosing to use her reach
to elevate voices that might otherwise remain unheard.
This is defining because it reframes power. In
digital spaces, attention is a scarce resource and choosing to share it is a
deliberate ethical stance. By amplifying other creators, advocates, or
lived-experience voices, she positions herself not as the endpoint of
engagement, but as a conduit. That fundamentally reshapes her role—from
figurehead to facilitator.
It is also defining because it reflects confidence
in identity. Only someone secure in their own voice and purpose can afford to
step back and let others be seen. This move suggests that her sense of value is
no longer dependent on sole authorship or constant visibility, but on
collective impact.
Finally, this choice is defining because it aligns
her platform with her values. Mental health advocacy is inherently relational
and communal. By opening her space to others, she models the kind of system she
campaigns for: one that is collaborative, inclusive, and responsive rather than
hierarchical. In doing so, she transforms her blog from a personal brand into a
shared resource—an ecosystem of voices rather than a single narrative.
11.
Being in The Media
Featuring in the media when her blog reached 2.5
million readers would be defining for Aimee Wilson because it marks the moment
her work crosses from digital community into public record. Media coverage
formalizes influence. It signals that her voice is no longer confined to
readers who seek it out but is now part of wider cultural conversation.
This is defining because media attention confers
legitimacy in spaces that often dismiss online mental health advocacy as
informal or anecdotal. Coverage reframes her blog from a personal project into
a recognised social contribution, validating the scale, relevance, and
seriousness of her work. It also fixes the milestone in time, turning growth
into achievement rather than momentum alone.
It is also defining because it changes visibility.
Media exposure introduces her story to audiences who may never engage with
mental health blogs directly, expanding impact while also increasing scrutiny.
That shift requires a clearer sense of self, boundaries, and message,
solidifying her public identity.
Finally, the moment is defining because it closes a
loop. What began as personal writing reaches millions and is then reflected
back by institutions that shape public opinion. That recognition confirms that
her voice matters not only to individuals, but to society at large—transforming
personal advocacy into acknowledged influence.
12.
Pulling Off Blogmas Again
DAY
TWENTY-FOUR | A SECRET BLOGMAS 2025 | I'm NOT Disordered
She would find it defining because completing a
full Blogmas series—25 pieces of daily content from December 1st to
25th—represents a reclamation of capacity, consistency, and self-trust for Aimee
Wilson. When her usual output would be three pieces in the same period,
producing daily content is not just productivity; it is evidence of growth
against previously accepted limits.
This is defining because it rewrites her internal
narrative about what she is capable of sustaining. Mental health challenges
often fracture routine, concentration, and confidence. Successfully maintaining
a demanding creative commitment demonstrates resilience, planning, and energy
that may once have felt inaccessible. It turns effort into proof.
It is also defining because Blogmas is cumulative.
Each post builds on the last, meaning she had to keep showing up even on
difficult days. That persistence reflects discipline rather than
mood-dependence, marking a shift from reactive creation to intentional
authorship.
Finally, the achievement is defining because it
blends creativity with care. Producing content daily while managing wellbeing
shows balance rather than burnout. It affirms that her blog is no longer
something she survives alongside, but something she can actively shape and
expand. In that sense, Blogmas is not just a series—it is a statement of
stability, agency, and renewed belief in her own endurance.
13.
Gracie’s Way
The creation of Gracie’s Way would be
defining for Aimee Wilson because it transforms private grief into a living
legacy. After losing Gracie, something that symbolised care, routine, and
unconditional connection, creating a dedicated space in her name allows love to
continue in a different form rather than simply ending.
This is defining because it marks a shift in how
Aimee relates to loss. Instead of compartmentalising grief or moving past it,
she integrates it into meaning-making. Gracie’s Way becomes a place where
memory is active, not frozen—where grief is acknowledged without being
all-consuming, and where love is allowed to evolve into purpose.
It is also defining because the project is chosen,
not required. Unlike survival or recovery, which can feel imposed, creating
something new from loss is an act of agency. It shows that she can respond to
pain creatively, gently, and on her own terms, without needing productivity or
public validation to justify it.
Finally, Gracie’s Way is defining because it
honours tenderness in a world that often prioritises resilience over softness.
It reflects who Aimee is becoming someone who allows care, grief, creativity,
and remembrance to coexist. In that sense, the project does not replace what
was lost—it carries it forward, shaping identity through love that continues,
even after goodbye.