Gum on My Shoe

By Katie Maylea I have suffered with mental illness for much of my life starting with self-harm and depression at fourteen years old. I didn’t understand it then or realise there was even a name for what I was doing. I battled this alone for a long time and in my 20s this developed into anorexia and a long battle to get well. Much later down the line I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, but this wasn’t until many years later and after a long fight for the correct treatment. Over the years I struggled to function and while I may have felt better for a short period of time it never lasted and the anorexia once again crippled me and ruled my life. I had three inpatient admissions for anorexia as well as attending a daycare programme and outpatient care in between, but it took me a long time to get well. Anorexia is very misunderstood and often thought to be much about food but it is a lot more complex than that. Getting to the reasons behind the eating disorder is crucial but ...

By Sophie Hopkins and Eliza Colin Hodges Wednesday June 5, 2019, 9:45 – 4:30, Shakespeare Hall, North Road, Durham, England. Hidden Histories: Mining in the North East began with two young women in their twenties, as part of the Jack Drum Arts Active Citizens program. Sophie and Eliza met in February 2019 on a residential that covered leadership skills. Modules covered local and global identity and culture. At the end of the week they were asked to identify a problem in their local area. Sophie identified the stigma that exists between the older and younger generations and the lack of connection they have with each other, despite the fact that recent research shows there are many similarities between the generations. Eliza identified the lack of local knowledge around mining and how students at Durham University were largely unaware of the region’s heritage. She also identified the lack of communication between locals and students. With a lot of hard work, these ideas deve...

By Lynn Nanos The police found Owen, twenty-nine years old with untreated bipolar disorder with psychotic features, refusing to get off the road where he impeded traffic. Instead of arresting him, they escorted him to emergency services. He gets readmitted to emergency services countless times within just a couple of months. His mother, Martha, tells me that he’s not been functioning at his baseline for the last four years. He started college, but now has no employment, no money, no friend, and no home. Excerpt from Breakdown: A Clinician’s Experience in a Broken System of Emergency Psychiatry : Owen’s chief demands of me include an apartment, money, food, and a photocopy of the entire Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fifth Edition (DSM-5). His rapid speech, restless body movements, inability to listen and concentrate, verboseness, and expansive affect are like what I previously witnessed. His outer physical appearance is like his appearance the previous t...

Hosted by the Mental Health Foundation , Mental Health Awareness Week took place from 13-19 May 2019. The theme this year was Body Image – how we think and feel about our bodies – and I thought it would be good to draw together some of the things we’ve been involved with. There was a lot going on at work (BPDTS Ltd) through the week, including a number of excellent posts on our corporate blog. There was a company-wide dial-in call on stress, and a lunchtime meet and greet. I also attended a meeting of Mental Health First Aiders. I was invited to contribute three articles, including one for the main DWP Digital blog. What Mental Health Awareness Week Means to Me , hosted by DWP Digital Body Image Q&A for Mental Health Awareness Week , hosted by Aimee Wilson at I’m NOT Disordered What Does Mental Health Awareness Week Mean to Me? , hosted by Beka Lombardo at It’s Not Your Journey Fran and I had the privilege of publishing two brilliant guest articles here at Gum on My Shoe...

By Charlotte Underwood This is my body. What I see: Scars Fat Imperfections What I feel: Fear Vulnerability Disgust What I know: A body that’s kept me alive for 23 years A body winning against binge eating A body that is mine and no one else’s A strong ass woman The thing with body positivity and body image is that it’s hard work. Most people can’t stare at a mirror and force themselves to love what they see. Many people have a love/hate relationship with their body. But over time, we can learn to be proud of our bodies and our skin. When I was a teenager, I literally stopped eating properly and I worked out a lot because I felt like I was being judged for my weight. I felt I wouldn’t be loved as a larger girl. And you know what? I wish I never had to feel like that. I am learning to look after my body and my mind for myself. I do not let anyone tell me that I should lose a few pounds or sort out my appearance, because it’s not their right. Your bod...

By Jen Evans When I think about body image, the first thing that occurs to me is that women seem to have to deal with this more than men. But I’ve never chatted with a man about this subject so I don’t know how valid that is. On a daily basis, men and women are confronted with ideas and images about what they ought to look like on magazine covers and in the world of celebrity. In my thinking, all of these images are airbrushed and not realistic. From the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, a larger woman was considered normal and of noble status because she could afford to feed herself. If we take a look at the Mona Lisa we can see that she’s no Twiggy. She’s full-bodied and buxom. That was what people considered attractive at that time. Somewhere along the catwalk, I feel we went horribly wrong. Even in the Fifties here in America, women like Marilyn Monroe were more like an hourglass than a Barbie Doll. Maybe it’s because of ladies like Twiggy that the unrealistic body image man...

I wasn’t disappointed in you when your weight went up because you ate all the girl scout cookies. Although maybe it seemed that way when I suggested you throw them away or gift them to someone next time, and lectured you about average daily calories. As though that would fix your relationship with your body. I wasn’t disappointed in you when you told me you cut yourself. Although maybe it seemed that way when I said remember I’m here. Don’t ever feel you’d be a burden or that I’d be too busy or asleep. As though I can make the demons go away. I wasn’t disappointed in you when you went back to sleep after our prearranged wake-up call. Although maybe it seemed that way when I started calling a second time or a third to make sure you were up. As though your day starts better in my hands. I wasn’t disappointed in you when you told me there’s no hope, no job, no friends for you so why bother trying. Although maybe it seemed that way when I pushed suggestions in your face you’d trie...

I wrote recently how my blog posts are often inspired by conversations. The inspiration for this one was a recent online chat with a friend. We were discussing an article she was writing for Mental Health Awareness Week on the topic of body image. “I’m interested to read your piece when it is ready.” “I’ve only just started. I’m not sure I have anything profound to say.” “Just be real. Let profound sort itself out.” If you follow our blog you’ll know I’m a great believer in real , which I might also describe as genuine or honest. In life generally, but especially when it comes to writing. I would much sooner read a possibly-less-than-polished piece from the heart and guts of its writer than something which has been finessed but lacks integrity. You can read more of what REAL means to me in this article hosted by HastyWords. On one level, of course, an article, essay, poem, or any other piece of writing is REAL from the moment it’s written down. It exists in physical form...

Check out our top posts for the past month. Posts are listed by number of page views they attracted during the month, most popular first. Our Top Posts of the Month (December 2018) Our Top Posts of the Month (February 2019) No I'm Not Taking Any Cats Home! A Visit to the Cats Protection Tyneside Adoption Centre With Aimee Wilson Competition and Collaboration in the Blogging World | A Chat with Marty and Aimee An Open Letter to My Bipolar Best Friend Sometimes We Need to Ask the Questions Complex Simplicity: The Art of Being Honest Bloggers About Town: A Day out with Aimee Wilson My Mental Health 2018: Aligning It All Secrets of a Successful Blogging Workflow Our most visited pages were: Contact Us Resources About Us Our book: High Tide Low Tide News and Appearances Testimonials  

  May I be light. May I be thin. May I be fit. May I be whole. May I be patient. May I love my body. May I love my food. May I love my light.   By Fran Houston