A SHORT Q&A ABOUT MY UPCOMING RADIO APPEARANCE

I’m proud of who I am,

No more monsters, I can breathe again,

And you said that I was done,

Well, you were wrong and now, the best is yet to come

Ke$ha - Praying

After BBC Radio Newcastle, confirmed I could announce my live appearance on their Anna Foster show, I instantly wondered how I could share the announcement and so, I’ve chosen to answer a few AI-created (by Chat GPT) questions. If you want to hear more about my mental health journey, trauma recovery, and the growth of my Influencer career and pet bereavement project; Gracie’s Way (www.graciesway.co.uk or @GraciesWayUK on Instagram), then you can listen in live…

21.07.2026 at 11am: Radio Newcastle - Listen Live - BBC Sounds

A Q&A WITH ME AS MAID OF HONOUR | THE WEDDING OF TWO OF MY BEST-FRIENDS; THE NEW MR AND MR WILSON!!!

“Things are never quite as scary when you’ve got a best friend.”

Bill Watterson, Calvin and Hobbes

I sort of built this day up a bit on the blog with a previous piece about the pre-wedding party: A TREASURE TROVE BLOG POST: MAID OF HONOUR INSIGHT INTO THE BEST-FRIEND’S PRE-WEDDING WARM-UP!!! | IN COLLABORATION WITH TURTLE BAY NEWCASTLE | I'm NOT Disordered. Then, this blog post was written ahead of time so that I could still publish it on the weekend of the Wedding (it was on Saturday April 18^th) without having to write it then too! But, on writing this, the plan is to likely put this up on the Sunday because the after-party finishes at midnight on Saturday night and I obviously want to add all – or some (depending on how many I take!) – photos and videos etc to the post! And, in case anyone is wondering, I take absolutely no credit for the questions in this piece – it was literally all Chat GPT! I honestly just loved them so much and enjoyed that I purely had to answer them(!)…

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…

AN INTERVIEW WITH ME BY CHAT GPT

“There’s no shame in having to fight every day because if you’re still alive to hear these words or read this interview, then you are winning your war. You’re here.”

Jared Padalecki

A while ago, I eventually began using AI – mostly in the form of Chat GPT – and I’ve finally decided to do something I’ve seen a lot of Bloggers and Influencers do since AI became a thing; give it a prompt to set me some questions as an interview. In the prompt, I asked it to pick out questions related to blogging, having a large audience, and my mental health, so here are some of my favourite questions; answered…

DAY SIX MHAW | THE BLOGGING COMMUNITY: A Q&A WITH BEST-FRIEND & BLOGGER; MARTIN BAKER OF GUMONMYSHOE.COM | MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK 2025

“Good friends are those who care without hesitation, who remember without limitation, and who love even without communication.”

Philippos Syrigos

For Day Six of Mental Health Awareness Week, I’ve collaborated with one of my best-friend’s and fellow mental health Blogger: Martin Baker from Gum On My Shoe. I wanted to feature a piece with him to shed light on having each other, as an example of the blogging community. I will never be able to put into words just how much it means to me – how special it feels – to have someone in my life who truly understands one of the most important elements in my life (I’m NOT Disordered/blogging). So, we put together some questions and have each answered them, my answers are on his blog: www.gumonmyshoe.com and his are below…

DAY THREE MHAW | A COMMUNITY-THEMED Q&A WITH A CAT CARE VOLUNTEER | MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK 2025 WITH CATS PROTECTION

Cats Protection | UK’s Largest Cat Welfare Charity

Twitter: @catsprotection

Facebook: Cats Protection

Instagram: @catsprotection

More info on Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW):

Mental Health Awareness Week | Mental Health Foundation

“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.”

Margaret J. Wheatley

This year, to celebrate MHAW, I chatted with the lovely Keira Wood; a Cat Care Volunteer from Cats Protection Tyneside, about everything this year’s theme of ‘community’ means to the UK’s largest feline welfare charity and their essential Volunteers…

DAY TWO MHAW | HOW WAYTHROUGH ARE TACKLING ‘COMMUNITY’ | MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK 2025 WITH WAYTHROUGH

“Learn to enjoy and respect each other’s differences.”

Fred Meijer

For the second day of Mental Health Awareness Week 2025, I’ve collaborated with mental health and drug and alcohol support charity; Waythrough. Prior to Richmond Fellowship and Humankind merging, I had been under the care of Richmond Fellowship for almost ten years and was honoured to be a huge part of the communications and marketing aspects to the merger and the creation of Waythrough. In this post, I’ve chatted with another service user and fellow member of the Life Experience Council as well as Waythrough’s Inclusion Manager about how Waythrough have tackled the theme of community…

BLOGMAS 2022 | DAY TWENTY-FOUR: CHRISTMAS WITH… ME!

Welcome to the penultimate blog post for Blogmas 2022! 

Today, I’ve completed the ‘Christmas With…’ Q&A to give you insight into my own Christmases and who I’ll be spending it with this year…

Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions? 

Since I was little my Mum and I have always done new pyjamas on Christmas Eve night and more recently we’ve started attending the Nativity at the Church I was christened in and then going to a nearby restaurant for Pizza and Baileys! I also like to watch The Santa Clause because it’s my favourite Christmas movie!

Who will you be spending this year’s Christmas with? 

My Mum and her cat; Millie, and my bunny; Luna!

What time do you get up on Christmas Day? Is that for a particular reason?  

 When I was little, my Mum would set a time, but now I’m older and have my own home, I usually get up around 10am.

BLOGMAS 2022 | DAY TWENTY-THREE: CHRISTMAS WITH… CNTW COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR; DEBBIE HENDERSON

Welcome to Day Twenty-Three of Blogmas 2022

 

Today, I’m teaming up with Debbie Henderson who is the Communications and Corporate Affairs Director for my local mental health NHS Trust; Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW), to bring you a bit of insight into her Christmas…

 

 

Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions? 

Me and the hubby go to our friend’s house on Christmas Eve every year to spend a few hours with our goddaughter – needless to say, we don’t have kids of our own – so she gets spoilt rotten!!

 

Who will you be spending this year’s Christmas with? 

Me, the hubby and our hairy daughter (Shelby – our Staffy) – she’s 13 in November so we’ll be making it extra special! My mam is spending it with family in Wales this year, so we’ll be spending the day with my in-laws…. lots of food, beers, chocolate….and falling asleep to a cheesy Christmas movie – just perfect xx

BLOGMAS 2022 | DAY TWENTY-ONE: CHRISTMAS WITH… COMEDIAN, DAVE CHAWNER

Welcome to Day Twenty-One of Blogmas 2022

Today, I’ve teamed up with the legendary and very lovely Comedian, Dave Chawner to bring you a bit of insight into his Christmas…

Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions? 

In my village, everyone who went to my school used to go to this one pub on Christmas Eve. The year I’d left school and gone to Uni I was so excited to see everyone and catch up. However, that Christmas morning I was somewhat ‘delicate’. But, as time has gone on, people have had kids, got jobs and moved on. So, I’ll be honest, I stopped doing that the first year I went, and I walked into the pub and it was filled with these young kids, none of whom I recognised, and none of whom seemed to be old enough to drink. It was then that I realised that I was officially old.

BLOGMAS 2022 | DAY NINETEEN: CHRISTMAS WITH... A CARER

Welcome to Day Nineteen of Blogmas 2022

Today, I’m teaming up with a Carer to bring you a bit of insight into their Christmas…

BLOGMAS 2022 | DAY THIRTEEN: CHRISTMAS WITH... RICHMOND FELLOWSHIP RECOVERY WORKER, SAMANTHA BOAK

Welcome to Day Thirteen of Blogmas 2022

Today, I’ve teamed up with one of my Richmond Fellowship Recovery Workers; Samantha Boak to bring you a bit of insight into her Christmas…

 

Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions? 

 

On Christmas Eve me and my family have party food and watch Christmas programmes on TV. My little boy likes to sprinkle his reindeer dust out in the garden so Santa can find us, and we leave a carrot, mince pies and milk out for Santa and the reindeers.

BLOGMAS 2022 | DAY THREE: CHRISTMAS WITH... BLOGGER; MARTIN BAKER

 Welcome to Day Three of Blogmas 2022!

Today, I’ve teamed up with one of my best-friend’s; Martin Baker who blogs on:
 www.gumonmyshoe.com to bring to you a bit of insight into a typical Christmas in his life…

Do you have any Christmas Eve traditions?

Not so much these days, apart from laying out the gifts for the morning. I’m usually in bed by midnight. (Don’t want to mess up Santa’s schedule by still being up when he comes to call!)

Who will you be spending this year’s Christmas with?

I’ll be with my immediate family on the day itself. I’d like to meet up with a few local friends, if possible, in the week before to get me in the festive spirit. I’ll have video calls with friends who live further away or abroad so we can wish each other Happy Christmas and open gifts together.

BLOGMAS 2022 | DAY ONE

Welcome to Day One of Blogmas 2022!

As you may already know if you follow me on social media (@aimes_wilson on Twitter and Instagram); I decided a few months ago to do Blogmas again this year. So, today – to kick things off – I have a little introduction for you, all about my decision to create the series, different elements of the series that I had to consider in the planning process, some links to previous Christmases on I’m NOT Disordered, a little bit about what you can expect, and ways you can join in with the festive fun throughout the next twenty-five days…

BUNNY Q&A | LUNA'S ALMOST ONE!!! | IN COLLABORATION WITH AMAZON UK

Love you, I’ll be here

I will never disappear

Said forever, I swear

So I will be there

Tyler Shaw – Love You Still

Luna's Amazon Birthday Wishlist

It's Luna (my bunny)'s 1st Birthday next week, but I wanted to do something special now... So, I thought I’d turn over to you and asked you all to send in your bunny-related questions! I had vowed to answer all of them but having such a big audience now; I maybe shouldn’t have said that! So, I’ve had to pick my favourites – which was so difficult because I honestly loved them all…

Why a rabbit? And what made you pick Luna?

So, when I was little I had two rabbits – Happy and Thumper – and when they had babies myself and my family made the mistake of handling them so the Mum killed them (something which is quite well known in rabbits). This memory led professionals to believe that when I started to hallucinate rabbits years later, that was the influence.

After a lengthy (two and a half years) psychiatric hospital admission and medication, the hallucinations stopped for some time and when they came back in 2017, I was so terrified that if I told someone I’d be put back in hospital; but I knew that I needed to talk about it in order to get help. So, my Mum and I were in Pets At Home, and I had this unexpected and overwhelming idea to hold one of their rabbits. My thought behind it was that perhaps in feeling a very real bunny, in having their fur against my skin and feeling their heartbeat, maybe I’d feel some sort of courage and comfort that would leave me able to get help for the hallucinations return.

FROM BLOGGING TIPS TO MENTAL HEALTH DIAGNOSIS | EVERYTHING YOU ASKED MARTIN BAKER & I | IN COLLABORATION WITH GUMONMYSHOE.COM

You can read Martin’s answers over on: www.gumonmyshoe.com

So a while ago I asked you all to send in questions you’d like to ask me and one of my best friends and fellow blogger, Martin Baker. Of course I was bombarded and so I had to work really hard to whittle them down to the following questions…

Do you feel under pressure to keep going with your blog? 

I used to. I think there was a point where I was really blogging for the sake of others… I recognised that I was maintaining it purely because I liked the idea of it helping others. In seeing that my recovery was giving people hope, encouraging them to reach out for help and support, and enabling them to feel less alone, I felt that I couldn’t stop blogging because it would be taking that away from them.

However, when I decided to close I’m NOT Disordered down in 2014, I found myself truly missing it. I was finally recognising that, actually, I – and my mental health in particular – were massively benefiting from blogging. In ending my blog, I struggled to really process my thoughts and feelings and to better understand my decisions, and the loss of the ability to do this meant that I became unsafe again and started to really struggle. That experience – of not blogging – has meant that I now blog completely for me but balance that with still considering how my readers would feel or think of the content I produce. And I really hope that shows.

"I LOVED MY EXPERIENCE WITH EASTENDERS" | Q&A WITH EASTENDERS ADVISOR & MIND MEDIA CHAMPION; ANTONIO FERREIRA

Q1: How old were you when you first began to struggle with your mental health? 

15 years of age. 

 

Q2: Which ‘symptoms’ did you experience first? 

Paranoia, impulsivity, low mood, auditory hallucinations.  

 

Q3: What was your first thought when you began struggling? Were you scared? 

At first, I was ignorant to my own symptoms then I began to feel more and more worried – not necessarily scared. 

 

Q4: At what point did you get help and support for your mental illness? 

Initially, during high school, after being referred by my GP, however, help and support became a lot more prominent/vigorous after I reached crisis point. 

 

Q5: What would you say has been the lowest point in your journey? 

Having most of my teenage years taken away from me. 

HUMOUR & MENTAL HEALTH | MY THOUGHTS & A Q&A IN COLLABORATION WITH AWARD WINNING COMEDIAN, DAVE CHAWNER

https://twitter.com/DaveChawner

https://davechawner.co.uk/

Buy Dave’s book; Weight Expectations from Amazon

Dave’s exclusive video for World Mental Health Day 2020

 

In 2015, I was asked to do the social media at a Newcastle University event named Mind The Gap Conference (you can watch my vlog from the day here), I had the honour of watching a sketch by the award winning Comedian; Dave Chawner, before having the opportunity to have a 1:1 chat with him. I found him so inspiring; his sketch was centred around mental health and his particular experience with Anorexia, yet it had THE most hilarious moments! I believe he has mastered what I think is a key difficulty around humour and mental health; that some people have the attitude that mental health is so important it should be taken seriously, and there should be no light to make of it.

I’d like to think that if you’ve been reading my blog for a little while – or even if you’ve just read one post – you can see from it that I regard mental health very highly and have nothing but respect for people struggling with theirs. Whilst this is so true, I’m also a firm believer that humour can have a place in most generally difficult topics/subjects. I like that phrase ‘if I don’t laugh, I’ll cry’ and completely agree that this is particularly true with mental health because it can really be the difference between someone feeling that things are bearable to a person being suicidal. I think that I mostly feel this way because I use humour myself as a very effective coping mechanism and find it incredibly encouraging of positive and safe thoughts and feelings.

THE DARK SIDE OF THE MIND | A Q&A WITH THE AUTHOR, A BOOK REVIEW, & THE LAUNCH OF THE COMPETITION | IN COLLABORATION WITH KERRY DAYNES

“All crimes are committed by – and happen to – people. Forensic psychology is about them.”

Kerry Daynes

Those who follow my social media (the links are to the right!) will know that I’ve started a Forensic Psychology course with Centre of Excellence. I’m only onto Module Two and have been so fascinated that I started looking for books on the subject on Amazon and I came across Kerry Dayne’s book, The Dark Side of The Mind. I immediately bought it and searched for her on Twitter and I was over the moon to see that her direct message inbox was open. When she replied? I was even happier! A little bit shocked too – I mean it’s a little surreal to have someone who’s name is on a book you’re holding message you on social media!


So, here’s the result of our conversation – my favourite parts of her book, a Q&A with Kerry Daynes, and a competition to win a signed copy of her book!

To win a signed copy of Kerry’s book, all you have to do is go to my Twitter (here) and share the pinned tweet! (Each person will be given a number in order of when they shared it and an app will randomly choose one number!) 

1.     Have you always wanted to work in Psychology? What did you want to be when you were really little?