A TRUE INSPIRATION FOR ORGANISATIONS: EVERYTHING WAYTHROUGH COMMS & MARKETING DO TO KEEP CO-PROUDUCTION AT THE HEART OF THEIR WORK | THE COMING TOGETHER MAGAZINE RE-LAUNCH

“There are people who make things happen, there are people who
watch things happen, and there are people who wonder what
happened. To be successful, you need to be the person who makes
things happen.”

Jim Lovell

I’m incredibly proud and very honoured to announce the re-launch of the completely refreshed Waythrough magazine; Coming Together (which you don’t have to be a service user or staff of the organisation to subscribe to, you can subscribe here: Sign up to newsletter - External or learn more about it here: Coming Together - our community magazine - Waythrough and if you have a story to submit: coming.together@waythrough.org.uk). I’m also very privileged and I feel incredibly fortunate to say that I’m now the Volunteer Lead Content Creator with the Waythrough Communications and Marketing team! In around 2023, I was given the opportunity to work with a local NHS Trust (Newcastle Hospitals) to create their Mental Health Strategy and in that partnership, I created a piece of content around why organisations should be following in their footsteps (you can read it: WHY NHS TRUSTS NEED TO BE FOLLOWING IN NEWCASTLE’S FOOTSTEPS!! | IN COLLABORATION WITH THE NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE HOSPITALS NHS FOUNDATION TRUST | I'm NOT Disordered). The blog post proved to be fairly popular and so I wanted to take that sort of angle for this too and discuss the qualities that the Waythrough Communications and Marketing Department exhibit and use to ensure that co-production is at the heart of everything they do – a massive achievement for a ‘behind-the-scenes’ team to accomplish in mental health services…

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…

Welcome, Tillie

Tillie, you arrived so small,
With snowy paws and ears so tall.
A little grey nose, soft and sweet,
Like healing sent on velvet feet.

DAY SIX: YOUR POSITIVES | 5 THINGS TO TAKE ACTION WITH | MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK 2026

“It's worth making time to find the things that really stir your soul. That’s what makes you really feel alive. You have to say ‘no’ to other things you’re used to and do it with all your heart.”
Roy T. Bennett

Welcome to Day Six of the Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW) series; 5 Things to Take Action With. Today, I’m going to provide a number of resources to help you to take action on any issues regarding the positives in your life…

DAY FIVE: YOUR COPING SKILLS | 5 THINGS TO TAKE ACTION WITH | MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK 2026

“Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely.”

Roy T. Bennett

Welcome to Day Five of the Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW) series; 5 Things to Take Action With. Today, I’m going to provide a number of resources to help you to take action on any issues regarding your coping skills…

DAY FOUR: YOUR CHALLENGES | 5 THINGS TO TAKE ACTION WITH | MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK 2026

“You will never follow your own inner voice until you clear up the doubts in your mind.”
Roy T. Bennett

Welcome to Day Four of the Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW) series; 5 Things to Take Action With. Today, I’m going to provide a number of resources to help you to take action on any issues regarding your challenges…

DAY THREE: YOUR EXPERIENCES | 5 THINGS TO TAKE ACTION WITH | MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK 2026

“You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control the way you think about all the events…”

Roy T. Bennett

Welcome to Day Three of the Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW) series; 5 Things to Take Action With. Today, I’m going to provide a number of resources to help you to take action your experiences…

DAY TWO: YOUR SUPPORT SYSTEM | 5 THINGS TO TAKE ACTION WITH | MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK 2026

“Distance yourself from negative people who try to lower your motivation and decrease your ambition. Create space for positive people to come into your life. Surround yourself with positive people who believe in your dreams, encourage your ideas, support your ambitions, and bring out the best in you.”

Roy T. Bennett

Welcome to Day Two of the Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW) series; 5 Things to Take Action With. Today, I’m going to provide a number of resources to help you to take action on any issues regarding your support system…

THE ULTIMATE Q&A WITH A RAPE AND ABUSE SURVIVOR FOR THE SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH'S DAY OF ACTION 2026

After everything you've done
I can thank you for how strong I have become

'Cause you brought the flames and you put me through hell
I had to learn how to fight for myself
And we both know all the truth I could tell

Ke$ha – Praying

In a huge and random scrolling session on Instagram, I came across a post about Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) 2026 by an Actress (Sasha Pieterse from Pretty Little Liars) – which you can view here – that I shared to my Stories (@aimes_wilson). A while later, my best-friend and fellow Blogger; Martin Baker of www.gumonmyshoe.com messaged and said that it had inspired him to look back at his guest post for a project I was doing back in 2024 about supporting a survivor of sexual violence – you can read it on his blog (the project’s website it was originally published on was deleted): I Believe You. It wasn't Your Fault. You Are not Alone. Being There for a Friend Who's Survived Rape or Sexual Abuse. And from that, I began to consider ideas for creating I’m NOT Disordered content about the topic/for the awareness Month, and I came up with the idea of a Q&A. Finally, just three little side notes: Firstly, the questions below were all created by AI (Chat GPT specifically). Secondly, please be responsible when reading this post in terms of being triggered by this content and using safe coping skills. Finally, if you’re struggling with the topics discussed in this post/regarding this awareness Month, please see this old blog post which includes a ton of helpline contact details and supportive information: JOIN A RAPE & ABUSE SURVIVOR AT A HUGE GYNAE APPOINTMENT | VLOG & A COLLABORATION WITH AMAZON UK INCLUDED! | I'm NOT Disordered. Without further-ado, for the SAAM’s Day of Action, here’s the Q&A…

35: AN AGE NO ONE THOUGHT I’D REACH | HOW REPORTING MY TRAUMA WAS MORE LIFE-SAVING THAN MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES | IT’S MY BIRTHDAY TODAY!!!

“The best revenge is the massive success.”

Frank Sinatra

It sounds dramatic to say that I can’t believe I made it to 35, but when I tell you that, on numerous occasions, even the professionals – mostly Psychiatrists, but also two ICU Doctors – made comments that they couldn’t envision me making it to my ‘next’ Birthday (mostly between the ages of 18 and 23!) … perhaps now you’ll see the rationale to my surprise that I’m still here?! It meant that I was originally going to centre this Birthday blog post around reasons why I believe I managed to make it to this age, but I found out that I’d done something incredibly similar for my 28^th Birthday (you can read it here) and my 31^st (which you can read here)! In thinking about the reasons, I made it, I realised that I’d list reporting my trauma as the first one – even though I had interactions with mental health services before that which most would probably assume should getting help and support, should have been the first life-saving thing to happen. So, I decided to focus on that…

DAY TWENTY-FIVE | THE BEST KEPT SECRET OF 2025 | A HUGE BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK AT MY NEW PROJECT: GRACIE’S WAY | A SECRET BLOGMAS 2025

“It is so much extra work to keep things a surprise. I need a nap just thinking about it! But it’s so worth it when you can actually pull it off!”

Taylor Swift

Merry Christmas!!! I sincerely hope you’ve enjoyed all the Blogmas content this month – well, judging from the statistics, you have! To finish A Secret Blogmas 2025 off in real style, in a very special way, and in keeping with the theme of the entire month, I thought I’d finally disclose my largest, best kept secret of 2025: the creation of Gracie’s Way! This Project, its website, and Instagram will be officially launched on January 9^th, 2026 (what would have been Gracie’s third Birthday), but I have so much content planned for that, and I wanted to make today and the final Blogmas secret, really important…

DAY NINETEEN | A SECRET BLOGMAS 2025

“No one has ever become poor by giving!”

Anne Frank

Welcome to A Secret Blogmas 2025!

Today is Day Nineteen and this nineteenth post is all about the beneficial impact there is if you – as a content creator – provide and/or create resources and supportive information. This can take many forms that could range from graphics on social media to entire pages on your blog or website! This Blogmas post is likely more useful for mental health content creators and Influencers. So, keep reading to find out why and how providing or create resources and support information can impact the success and popularity of your content and/or your platform…

DAY ELEVEN | A SECRET BLOGMAS 2025

“Leadership is about empathy. It is about having the ability to relate to and connect with people for the purpose of inspiring and empowering their lives.”

Oprah Winfrey

Welcome to A Secret Blogmas 2025!

Today is Day Eleven and this eleventh post is all about the beneficial impact there is if you – as a content creator – publish content that is empathetic towards your audience or followers.   I’ll discuss writing trigger warnings and self-care advice and other strategies of showing empathy as a result of the recognition as to how beneficial it can become. Keep reading to find out why and how being validating of your audience can impact the success and popularity of your content and/or your platform…

DAY THREE | A SECRET BLOGMAS 2025

“Life is a balance of holding on and letting go.” 

Rumi

Welcome to A Secret Blogmas 2025!

Today is Day Three and this third post is all about the benefits and impact of balancing the types of content that you create and publish on your social media or blog/platform. In this post I’ll talk through the different types of content, I’ll present a few ideas and resources for each of them, and I’ll look at the benefits to balancing them. Keep reading to find out why balancing content format/type can impact the success and popularity of your content and/or your platform…

DAY TWO | A SECRET BLOGMAS 2025

 

“It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed.” 

Napoleon Hill

Welcome to A Secret Blogmas 2025!

Today is Day Two and this second post is all about the productivity and benefits to using your own lived experience in your content creation and publication. In this post, I’ll talk about the different impacts your experiences can have on your followers and provide tips on managing this and for managing your own mental health in sharing potentially difficult experiences. Keep reading to find out why lived experience can impact the success and popularity of your content and/or your platform…

THE ULTIMATE SIGN TO REPORT YOUR TRAUMA: FIVE REASONS WHY I’M GLAD I REPORTED MY RAPE & ABUSE TO THE POLICE & HOW DBT CAN HELP YOU TO REPORT YOUR OWN

It’s a goddamn blaze in the dark,

And you started it,

You started it,

So yeah, it’s a war

It’s the goddamn fight of my life

And you started it

Taylor Swift – Ivy

At first, this blog post was just going to be a post on the blog’s Instagram (@imnotdisordered) but, in all honesty, I found that I had too much to say than would fit on Instagram! So, I wanted to talk through the story behind me reporting my experiences of six months of sexual abuse and – during that time and by the same perpetrator – one instance of rape to the Police and then I’m going to share why I’m so glad that I did that. Reporting crimes like these can be controversial and can lead to a lot of mixed feelings for survivors, but I think one key concern for those who are yet to report their experiences, is that they’ll regret it. So, I want to properly answer the question I’m often asked when people hear that despite reporting the rape to the Police, CPS made the decision not to prosecute him (with the claim that there wasn’t enough evidence) … I have no regrets and – if anything – it’s the exact opposite because the impact reporting the rape and abuse has had on me, has actually given me motivation to encourage others to report their own experiences…

5 THINGS THEY DON’T TELL YOU ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH

“Words can break someone into a million pieces, but they can also put them back together.”

Taylor Swift

Having recently experienced a relapse in my mental health journey (you can read more about it at its very worst in this blog post: TW | “SHE’S ACTUALLY JUMPED! GET AMBULANCE ON LIGHTS & SIREN!” | WHAT HAPPENS BEFORE, DURING, & AFTER YOU JUMP, LESSONS LEARNT, & LOTS OF ADVICE | I'm NOT Disordered), I’m finally in a much better and safer place mentally and, a few days ago (at the time of writing) I was discharged from the caseload of my local Crisis Team. The entire relapse really brought home the fact that professionals tend to miss out or skirt over the fact that recovery isn’t linear and so, they’re often promoting this idea of once you’re in recovery that’s it; you’re better forever. When this simply isn’t true, and – I feel – it does more harm to not prepare someone to still need to face difficult days. So, with this in mind, I was inspired to write this blog post about other things professionals leave unsaid about mental health…

TW | EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BEING UNDER THE CARE OF THE CRISIS TEAM | PART THREE OF THREE

*This is Part Three of Three, you can read Part One here, and Part Two is here!*

So, if you’re put on caseload, almost from the offset, the Team will want to try to work with you to create some sort of plan – this can refer to a regime around changes they may want to make to your medication, the number of visits they want to offer you, and even when they think they can foresee your discharge from them as being. This – the bit about discharge – can seem counterintuitive when you’ve just been put on caseload, and you can often and understandably get the feeling that they’re already trying to ‘get rid’ of you! But that’s not why they do this.

TW | EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT BEING UNDER THE CARE OF THE CRISIS TEAM | PART ONE OF THREE

“Successful people recognize crisis as a time for change - from lesser to greater, smaller to bigger.”

Edwin Louis Cole

*This is Part One of Three*

As you may know from a previous blog post titled ‘TW | “SHE’S ACTUALLY JUMPED! GET AMBULANCE ON LIGHTS AND SIREN!” | WHAT HAPPENS BEFORE, DURING, & AFTER YOU JUMP, LESSONS LEARNT, & LOTS OF ADVICE’ (which you can read here), I’ve recently gone through a very big, unsafe relapse in my mental health recovery. On August 24^th, as a result of a delusional belief to jump from a bridge near my home, the Crisis Team told me they would be out within the next 24 hours to assess me. At their assessment – after I had jumped – they decided to prescribe Zopiclone (as one reason for my relapse was a lack of sleep) and put me on caseload stating that it would be for at least one week. As it happens, six days later, things are improving and on August 30^th, I was officially discharged. My week with them – and previous experiences under their care – have inspired and informed this blog post where I’d like to provide insight and advice around working with the Crisis Team…

TW | “SHE’S ACTUALLY JUMPED! GET AMBULANCE ON LIGHTS & SIREN!” | WHAT HAPPENS BEFORE, DURING, & AFTER YOU JUMP, LESSONS LEARNT, & LOTS OF ADVICE

“…Like, it’s physically hard to open your mouth and make the words come out. They don’t come out smooth and in conjunction with your brain the way normal people’s words do... So, you just keep quiet.”

Ned Vizzini

In the early hours of August 24^th, 2025, I jumped from a small bridge near my home which crosses a disused railway track. In this blog post, I’d like to share everything that happened before it, during it, and after it. This post is not intended as ‘attention-seeking’ but instead, to raise awareness of a lot of different issues which crop up throughout it and I want to do that (raise awareness) to help others. To help those who have also jumped, to feel less alone. To help professionals see good, helpful, and supportive work. To help provide the loved ones of those who have jumped with some sort of insight. The content also is definitely not intended as any sort of negative or unsafe influence. Nor do I want it to upset or trigger anyone – hence the ‘Trigger Warning’ in the title; if it does, please visit the blog’s Help Directory and reach out for professional support where relevant/necessary. With all of that said, thank you all for providing me with the platform to hopefully do some good with my content and to experience the personal, therapeutic benefits I receive in writing like this; I might have created I’m NOT Disordered, but it wouldn’t be where it is today without all of you – and for that, I am eternally grateful…