Channel 4 launched its documentary series Bedlam recently to share the stories of people who experience significant mental health problems. I watched with interest, as someone who both experiences a number of the issues outlined and who accesses services from the South London and Maudsley.
My last blog post about disability disclosure and mental health has made me acutely aware that the written word is a powerful tool to raise awareness, provide a space for dialogue and connect with people.
As an equalities professional I have always been extremely keen to get people to tick those little monitoring boxes - the ones that ask your ethnic background or gender, for example.
There are moments of utter despair when I can see no way out. In these instances I feel an acute sense of loneliness and friends have to persist to break through that cave of despair. In these moments the mental anguish is such that it takes every effort to control my urges and not self-destruct. It is that urge to destroy which takes hold of me and I want to harm myself.