Recently, I had a big and unruly struggle with my mental health problems. I was struggling and it was visible to a number of people close to me. A couple of people suggested, very gently, whether I might benefit from re-entering the world of doctors. By that they meant, regular GP appointments, medication, possibly community mental teams or referrals to psychiatry, that sort of thing. You'll probably know it all too well if you've been through anything like me. My response w

Last spring, I started therapy again with a new therapist. It feels strange to finally write this because I've been silent about it on my blog until now. I've kept it to myself and just a few people I'm comfortable speaking with about it because, understandably, it all feels very personal. In fact, this post itself feels on the more personal side for me (eek), but I've decided I'm going to post it anyway. For most of my early and mid twenties, I was engaged in some sort of lo

Metacommunication can be described as communicating about how you’re communicating— and you probably do it without even realising you’re doing it. I didn’t realise I was using metacommunication until I started using it more and more frequently with my husband and in some of my friendships. Once I became aware of the presence of metacommunication in my conversations, I noticed that I was using it to promote a sense of emotional safety when talking about mental health. Since be

I'm very excited to announce that The Talking About BPD Workbook: Reflections and Creative Prompts for Exploring Your Life with a Diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder by me is now open for pre-orders. You can find in all of the usual places where you buy your books! I'm really excited to bring this book to readers. It's a book about identity, relationships, how you feel about yourself. Inside, you’ll find reflections and creative prompts to explore the kinds of quest

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of chatting with Anna Bontovics (they/them), also known as Nush, about their new play about BPD entitled The Love We Think We Deserve . I was so excited when Anna got in touch with me at the end of summer to tell me about their important show. The Love We Think We Deserve has my huge respect for several reasons, but first and foremost it's the first piece of theatre I’ve ever come across to shine a spotlight on the BPD diagnosis. I was cur

You know how tricky it is to find compassionate and empathetic books about the more stigmatised kinds of mental health problems? Well, I've got some good news to share with you! Kay Garbett and Katja Pavlovna have written an important and illuminating book about their experiences of mental health difficulties, specifically borderline personality disorder (BPD) and schizotypal personality disorder (STPD). Sorry My Mental Illness Is Not Sexy Enough for You : Lessons on Living w

It's that time of year again. The leaves are glowing orange and maroon, and new students have arrived in town. I see them strolling to their lectures, chatting with freshly-made friends, no doubt trying to find their way through their newfound student life. That was me many Octobers ago, as I stepped into the whole new world of an unnervingly prestigious university to study some very old books. I loved my studying, and I loved the people I met. One teensy little problem thoug

I'm fascinated by how we see ourselves, how others see us and the spaces in between these two lines of sight. What traits do you see in...

This is just a short post to say hi. I realise it's been a long time since my last post. The process of moving house was a LOT for me and...

I've emerged from the painful state of mind that I was in for a few weeks. I felt slithers of it coming in from about January, but it was...

Last autumn, I wrote a slightly tangled blog post called What Threads Run Through Your Life? Go With Your fascinations! . This was my...

'Neuroqueer Feminism: Turning with Tenderness toward Borderline Personality Disorder' by Merri Lisa Johnson is one of the most inspiring...