The following blog posts are written by people with personal experience of depression. By talking openly, our bloggers hope to increase understanding around mental health, break stereotypes and take the taboo out of something that – like physical health – affects us all.

Don't want to date me because I have a mental illness? Your loss!

Claire, September 19, 2019

I’ve lived with anxiety and depression along with an eating disorder pretty much as long as I can remember, but understand that that doesn't define me: I am ME.

I have never really felt stigmatised because of this, and I’m very much a 'take me as I am' person, at least on the outside. Recently though, I had my first blatant experience of stigmatisation, and I’m so angry and shocked I feel I need to speak out about it...

I wish my workplace had been trained to support mental health

Michelle, August 14, 2019

I wish I could give 2018 me a look into this year. I feel like a completely different person, and my whole attitude towards mental health has completely changed. 

A year ago I was stuck in a job I couldn’t stand. My mental health was in ruins. And I could barely get out of the door. Every day I would sit in my local coffee shop and question whether I had the strength to get through the day. There came a time when I couldn’t sit at my desk for longer than a few hours without gasping for air in fear of what was to come. 

Depression is not simple - it's more than being 'sad'

Liz, August 7, 2019

I've been suffering from depression for just under four years, and depression has a way of replacing your confidence with pure anxiety and self-hatred. 

The scariest thing I found about suffering from a mental illness is the effect it has on every aspect of your life; it’s not just what’s inside your head. For me, suffering from depression became debilitating as I couldn't find happiness in the little things I used to enjoy doing. More often than not, depression would cause me to sit in my room and cry, usually for no reason at all.

When I asked for mental health support, I received help from more people than I expected

Adam, July 31, 2019

It's been two years since my very first dealing with depression and anxiety.

I remember the day when I first hit a low point in life and it's not a nice memory to have. I didn't know how to deal with such a strong mental health issue, so I hid my problems away from family and friends which made my issues worse.

I didn't want to get out of bed, I didn't want to socialise with friends and I’d put off family days out. There came a time when I questioned my existence in life; was I a burden? Was I even worth having around? What did I bring to life in general?

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