Nats Mental Health; The digressive journey of a Scottish girl living in Canada and the power of Mental Health Recovery.
Hey gang & welcome to my wee blog 🙏
This space is a vehicle for me to share my thoughts and experiences with mental health.
By documenting my progress, this blog can allow me to foresee any pitfalls and plan accordingly, whilst offering me a creative outlet.
My story is a long one but I will briefly narrate the plot so far...
I have been on a journey (sometimes rollercoaster), with my mental health since the age of 11 - mostly depression, anxiety and hypomania, but on the bad days voice hearing and delusions.
When I was 25 I had my biggest episode of psychosis and was hospitalized under the Mental Health Act and later diagnosed with Bipolar 1 & PTSD.
Since then I have been working hard on my recovery journey; tweaking my lifestyle, building care strategies and learning as much as I can about Mental Health.
Having spent over 18 working years and an associates degree in hospitality management, Covid showed me that I didn't have much to lean on - I lost my job twice throughout the pandemic and because of this, felt motivated to change careers. I looked at my life and passions and knew at the bottom of my heart that supporting others with mental illness was my path.
I am currently studying a Mental Health & Addictions certificate, and also feel super fortunate to say that I now work as a Peer Support Team Lead in my community, using the Transitional Discharge Model.
Over the past year, with support from bloggers around the world, we launched Positive Relations Media - a wellness hub, sharing contributions of movement, perspective, motivation, expression and hope!
Honestly, it feels like I have come full circle and I stand proud in my recovery journey knowing that I get to give back to the teams and practices that saved my life.
There will always be good days & bad, but with hard work, a commitment to myself and thirst for lifelong learning, I can tell you that IT DOES GET BETTER.
Joining the online Mental Health community has shown me a world of resiliency and strength that has helped me feel less alone on my journey. I have made friends from all corners of the earth and I continue to be blown away by the support & love in our peer relationships.
‘The best part about recovery is that you don't you don’t have to do it alone ❤️‘
I currently live on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, where you will find me snuggling on the sofa with my two Chiweenie puppers.
I often spill my thoughts here or on Instagram.
I like to think that I manage with, not suffer from, chronic illness.
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