Hi ... and thanks for passing by (even if it was only by accident!).
I have suffered from a chronic, but thankfully mild condition called persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia) for over 40 years. It took me many years to realise I needed help … and several more to find the strength to ask for it. I was diagnosed with “depression” in 2004, but my actual condition wasn’t identified for another decade.
Although I still suffer symptoms on a daily basis, so many aspects of my life have improved since I started sharing my experiences and speaking openly about my condition. That is partly down to the initial support from my GP; having a loving family and supportive friends makes a huge difference too; but my recovery has also been helped by taking on various “challenges" to try and raise mental health awareness: to encourage people to talk, and show that it is fine to ask for help…
This site is essentially devoted to those challenges - the list shows all of the completed tasks (over 100 since the start of 2014) - and if you click those in orange, you can (if you are so inclined) read a bit more about the specific challenge. The next three pages contain a series of photos - for which I apologise in advance for spoiling.
One of the underlying themes of the past six-and-a-bit years is that in order to complete many of the challenges, I have needed to ask for help, more often than not from someone I didn’t know well – if at all …
Just as I did when I first sat down in front of my GP all those years ago...
The challenges were supposed to end in 2020, but plans and arrangements for the months ahead are pretty much all on hold because of the current Coronavirus crisis. The world around us is changing, but the need to look after our mental health remains as important as ever. As soon as I can, I will complete the final few tasks, and continue to share my feelings and experiences in the hope that someone somewhere will find the strength to reach out..
The challenges will then be replaced by a "bucket list" that will allow me to focus more time and energy on my wife Elaine, without whom I would have attempted and accomplished nothing. Some of the challenges would almost certainly have been on a bucket list (performing stand-up comedy, recording a song, and visiting Coronation Street to name but three), but I'm looking forward to having the chance to tick a few things off this new list in due course.
Mental health will always be a huge part of my life, I've been blessed to meet so many wonderful and inspiring people through the challenges; and whatever the future holds, I will always try to reinforce the message that you should never be afraid to talk about how you feel, or to ask for help - you never know how much you might be able to achieve if you do
I have suffered from a chronic, but thankfully mild condition called persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia) for over 40 years. It took me many years to realise I needed help … and several more to find the strength to ask for it. I was diagnosed with “depression” in 2004, but my actual condition wasn’t identified for another decade.
Although I still suffer symptoms on a daily basis, so many aspects of my life have improved since I started sharing my experiences and speaking openly about my condition. That is partly down to the initial support from my GP; having a loving family and supportive friends makes a huge difference too; but my recovery has also been helped by taking on various “challenges" to try and raise mental health awareness: to encourage people to talk, and show that it is fine to ask for help…
This site is essentially devoted to those challenges - the list shows all of the completed tasks (over 100 since the start of 2014) - and if you click those in orange, you can (if you are so inclined) read a bit more about the specific challenge. The next three pages contain a series of photos - for which I apologise in advance for spoiling.
One of the underlying themes of the past six-and-a-bit years is that in order to complete many of the challenges, I have needed to ask for help, more often than not from someone I didn’t know well – if at all …
Just as I did when I first sat down in front of my GP all those years ago...
The challenges were supposed to end in 2020, but plans and arrangements for the months ahead are pretty much all on hold because of the current Coronavirus crisis. The world around us is changing, but the need to look after our mental health remains as important as ever. As soon as I can, I will complete the final few tasks, and continue to share my feelings and experiences in the hope that someone somewhere will find the strength to reach out..
The challenges will then be replaced by a "bucket list" that will allow me to focus more time and energy on my wife Elaine, without whom I would have attempted and accomplished nothing. Some of the challenges would almost certainly have been on a bucket list (performing stand-up comedy, recording a song, and visiting Coronation Street to name but three), but I'm looking forward to having the chance to tick a few things off this new list in due course.
Mental health will always be a huge part of my life, I've been blessed to meet so many wonderful and inspiring people through the challenges; and whatever the future holds, I will always try to reinforce the message that you should never be afraid to talk about how you feel, or to ask for help - you never know how much you might be able to achieve if you do
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I’ve lived in the north-east of England all my life. I work within the NHS, but spend quite a lot of my spare time researching my family history. I am also the author of Desperately Seeking Susan Foreman and Today Just Like Yesterday. I have had a lifelong love of sport, particularly cricket (which I attempted to play for many years), rugby league (which I didn't), netball and the Olympic Games.
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