A little thread about disaster, mental health, grief & positivity - I know, what a mix!

#covid19UK screwed up a lot for me.

1) I quit my job & started going back to gym & swimming in effort to get my mental & physical health on a better track. Now that new routine is shot.

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2) I was so looking forward to doing some proper writing, both blogging & fiction, while the kids were at school - huh! - so I could actually say #amwriting

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3) My father died last week in his nursing home after a long period with dementia. I can’t travel to see my mum & brother to comfort them and when I go to funeral I can’t touch them. I can’t view his body.

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This must be similar to many people’s experiences. Ordinary life on hold. Structures all awry.

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But strangely, while I’m going through a difficult time in one area due to the bereavement, I am doing better than I thought I would.

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For people with long term mental illness, our condition is usual. It colours our every day in some way or other. We are constantly dealing with it in “normal life”. Others often can’t see that or understand it and this brings a lot of shame & guilt.

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They can’t see why we’re unhappy and we wish to God we weren’t.

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But during a crisis everyone is levelled. There is something “bigger” than all of us to worry about and that makes people like me feel less freaky.

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So look to us for your coping strategies & your support. We know more than many how to get through crises because we do it every day of our “normal” lives.

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A lot of the time our illness makes us feel weak & unworthy but in fact the opposite is true.

#Mentalhealth