WHY I’M SPEAKING AT ANOTHER EVENT WITH CUMBRIA, NORTHUMBERLAND, TYNE & WEAR NHS FOUNDATION TRUST | AN AD FOR THE WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH CONFERENCE

“When it comes to improving care for women and girls with mental health problems, there is no substitute for listening to those with lived experience. Not only about the complex life problems they have faced, but also their views about what has helped, and hindered their recovery. That’s why I’m so pleased that Aimee will be joining us, because she has lived and written about her life and has a very powerful story to tell.”

Linda Gask, Emerita Professor of Primary Care Psychiatry at the University of Manchester

Earlier this year, on February 27^th, I gave a speech at the Emotionally Dysregulated Young Person: Neurodevelopment, Mood, Trauma and Personality CPD Event for Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW). The Trust’s Deputy Medical Director; Doctor Hermarette Van Den Bergh was also at the event and as a result of my input, she contacted me afterwards and asked me to speak at the upcoming Women’s Health Conference at the end of June. It was such an honour and filled me with pride at the thought I must have done a good job at that first event! So, I wanted to discuss the main reason why I’m going to speak at the event – to share experiences that professionals may not often hear…

A TREASURE TROVE BLOG POST: MAID OF HONOUR INSIGHT INTO THE BEST-FRIEND’S PRE-WEDDING WARM-UP!!! | IN COLLABORATION WITH TURTLE BAY NEWCASTLE

“There will not be a magic day when we wake up and it’s now okay to express ourselves publicly. We make that day by doing things publicly until it’s simply the way things are.”

Tammy Baldwin

For more info and to make a booking:

Turtle Bay Newcastle | Caribbean Restaurant & Bar - Turtle Bay UK

I’m very pleased and proud to say that this blog post is in collaboration with Turtle Bay Newcastle – the venue for my best-friend’s Wedding Warm-Up! To determine where to host it, we – the Best Man; Jesse, and I made some enquiries and in talking to Turtle Bay Manager; Abbie, about a booking, they allowed us to come to the restaurant early to decorate the table etc and gave us an extra half an hour at the table (typically you’re given 1.5 hours at your table) in return for some mentions on I’m NOT Disordered and on my social media (@aimes_wilson on Twitter and Instagram - please check them out for the videos from this event!). So, I’ve put together this blog post which is basically a little ‘treasure trove’ of memories, photos, advice, links, and ideas…

HOW TRAINING, EDUCATION, & RESEARCH HELPED ME TO PREPARE TO WORK AT A HUGE NHS EVENT

"Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets with planning."

Thomas Edison

On a bi-monthly basis, Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW), host a Service User and Carer Reference Group (which you can read more about on their website; here). For October’s, I attended as a Lived Experience Reporter for the first time and with the idea that I’m NOT Disordered probably has hundreds of readers who attend big events, I have put together this blog post, where I’ll talk through all the ways – emotional and practical – in which I’ve prepared for this NHS event, as well as some advice…

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO NETWORKING | IN COLLABORATION WITH TYNESIDE CATS PROTECTION | SUMMER OPEN DAY 2025

“Social networking is playing a huge role in creating awareness and mobilizing support for all kinds of common interests. What better way to use this remarkable tool than to change the world?”

Natalie Portman

You may remember a few weeks ago, I published a blog post titled: ‘The Importance of Peer Support in Mental Health’ (you can read it here) as pre-event content in the run-up to the Summer Open Day of my local Cat Protection’s Adoption Centre (Tyneside). Well, I promised you all another collaboration piece after the event so that you could see the photos and videos from the afternoon and read more some of the cats that the charity said myself and my two best-friends (Jack and Spencer) could visit. In this piece, I realised that – according to my search in my content archives – I’ve actually never done a blog post completely about networking (it’s typically just been mentioned in other posts) and I thought it was a great angle to use that would also work in introducing you to the three cats we actually networked(!) with too… Ps. There’s a YouTube video at the end of the piece too!

HOW I EARNED THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE A SPEECH AT THE EMTA CONFERENCE FOR THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE, ALL THE ADVICE I’D GIVE, & A HUGE THANK YOU | #EMTA2025

"Action will delineate and define you."

Thomas Jefferson

When the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) asked me to write another blog post after the event (I published one before the Conference; which you can read, here), I struggled to think what angle or theme I would use for it. So, I thought about why people come to I’m NOT Disordered anyway, and really, it’s typically about looking for advice and accounts of situations they’ve been in too – accounts which bring hope of recovery and tips on coping. But I also wanted to recognise that my life – and that of so many others – doesn’t revolve around trauma and mental illness. So, I created this post which contains a thank you, a couple of videos from the event, and is also full of advice and thoughts on the three actions I've taken which, I believe, led to me being invited to speak at this prestigious conference hosted by the Emergency Medicine Trainee Association (EMTA)….

WHY I’M PRESENTING AT THE EMTA CONFERENCE FOR THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE & EXCLUSIVE INSIGHT INTO MY PRESENTATION! | #EMTA2025

“Be spectacularly great at what you do. Wear your passion on your sleeve and hold your heart in the palm of your hand. And work hard. Really hard.”

Robin S. Sharma

EMTA (@EMTAcommittee) / X

RCEM Events (@RCEMevents) / X

A number of years ago, I was asked to attend and blog at an event at a local University, and ever since, I’ve kept in touch with the Doctor who invited me. Then, a few weeks ago, she got in touch with me and offered me one of the largest and most prestigious opportunity that I think I’ve ever been offered – an invitation to speak at the National Conference for the Royal College of Emergency Medicine! It was one of those situations where you try to play it cool and act like things like this happen all the time… But actually, all that coolness went out the window and I just said: “oh my goodness! Are you serious?!” After a few emails with the lovely Conference and Events Officer, and confirmation of my train tickets and accommodation, I asked if I could announce my presentation on, I’m NOT Disordered and across my social media and was told “yes, please!” So, I’m going to use this opportunity to talk through a lot of the reasons why I’m doing this, to publish some feedback and comments from various professionals, and to provide some exclusive insight into my PowerPoint...

THE 12 BIGGEST MOMENTS IN MY BLOGGING CAREER & A WHOLE NEW LOOK | HAPPY 12th BIRTHDAY, I’M NOT DISORDERED!!!

I’m going to start in a very stereotypical way right now; I cannot believe I’m writing a blog post for I’m NOT Disordered’s TWELTH Birthday! Like, where did the years go?! How did they whiz by so fast that I feel like I barely even noticed them? Yet, at the same time, I remember how very hard I’ve worked and how many amazing opportunities I’ve had/done. Whilst this twelfth Birthday has me feeling quite old, I’m also very grateful for it being a chance to reflect on my blogging career and pick out twelve amazing moments that I feel have really contributed to my blog’s success and my own skills, talents, and experience. You might also notice; the blog has a whole new look and a brand-new logo! This has been in the planning for a while now and a lot of thought has gone into it, so I really hope you all like it…

JOIN ME AT A LATE-NIGHT CHARITY SHOPPING EVENT WITH ST OSWALD’S HOSPICE

“Generosity is the most natural outward expression of an inner attitude of compassion and loving-kindness.”

Dalai Lama

At the end of January this year, the wonderful charity St Oswald’s Hospice opened a brand-new store in Blyth, Northumberland. I was so excited with this news because I actually volunteered for the charity’s Communications and Marketing Department from December 2019 until February 2023 as a Digital Volunteer. I also completed two temporary contracts with them, one as a Communications and Marketing Assistant and the other as Kickstart Project Coordinator. So, needless to say, I’m very dedicated, supportive and passionate about the charity and all that they do. So, I wanted to tell you about their Alternative Christmas List Appeal, which is their Christmas Campaign. It is aimed at providing insight into the various impacts that different figures of donations can have on the charity, the Hospice specifically, and their patients. For example, £150 will fill the Christmas Eve boxes for the children who use the Hospice’s Services, and £450 will fund thirty bereavement sessions at a time of year when loss can hurt that little bit differently…

For more details: Support our Alternative Christmas List Appeal | St Oswald’s Hospice

If you know me, you’ll know that I’m also very passionate about shopping! So, when I was told about the Late-Night Shopping Event at the Blyth St Oswald’s Hospice store, I jumped at the opportunity of attending and thought that, for the fun of it, I’d bring you all along with me…

FEELING WANTED IN MY JOURNEY WITH CATS PROTECTION | CATS PROTECTION’S CHRISTMAS FAYRE | IN COLLABORATION WITH CATS PROTECTION TYNESIDE ADOPTION CENTRE

“We all choose to receive love and joy at the level of our self-love and self-esteem. So, love yourself a little harder and life will get a lot better.”

Karen Salmansohn

Having collaborated with Cats Protection (and sometimes the Tyneside Adoption Centre specifically), I’m an avid follower of their social media (all links at the end of the post) so when I spotted their Christmas Fayre poster, I spoke with their lovely Community Fundraising Officer, and we began planning this collaboration. I pitched the idea of writing about feeling wanted due to the obvious nature and goal of the Adoption Centre in finding cats their ‘furever’ homes. Then the Fundraising Officer told me the Winter Appeal is actually about abandonment, and I loved the realisation that we’re totally on the same page! In creating that post, I came across seventeen collaboration posts I’ve done with Cats Protection since 2018 and so I wanted to also incorporate my journey with Cats Protection.  So, here it is – a behind-the-scenes of all our collaborations and how my work with Cats Protection has always left me feeling wanted – as well as some super special photos from the Christmas Fayre…

MY SPEECH AT THE NORTH TYNESIDE WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY 2024 EVENT IS NOW LIVE!!

 

MY SPEECH FOR THE WAYTHROUGH LAUNCH IS LIVE!!!

“I love that one of the Waythrough values is about supporting you until you feel like you’re ready to move on…”

My speech for the Waythrough launch is LIVE:

Waythrough Links:

Instagram: @waythrough_UK

Twitter: @waythrough_UK

Facebook: WaythroughUK

Website: www.waythrough.org.uk

You can watch my Instagram reel for the day of the launch here:

Aimee Wilson (@aimes_wilson) • Instagram photos and videos

A QUICK CHAT ABOUT NERVES, ANXIETY, & STAGE FRIGHT IN PUBLIC SPEAKING | CELEBRATING THE LAUNCH OF WAYTHROUGH

“There are always three speeches for every one that you give. There’s the one you practiced, the one you gave, and the one you wish you gave.”

Dale Carnegie

A number of months ago, I was in a Working Together Committee meeting with Richmond Fellowship – the organisation who provide my Support Workers – and we were told it would be our penultimate meeting due to their merger with Humankind. I had no clue what they were on about and since Richmond Fellowship are usually good with communication, I was so worried this meant that Humankind had already had a bad influence on things! It wasn’t long later, however, that I received an email from the Humankind Communications and Marketing team, basically saying “we hear you like comms and marketing…?!” And I’ve been involved in the merger’s creation ever since! So, I was absolutely honoured when I was asked to give speeches at two of the launch/reveal events and to even help the Vice Chair with the actual unveiling of the new charity’s identity! With both events now finished, I thought it time I write this blog post...

EVERYTHING ALL OF YOU MEAN TO ME | I’M NOT DISORDERED’S 10TH BIRTHDAY PARTY

For the third time in my blogging career, I hosted another party to celebrate a milestone I’m NOT Disordered and I have reached (the previous two were for reaching 100,000 readers and then reaching 1,000,000), and I have to admit, I think it was actually my favourite one of them all! With the previous two events being quite large and formal, I wanted to do something more informal and intimate. I mean, at the 100k party, I had 100 guests and a few were merely plus one’s for the people who I did know! And then not many people were able to come to my one million party because of the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdown. So, keeping in mind that nothing ever goes perfectly, I decided to host this party at a local café (Dolly Dimples) for nine of the most important people in my life and it’s that which has inspired this post about how much all of the party attendees, and you (as my readers) mean to me…

THE IMPORTANCE OF RECOGNISING SKILLS, ASSETS, & QUALITIES | THE STAFF EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2022 | IN COLLABORATION WITH CUMBRIA, NORTHUMBERLAND, TYNE & WEAR NHS FOUNDATION TRUST

Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (cntw.nhs.uk)

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

Today I’m collaborating with my local NHS mental health Trust; Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW) to bring to you a post about how much it means to recognise skills, assets, or qualities. This theme is based on it being the Trust’s thirteenth Staff Excellence Awards on Friday 23^rd September – you can keep an eye out on their social media (links above and below the post) and mine (@aimes_wilson on Twitter and Instagram), for some live posting and photos at the event…

HAVING MY CONFIDENCE ANIALATED

Growing up, I was always encouraged and taught that I could do anything I put my mind to, so I had a fairly decent amount of confidence – mostly in my creative abilities… Until I got to High School when I was a teenager, and I took Textiles as an optional GCSE subject. The teacher was so incredibly overly critical of all the work, assignments, and projects I created and submitted. Initially, even though this was a kind of alien attitude for me, I thought that maybe it was a helpful act and that she had good intentions. That she was giving me constructive criticism. Then, though, I began comparing her treatment of me to her responses to the work of other pupils in the class and had a starkly blunt and sad realisation that there was no genuinely kind meaning behind it. She was being so incredibly spiteful!

A GUIDE TO EVENTS | MY ONE MILLION READERS PARTY!!!

And all that counts,

Is here and now,

My universe will never be the same

I’m glad you came

The Wanted – Glad You Came

 

So, a few days ago I hosted my second blog party! With the first being to celebrate I’m NOT Disordered reaching 100,000 readers, and this time to celebrate one million readers, I’ve learnt a lot over the years – including lessons learnt from actually attending events. So, I thought I’d share my experiences and any advice I’d give on attending and organising an event…

INVITATIONS

So, I guess I’ll start with everything I’ve learnt about pretty much the first step in an event journey – the invitation… Now, don’t go thinking about a piece of paper with fill-in-the-blank text and yellow balloons – this isn’t a child’s Fifth Birthday party! In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever attended an event where there’s been any kind of actual image of the event details that could be labelled an invitation. Despite this though, when I started working on my one million readers party, one of the first things I created for it was a PNG with the basic information for the event because I knew it would be more memorable, appealing, and easier to share in emails and on social media rather than a lengthy bulk of text with the ins and outs.

Mostly though, when I’ve been invited to events (including large conferences/meetings), it’s been through an email – typically just checking whether I’m free on a particular date and then a follow-up to my response with the actual plan and details. But for me – in all honesty – the most important quality to the invitation isn’t its appearance and aesthetics; it’s the meaning behind it.

I’M NOT DISORDERED'S CHRISTMAS PLANNER 2020 | IN COLLABORATION WITH CANVA | FREE TO PRINT

I did a Digital Marketing internship a year or so ago and during it, I learnt how to use Canva (www.canva.com). Recently, I’ve been using it for gift guides and other features in my blog posts. I really love and enjoy it because I feel like I’m a creative person and the website allows me to use that creativity in a very imaginative and different way that helps my blog to be more original at a time when it feels that everyone is a Blogger!

So, I wanted to do something Christmassy with Canva before Blogmas begins and after spotting a ‘Christmas Planner’ I was inspired to create one; and all you have to do is print it out!

WHY I DIDN’T TAKE PART IN DIGITAL DETOX DAY 2020

https://www.digitaldetoxday.org/

I first heard about Digital Detox Day when I visited Zoe Sugg’s Instagram account and read her post on the campaign she’s created alongside I Am Whole to shed light on the negative impact social media can have on your mental health and life in general. Zoe explained that the thought process behind the campaign was based on the realization that we are ‘endlessly scrolling’, comparing, judging, being cyber bullied, losing boundaries, and don’t know when to ‘switch off’ from social media. She says that all of this can be a cause of Anxiety, Depression, Sleeplessness, Loneliness, and low Self-Esteem.

Initially, I almost automatically decided to join in, read up on the campaign, and do the digital detox on September 5^th, 2020 (tomorrow). Then I started writing a post about the campaign for LEAPS (you can read the post here) and talking about my ‘digital journey’ really left me reconsidering my decision and feeling hugely tempted not to partake in the event. Writing about how I’ve progressed through social media and my blog really made me realize just how important the digital world has all become to me and that this isn’t necessarily unhealthy or unsafe.

BLOGMAS 2019 – POST TEN : CATS PROTECTION TYNESIDE ADOPTION CENTRE CHRISTMAS EVENT | CATS PROTECTION | AD

Thanks to a poll on my Twitter back in November, my wonderful followers decided that I should publish a blog post and film a vlog every day for the entirety of December! 

So welcome to December 10th…

You know me, so focused on mental health content that once again, I won’t be doing a typical blog post about the event!

At the event, they had a table of cat toys and stockings for 8 cats so that people could buy toys and choose a cat to give them to. Obviously; me being me(!), I decided to buy a toy for each cat and then asked if I could give them their presents personally! In doing so, I fell in love with one of the cats; Sheba. She was fourteen, all black, and very very fluffy! When I gave her a cuddle she started purring and when I loosened by hold on her to let her jump down, she just stayed there in my arms. I was saying to one of the staff that whenever I visit the Centre (and it’s been quite a few times now) I always say ‘I wish I could take them all home’ but I’ve never been so eager to actually do so! So, they put a reserve on her! The one thing holding me back from taking her home right there and then was that she has a thyroid condition and so there was going to be monthly vet bills that I wasn’t sure I could afford. Anyway, it’s because of Sheba that I’m going to take this opportunity to talk about impulsivity.

RICHMOND FELLOWSHIP WORKING TOGETHER FORUM NOVEMBER 2019 VLOGS

TWO TOP TIPS ON PUBLIC SPEAKING | NORTH TYNESIDE WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY 2019

So, it may not be World Mental Health Day until the 10^th of October but I’ve actually already attended an event to celebrate the occasion with North Tyneside Launchpad at Cullercoats Crescent Club, where I was very kindly asked to give a talk on social media and blogging. With this year’s World Mental Health Day being around the theme of suicide prevention, I decided to center my talk around the life-changing benefits and consequences that social media can have on someone. After discovering the UK suicide statistics (there are over 800,000 suicides in the UK per year and it is the leading cause of death in 15-29 years olds) and having my own experiences, it’s something I’m very passionate about so talking to a crowd of strangers about it seemed do-able! 


I still remember my very first public speaking event at the Time To Change Story Camp in London and I called my Mum as a hysterical, anxious mess and told her there was no way that I could do it! But of course, I ended up giving the speech and it wasn’t such a total disaster that I didn’t say ‘no’ to all future invitations to do some public speaking! And in continuing to give talks and speeches, I’ve learnt a few things that I thought I’d share because I’d like to encourage you all to share your own experiences publicly because I’ve seen how beneficial it can be for others.