5 QUICK TIPS FOR GIFTING | IN COLLABORATION WITH PAPER EMPORIUM | INCLUDING AN EXCLUSIVE 30% DISCOUNT CODE!!!

**DISCOUNT CODE: BLOG30**

PaperEmporiumCo - Etsy UK

Paper Emporium (@paperemporiumco) • Instagram photos and videos

So, I was browsing Etsy for Mother’s Day gifts for the previous blog post (which you can read here) when I came across this incredible gift from the amazingly talented Paper Emporium which I immediately personalised and added to my basket as a gift for my Mum for Mother’s Day! It’s basically a print (which you can choose to have framed at an extra cost) and you type in a location, a time, and a date and then they print what the sky looked like on that exact occasion. You can obviously choose to use any sort of special date or anniversary, but I picked the date, time, and place where I was born. Then you can type in a title that goes above the star image (I put: ‘The Day You Brought Me Into The World’) and a message (I wrote ‘Forever Grateful For You xxx’) for the bottom of it. I was so proud and chuffed with this gift that I got in touch with the lovely Paper Emporium team and pitched the idea of a collaboration and they even created the exclusive discount code (BLOG30) for a whopping 30% off any of their items!!

A GIFT GUIDE FOR MOTHER'S DAY | IN COLLABORATION WITH ETSY UK

“Unconditional love is the greatest gift we can ever give.”

Amy Leigh Mercree

The Mother’s Day Gift Shop (etsy.com)

If you’ve read, I’m NOT Disordered for a while now, you’ll likely know that I actually really enjoy creating more light and fun content – it’s very obviously a really nice break from the usual, deep and overwhelmingly honest posts about my mental health. So, when I realised it’s Mother’s Day this Sunday (the 10^th March 2024) I thought it the perfect opportunity to be able to put together this little Gift Guide in collaboration with Etsy UK – who have the most amazing variety of items for absolutely anyone and everyone who you would like to gift this Mother’s Day on their Mother’s Day Gift Shop (which you can visit here)…

DAY SEVEN OF BLOGMAS UNBOXED 2023: ITEMS FOR MY MUM & A CHAT ABOUT HER SUPPORT THROUGHOUT MY ENTIRE JOURNEY AS A BLOGGER | IN COLLABORATION WITH PHOENIX COVE

PhoenixCove - Etsy UK

https://www.instagram.com/phoenixcove.co/

https://www.facebook.com/phoenixcove.co

https://www.tiktok.com/@phoenixcove.co

Welcome to Blogmas Unboxed!!

 I honestly – I don’t even care how stereotypical this sounds – can’t believe the first week of Blogmas Unboxed and December 2023, is done! How fast did that go?! Or just me?! So, today, I’ve chosen to blog about the items from Phoenix Cove that I had made for my Mum; a lovely gift tag, and a beautiful wooden keyring with a connecting design with ‘Like Mother, Like Daughter’ featured (which you can buy here). So, in keeping with this gift, I was inspired to talk about how helpful and supportive my Mum has been throughout the entire process of creating maintaining, and publicising my blog; including in creating Blogmas Unboxed and writing and then hosting a party for my new book; titled ‘You’re NOT Disordered: The Ultimate Wellbeing Guide for Bloggers’ (which you can buy here!)…

HOW I’VE MADE IT THIS FAR | MY NEW BOOK IS AVAILABLE TO BUY NOW!!! | PART 1 OF 4

Buy You’re NOT Disordered NOW!!

*This post is the first of 4 which will be published every day for the following 3 days!*  

If you’ve read I’m NOT Disordered for a while or have seen the cover graphic to the left of the blog posts, then you’ll probably know that I released a book a few years ago called Everything Disordered (which you can also buy on Amazon - just click on the cover!) and I was honestly worried that having already written a book, the importance and meaning would be taken away in publishing another. Fortunately, the entire process of YND – from having the idea for it to the publication party and everything in between! – has (for so many reasons) felt massively different from that which I experienced with my first book. And one of the largest differences has been the sense of achievement and the notion that it really is a true testament to the progress I’ve made; both in my blogging career and in my mental health recovery journey…

“YOU SAVED ME” | HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMA BEAR!!

So, in huge contrast to my openness and regular content online, my Mum is actually very private and rarely uses social media; and this has made wanting to write a blog post for her Birthday very challenging! After trying a few different angles and themes for this post, I finally came across inspiration for it whilst just watching an Instagram post that used Erica Padilla’s song ‘By the Way’ as background music. The lyrics were so perfect for my thoughts, feelings, and memories with my Mum that I thought I’d use them to influence this piece…

It’s too much that I can't explain, because you've done so much for me

The second biggest difficulty in writing this blog post, was the realisation that there are just not enough words with enough power, meaning, and importance, to really thank my Mum for everything that she’s done for me.

As a Blogger – with my huge passion being about writing – I find it frustrating when I feel as though I can’t explain things or get across my thoughts properly. I think that this stems from the struggle I faced when my mental health first deteriorated, and I began hearing voices before making my first suicide attempt in 2009. I mean, I had already had to stop writing when the abuse began because I was so afraid that my natural affinity for it would lead me to using it as an outlet; and for so many reasons, no one could know what was happening to me. So, without that as a coping strategy, and my fear of what would happen if I told someone – anyone – that I was hallucinating, I kept quiet about that too.

WHY I’M GRATEFUL FOR MY MAMA BEAR | HAPPY FATHERS DAY 2021

“If I know what love is, it is because of you.”

Hermann Hesse

I think this might actually be a I’m NOT Disordered first – a blog piece in celebration of Father’s Day! Of course, the most obvious reason for the lack of posts marking this Day is that my Dad is nowhere to be seen! So, in my opinion, if my Mum plays both roles; why shouldn’t she celebrate on both of the special Days devoted to parents? Having never written a post for Father’s Day, I feel the pressure that this piece should be really special; so hopefully I’ve accomplished that in talking about why I’m so grateful for my Mum…

My idyllic childhood:

When I was fifteen and the abuse began, it instantly felt as though so much of my time and energy was going into remembering those horrific six months that I didn’t have any effort left to dedicate to remembering all those years before it… This was so sad and disappointing because I knew my childhood had been so lovely and uneventful that I wanted memories of that time to comfort me on the occasions when I would remember the abuse.

A few times – and for multiple reasons – my Mum has questioned whether she’s given me a good childhood and a good upbringing. I honestly don’t think ‘yes,’ or words to that effect, will ever feel good enough and proportionate to just how good my childhood was. So, I’ve found the worthiest response is to assure her that when I eventually have children, I would want them to have the exact same childhood. I would want to bring them up the same way – with the same innocence, fun, generosity, kindness, love, laughter, and positivity.

TWENTY-EIGHT THINGS I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO FOR MY 28TH BIRTHDAY

And the world becomes a fantasy
And you're more than you could ever be
'Cause you're dreaming with your eyes wide open

Greatest Showman – Come Alive

Birthdays are one of those yearly events, like Christmas and New Years, where everyone responds to it differently. Half of people are excited and enjoy the celebrations where the other half dread them and struggle with overwhelming negative emotions. I’m with the first half! I especially love Birthdays because I like the thought of having an entire day dedicated to creating all of the positive emotions and memories that the person deserves all year round! This means I’m probably more excited for other people’s Birthdays than my own but I’m still majorly excited to be turning 28!

So I’ve compiled a list of things I’m excited for – not just things that’ll happen on my Birthday but things to look forward to in general… Some of them may seem ‘small’ or ‘insignificant’ but sometimes the littlest things have the biggest impact!

FIVE LESSONS MY MENTAL HEALTH RELAPSE HAS TAUGHT ME

1.     To ‘self-soothe’ more

      Self-soothe is probably one of my favourite – and most used – Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) skill. For so many years I was hard on myself and blamed myself for everything that went wrong in my life. Even the abuse. I thought that I was a bad person and had deserved all of these bad things in my life; the abuse, the bullying, the self-harm, the hallucinations… everything! For a while, I believed that I didn’t even deserve to be alive. So – perhaps – understandably, self-soothing was a particularly difficult skill for me to put into practice and even harder to eventually master. But being nice to myself felt so good that I fought the voices in my head that were trying to convince me that I should be hurting myself and not helping myself. I told them that I’d punished myself enough and that after all these years of self-harming and attempting suicide, I deserved to enjoy simple things. And that’s what my self-soothe techniques are; simple things. Like, lighting a candle, having a shower, doing my makeup or my hair, playing with my pets, spending time on The Sims, writing, reading, watching America’s Got Talent on Netflix… little things like that can sometimes make all the difference when I’m struggling with voices telling me that I’m useless and worthless and deserve to die.

2.     The importance of medication

The catalyst for this relapse has been that I stopped taking the medication I’m on for my mental health (Mirtazapine, Lamotrigine,

24HRS WITH... ME!

24 hours with... me!

Date: Thursday June 7^th 2018

Why have you chosen to write about today?

A ton of amazing things happened!

Good morning!



What time did you wake up?

10am


Why did you wake up at that time?

I had a support session with my worker from Richmond Fellowship at 11am



Did you have a dream?

Not that I remember.

WEEK NINE | 52 LISTS FOR HAPPINESS | OLIVER BONAS | AD

You can buy this book here

Apologies for the delay in this post!

Every week, for 2018 there will be post of what I’ve done in the book each week. And the ninth list?

List all the little things that happened today that brought you joy:

MY TWELVE FAVOURITE WOMEN | HAPPY (BELATED) INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY!!

Happy (Belated) International Women’s Day!!

In this post, I’d like to discuss my ten favourite women in the world, and why they’re such an inspiration to me.

My Mum

This was an obvious one for me; my Mum and I are very close, and she has been one of my biggest supporters through my mental health struggles and recovery. My Mum is hugely independent; she has to have at least one hundred goes at doing something herself before she asks for help! If I am half the Mother she is when I have children, then my kids will be very lucky!

My Aunt

I don’t talk about my Aunt often on my blog because she lives in Dubai but she makes the most incredible effort to keep in touch with the whole UK family. My Aunt is very family oriented and, in a family, where drama should be our surname, that takes a lot of strength! We’ll always be bonded by the fact that we were the only two unable to say goodbye to my Nana. That’s a horrible thing to have in common but it’s also a very powerful thing.

WEEK SEVEN | 52 LISTS FOR HAPPINESS | OLIVER BONAS | AD

You can buy this book here

(Apologies for the delay in publishing this post!)

Every week, for 2018 there will be post of what I’ve done in the book each week. And the seventh list?

List the greatest compliments and encouragement you have ever been given:

27 THINGS I'M THANKFUL FOR | MY TWENTY SEVENTH BIRTHDAY!!

1.     My Mum

      2.     R

3.     Dolly

4.     Pixie

WEEK FOUR | 52 LISTS FOR HAPPINESS | OLIVER BONAS | AD

You can buy this book here

Every week, for 2018 there will be post of what I’ve done in the book each week. And the fourth list?

List the things that get you out of your head:

WHAT I GOT FOR CHRISTMAS 2017

  Photographys: RJ Photography

As you’ll have seen from my post ‘ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS… YOU GUYS’ I was a little hesitant about Christmas this year. Last Boxing Day we lost the family cat suddenly and so I was a little concerned that it might be difficult to get into the Christmas spirit, but it was surprisingly easy to allow myself to enjoy the Holidays.

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS... YOU GUYS!!

Photography: RJ Photography

It’s that time of year again!

Some people will probably think this post a little premature: “it’s not even December!” I hear them say… But I think that the majority of people have now started doing the typical Christmassy things by now; buying presents, decorations, look at Christmas photos on Pinterest for ideas of DIYs…

Personally, my Christmas shopping is almost done! Just three more presents, and another gift bag and cards to buy! And yes, I’m one of those annoying who says – whenever the subject of presents comes up – that I won’t be buying much for people and I won’t be buying for as many people as the previous year. And then I find myself with three large gift bags, and eight medium sized ones looking at me in the living room.

I also, have my Christmas tree! Last year, I thought that my tree was one of those ones that have colour co-ordinated branches that match a certain height of the tree and you just slide them in. So, I pulled the branches off – thinking ‘God I must’ve put them in tight!’ to discover that it wasn’t one of those trees. And so, my partner and I were looking at Christmas trees and had narrowed it down to three before Wilkinsons put one of them as 50% the normal price; and our trip into town to do the food shop ended up with us getting a big trolley in Morrisons to stick the tree in! But don’t worry, it isn’t up yet -I usually start decorating around two weeks before the big day.

"Did you have a good Christmas?" "Um, no." - CHRISTMAS 2016

"Why do people ask questions that they only want a particular answer to?!"

Merry (belated) Christmas!
I hope you all had a good one!

I, did not.
It makes me sad to say that but I'm all about honesty...

ALTHOUGH! I do quickly want to make a point of saying that I love every single person who I shared my Christmas with this year: Mum, Ronnie, my Grandad, my Aunt, the cats, Ronnie's Family: Mum, Dad, Gran, Sister, Sister's Boyfriend, Brother, Sister-in-law, two Newphews, and the Dog!
AND that I am so thankful for all of my gifts this year from family (and almost family!), a top notch Fiance who reads my Wish Lists, beautiful best-friends (Lauren, Ellie - with my beautiful God-Children; and Sophie) and my thoughtful neighbours.

Photography: RJ Photography

#100kwithimnotdisordered | ONE YEAR ON

When I woke up a few days ago (14th November) I saw a notification on my Facebook from the lovely Angela Slater; and it made me smile.
I smiled because she had reminded me that exactly one year ago to the date, I experienced The Greatest Night Of My Life!

A year. 52 weeks. 12 months. 365 days. 8766 hours. 525960 minutes.
All of that time has gone by, and still, that night was the greatest of my life.

Old Aimee: All of that time has gone by and I've still not experienced anything better. And I never will. If this is the best that my entire life will ever get, then I don't need to go through any more of it. *swallows pills*

Aimee Now: My feelings are right! They're normal! I've experienced so many amazing things since the party and they've all been 'The Greatest...' in their own way; but that night still holds it's title; proving that I no longer have unstable moods because I don't make such a statement when I'm feeling 'high' and then later analyse the entire night to find even the smallest of negatives, to focus on and let them become a motivation to self-harm.
And yes, so far, nothing has topped that night but anything could happen! And if I were to die in the meantime, then that chance... that possibility... that potential; would die with me.
And because of MINDFULNESS, I can remember the exact moment when I decided it was The Greatest Night Of My Life -   It was the end of the party, but I was in the middle of the dance floor with two of my best-friends, I had my arms spread out like wings - because I had floated  to the top of the world! - and I was looking up at the ceiling whilst shout-singing the lyrics to Mr Brightside (by The Killers). And I was filled with happiness, pride, love, positivity, excitement, determination, gratitude, champagne... Basically just all of the good things in life!

'Destiny is calling me, Open up my eager eyes, I'm Mr Brightside'

And when I felt all of those amazingly, indescribable, overwhelming, unforgettable feelings, I slowly turned in a circle ; looking at the empty food buffet, the half dismantled photo booth and photo background, the I'm NOT Disordered flags still on the tables, the shutters coming down on the private bar, and the faces of the few who were left in the room and had spotted us dancing, I let it all sink in through my skin and when it got to this little area in my mind, there was no room for it.

;

So I pushed some of the horrible memories and thoughts off the shelf, and made room for The Greatest Night Of My Life.
And as I said; so far there have been no greater nights, but there's also not been any horrific moments which would push my Greatest Night away. And if any were to come along...? Well, they'd have a f*#$ing hard job because between I'm NOT Disordered, and you gorgeous readers, I reckon we've got it all secure!

And just to finish off... This is how far we've all come:

It had taken THREE YEARS to reach 100,000 readers...

And now, in just this ONE YEAR since the 100k party...

We have had over...

70,000

I love you all
X

Mental Health Awareness Week: Top Relationships for PC Becky Davies

Note: my VLOG from day two of MHAW is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNPLLVQQIDA

By Becky Davies, Patrol Sergeant in Exeter, East and Mid-Devon policing area, Twitter: @PC_Becky_Davies

#1

Name: Mum

Why have you chosen this person? Because without her I may not have recovered when I did from postnatal depression. Since recovering she supports me to campaign for better mental health. Without her this would not be possible. Without her I would not be able to be a full time police officer working towards promotion. 

Your relationship e.g. Mum, Cousin, friend, partner etc. : mum 

How long have you known one another? Since birth ;)

How did you first meet? When I appeared a few days after Xmas! I was due on Xmas day!

What was your first thought/opinion on this person? Mum and I went to hell and back when I was a child. She was a dv victim from my dad. I can't tell you my first thoughts but might consistent thoughts over 33 years are: stoical, resilient, consistent, reserved, loving, supportive.

Has this changed? No.

List three highlights from your relationship so far. When she binned my dad. When she came to see me pass out as a police officer. When I made her a nanna. 

Has there been any low or difficult moments in your relationship? If yes, how have these been overcome? Many. By supporting each other. Talking which we are not very good at sometimes. Laughing. 

Do you have any differences of opinion, views or beliefs? If yes, what are they? Probably but she usually keeps her opinions to herself and picks up the pieces.

List three things you have in common. The outdoors. Reading a good book. Red wine. 

Is there anything you're looking forward to with this person? Making her proud (more proud). 

Describe this person with one word. Consistent.

Write one sentence of something you would like to say to this person.

You are a great role model and without you I dread to think which path I would have gone down at 13 years of age.

#2

Name: Kristen 

Why have you chosen this person? My bubbly beautiful kiwi best friend.

Your relationship e.g. Mum, Cousin, friend, partner etc. : best friend.

How long have you known one another? About 7 years.

How did you first meet? Through a mutual friend, we were both single and had springer spaniels!

What was your first thought/opinion on this person? I had met K before and thought she hated me. She was in a bad relationship at the time and not in a good place. When I met her again I though we would be friends for a while. 

Has this changed? I love her to pieces. If she binned me it would be like the breakup of a serious relationship! 

List three highlights from your relationship so far. Our dog walks in various beautiful locations in Devon. The intellectual conversations I can have with her and very few others. A trip to Bath that went a bit wrong but provided some wicked memories.

Has there been any low or difficult moments in your relationship? If yes, how have these been overcome? We are both in the past picked the wrong guys and had difficulties. It's hard for the other person to watch but we are there for each other no matter what.

Do you have any differences of opinion, views or beliefs? If yes, what are they? Not that I can think of which is strange.

List three things you have in common. Love of dogs. Love of horses. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc!

Is there anything you're looking forward to with this person? Seeing her tomorrow for a bar b with two other close friends (my chosen family). Growing old with her and causing chaos in the nursing home. One day seeing New Zealand with her.

Describe this person with one word. Beautiful.

Write one sentence of something you would like to say to this person.

I love and respect you, you are my sister, my best friend, I cannot imagine life without you.

#3

Name: Ad.

Why have you chosen this person? Because he deserves credit for living with a miserable moody partner who is not the person he met. 

Your relationship e.g. Mum, Cousin, friend, partner etc. : partner.

How long have you known one another? 3 years. 

How did you first meet? At work. 

What was your first thought/opinion on this person? Ooh he's fit but he looks a bit square.

Has this changed? He's still fit and a square but there is much more to him. He has a cool fun side that nor everyone sees.

List three highlights from your relationship so far. Working together. I come with ideas and he makes them happen which is really empowering. Getting together, I was patient for once as due to his situation it would have been wrong to push something when I wanted to. Holiday in lanzarote last year.

Has there been any low or difficult moments in your relationship? If yes, how have these been overcome? Many. By talking which we aren't always great at doing and sticking together. 

Do you have any differences of opinion, views or beliefs? If yes, what are they? Many. I am very impatient. If something needs sorting, it's been sorted yesterday. Ad has a more laid back approach. But then so do most other people.

List three things you have in common. Good films. Starch free food (Ad is a convert) and interesting conversation.

Is there anything you're looking forward to with this person? Holiday to France in September. Beautiful Days festival in August. Being more the person I was when we met. 

Describe this person with one word. Cheesy (it may seem offensive but refers to some of his jokes which make me laugh because they are so terrible).

Write one sentence of something you would like to say to this person. One day soon life will get back on an even keel.

#4

Name: Beth

Why have you chosen this person? Because I would die for her.

Your relationship e.g. Mum, Cousin, friend, partner etc. : daughter. 

How long have you known one another? Since she had hiccups when she was growing in my belly!

How did you first meet? When she was born and I was trying not to drown her in the birthing pool!

What was your first thought/opinion on this person? Wow.

Has this changed? No.

List three highlights from your relationship so far. Her appearance in the world. When I reconnected with her following the pnd. Every time she cones out with something that cracks me up.

Has there been any low or difficult moments in your relationship? If yes, how have these been overcome? Yes. My determination to recover.

Do you have any differences of opinion, views or beliefs? If yes, what yes all the time. She's a toddler. Brushing her hair is a particular challenge!

List three things you have in common. Looking at her is like looking at me when I was her age. We are both fiercely independent and impatient.

Is there anything you're looking forward to with this person? Watching her grow. Taking her on a plane for the first time with her in September. Breakfast with her tomorrow (I'm sometimes at work already or sleeping from shift). 

Describe this person with one word. Incredible.

Write one sentence of something you would like to say to this person. You are the funniest, most beautiful person I know inside and outside and I love spending time with you more than anyone else.

Mental Health Awareness Week: Top Relationships for Me

From the 16th until the 22nd of May, it is Mental Health Awareness week. 

Mental Health Awareness Week is about recognising the different aspects of life which affect your mental health (for better or for worse), thanking those who support you and encouraging others to get help. This year, there will be a specific focus on relationships, in recognition of the fact that having healthy, and supportive relationships can reduce the risk of ill mental health. The Week is a celebration of all of those relationships (from your family, to a colleague, to your pet, to your GP!) that add to our wellbeing, and protect and sustain our mental health. By taking notice of the connections that make you feel safe and supported, it is hoped that many will join in the campaign to ensure that decision makers address the current barriers that prevent people from forming such important relationships.

#1

Name: Diane Wilson

Why have you chosen this person? I wouldn't be here without her

Your relationship e.g. Mum, Cousin, friend, partner etc. : Mum and Daughter

How long have you known one another? All my life!

How did you first meet? In a bit of an awkward situation...!!

List three highlights from your relationship so far.

1. When I passed all of my GCSE's against all of the odds! My Mum supported me through all of the complications and set-backs (biggest understatement EVER!) that surrounded my exams. And I'll never forget running in to her work and telling her I passed them all; she picked me up and swung me round, and then took me all the way round her work so she could tell absolutely everyone. It's one of two of the proudest moments in my life.

2. The second highlight is actually the second most proudest moment of my life; my celebratory event for reaching over 100k readers on I'm NOT Disordered. My Mum was a massive help in organising it and setting everything up; and hearing her speech about me, my recovery, and the success of my blog, was incredible. My Mum was there from start to finish; from being given flowers on the morning of the event to then sharing a bedroom at the event venue (a Hotel!) afterwards and staying up late just gushing about how incredible it all was and looking at everyone's photos.

3. This isn't exactly a specific moment, but a series of moments. All of the small victories we've shared. The day I was discharged from hospital and moved into my own home. The day Dolly came home. Every time that I've been offered an amazing opportunity and automatically call Mum.

Has there been any low or difficult moments in your relationship? If yes, how have these been overcome? Obviously, the years spent with me hallucinating, self-harming and attempting suicide, were hard on our relationship. No; not hard... Challenging? No... It was life changing. For both of us as separate people and for both of us as Mum and Daughter. In the beginning, my Mum was at a loss as to why I was doing the things I did. Once I finally told someone about the abuse, that was a whole other journey for us. But, we've made it! Being so far away from Mum for so long (in the psychiatric Hospital around 300miles from home for over 2 years) helped me to appreciate her so much more, and to properly enjoy our time together. These days, we talk a million times a day, send each other photos, and see one another as often as we can. I love my Mum. I have always loved my Mum. And I always will.

Do you have any differences of opinion, views or beliefs? If yes, what are they? I think our biggest difference is that my Mum is a very private person; she doesn't share her business with many people. I completely understand her need for privacy, and to a degree, I do have some similarities in that there are certain aspects of my life that I don't disclose on social media, or discuss on I'm NOT Disordered. But there are also things that I might mention on my blog, or on social media and my Mum wouldn't have done. Still, though, she appreciates and respects my opinion on privacy and knows that disclosing some personal details, has contributed to helping others.  

List three things you have in common. 
1. Our love for cats!
2. Our advocating of honesty and trust.
3. A bit of a twisted sense of humour!

Is there anything you're looking forward to with this person? Yes, we have lots of travel and trips planned!

Describe this person with one word. Inspirational.

Write one sentence of something you would like to say to this person. I can't - there never seems to be enough words to do justice for my love, respect and gratitude towards my Mum.

#2

Name: Dolly

Why have you chosen this person? She's who I share my home with. She's there when no one else can be.

Your relationship e.g. Mum, Cousin, friend, partner etc. : She's my pet. And my bestfriend. And my family.

How long have you known one another? Since November 22nd 2014.

How did you first meet? I found Dolly on a website called Pets4Homes; I was searching through kittens for sale nearby. When we actually met (November 22nd) one of the hospital staff drove me and my Mum to see her.

What was your first thought/opinion on this person? 'Oh my God! She's so cute! I want her!'

Has this changed? She's still so cute. But I have her now.

List three highlights from your relationship so far.
1. Obviously, the day she first came home and looked absolutely tiny as she explored. And if I went into another room and she hadn't seen, she'd sit and cry until I came to her!

2. Her first Christmas in 2014! She loved the tree. And she was still only three months old so she was playful and excitable like a child! I have this photo that my Mum took on Boxing Day and I'd fallen asleep on the settee and Dolly was just lying flat out next to me! 

3. The little things are very special. Like, seeing her after we've been apart for a while, seeing how she is completely loving towards me even when visitors are here; she'll hiss at them and I'll call her name and she'll come trotting over squeaking (she doesn't meow) and rub herself against me. Cuddling her is the one time that I use mindfulness skills by completely focusing on the feel of her fur on my hand (she's longhaired!). And the moments when I look at her and I'm reminded that all of the hard work I've put in to get to where I am today, was worth it.  

Has there been any low or difficult moments in your relationship? If yes, how have these been overcome? When I went to collect Dolly from the Vets after she was spayed, they told me that she'd been really aggressive and she was brought through in a cage covered by a blanket. They warned me to be careful but once I opened the cage and she saw it was me, she came running into my arms, snuggled in and started purring; the nurses said she was like a completely different cat. Since that admission, she has never been the same. She has very anxious and restless moments and the worst is that she's aggressive with visitors. She was always so friendly and now she's actually hurt my friends and one of my support workers. It's embarrassing and awkward; but whilst I was worrying and considering getting her help, everyone told me she was just being protective. But I knew. And I was right. She was diagnosed with an Anxiety Disorder (yes you can laugh but not for long) and I've now bought her everything available to help her and she's now booked in with a pet Behaviour Therapist. It's hard to see her get upset; and to worry about having friends over because it'll upset her, but it's also encouraged me to believe that I do know what is best for Dolly and I do make the right decisions for her; I'm a good Mum!

Do you have any differences of opinion, views or beliefs? If yes, what are they? I know I wrote these questions but when I did, I didn't think of filling them in about Dolly! Although, I'm pretty sure that she believes it's ok to wee on my bed - which I disagree with.

List three things you have in common.
1. Long hair?! And we love having it brushed?!
2. We love each other. And I think it's safe to say that we're each other's world.
3. We like our food!

Is there anything you're looking forward to with this person? I love the thought that because cats can live so long, the chances are that Dolly will be with me when I meet someone, when I get married and especially; when I have children.

Describe this person with one word. Forever.

Write one sentence of something you would like to say to this person. I will do anything to make you better. And you will get better.