Something that really needs talking about is how we talk about ‘insight’ in people with mental illness. I lost count of the amount of times people told me how insightful I was when I relapsed last year, and all it did was make me feel worse because I felt stupid. (1/)

Stupid that I am ‘intelligent’ and ‘insightful’ yet still starving myself to death at the expense of everything else in my life. All that insight did was let me see through HD how much damage I was doing to myself. Also being eloquent and articulate is not that same thing as (2/)

having insight. By the time I was admitted to day patient last year I had completely lost sight of how unwell I was but I could talk my way out of anything because I was unwell and consequently manipulating everyone around me. My insight has never once stopped me being (3/)

anorexic or manic or depressed. Yes, I have been able to recognise when I need support and I don’t deny that, but sometimes we place too much value of the impact ‘insight’ can have on the trajectory of somebodies illness and think it is always protective when it isn’t. (4/4)