justaoifethings

There's people in this world who don't understand mental illness. That's ok. I know I have discussed in frustration before people's sheer ignorance, but I don't plan on doing that today. I understand that it's easy to get annoyed when people are blatantly rude and uneducated about mental health, but, getting angry will help no-one, especially not you. Sometimes, when I feel that people are on the edge of attacking me over my anxiety and depression, I have to take a step back. I have to remember that these are people who have not gone through what I have gone through and have no idea how difficult mental illness can be. Sometimes I wonder if they honestly don't mean to downplay the severity of mental health, but rather are asking blunt questions or making direct comments in an attempt to understand or help. It must be easy to not realise how life-consuming your illness is, when all they is your 'put together' self. They will see this; And ...

I think it's hard to know what it's like for someone with anxiety. Without having it, it's impossible to know how it feels to have anxious thoughts constantly throughout the day. To try and illustrate the extent of these thoughts, I tried my best to take note of all the thoughts I have in one day. Am I real? Did I wake up too late? Is everyone ok? What if there was a burglar in the night? What if he murdered everyone? How would I save them? What if someone I know did it? How will I call 999 without them catching me? How would I survive the PTSD? Is he dead or alive? Alive. Phew. Breakfast. What if I don't like anything that's there? What if I turn off the alarm incorrectly and it starts to blare, waking everyone up? They'd be angry at me. I don't think I remember this code right. Thank god I did it right. I have to let the dog out. Make sure the door is locked. Check it. Turn the kettle on. I could burn my skin off. Check it again. I...

There is no denying that there is an epidemic of mental illness among us all, and it's particularly prevalent in teenagers and young adults. We live in a society where teenagers are spending roughly thirty three hours in an education facility each week. Teachers inevitably become a daily influence. It seems logical that teachers would have some knowledge in how to cope with the hundreds of students they look after. But they don't. And, quite frankly, I find that appalling, especially living in a country with one of the highest mental illness rates in the world (Read more about that here ). I was known among my teachers for being mentally ill in secondary school. It was never a secret, and I couldn't hide it, even if I wanted to. There was often nowhere for me to go, so I was usually in the canteen, where everyone would walk through to go from class to class, having panic attacks. My panic attacks were never discreet. I would hyperventilate, sob, shake and curl up, and i...

No, life is not like a novel. Unfortunately. So one person will not come and understand all your woes and make life better.  It's unfair to expect so much out of one person. One person cannot be perfect. One person cannot understand everything you're going through, even if they have the same mental illness as you, no matter how much they'd like to. I've met multitudes of people with anxiety and depression. Some of us understand eachother and get along, and some of us just don't. And that's fine. You cannot expect one person to fulfill your needs as a human. I'm not telling you that you need a million friends or have to be a social butterfly. Just a few, so you don't rely on one person. There's something about life today that makes us forget that others are humans, with emotions and needs. I learned the hard way that you cannot impose all your problems on one person. People tend to be kind and cautious when you're going through a tough time,...

Amsterdam is a beautiful city that I've had the privilege to visit, thought only in short spurts. Whilst a day may not seem like a long time, there is a lot you can squeeze into twenty four hours. Whether you want to see the city, or be engulfed by nature, my experiences show that you can do both. The right way to start any day is with some good food. I'd love to go to  Debakkerswinkel (The Bakers Shop). It is the most comfortable and rustic place I have ever seen. Better yet, all the food is hand-made, so the same feeling comes from the food too! If you're eager to get up and go, and would rather not spend time sitting in one of their (very lovely) cafes, then you are given the option of ordering your food as a takeaway.   Make sure you then hop on your rented bike, for when you are in the Netherlands, there is no other real way to travel, and visit the nine streets. I personally like to really experience the culture of the country I'm visiting. I do...

2016 is a year of political decisions fueled by hatred. Donald Trump is now president of the United States of America. I want to explain first of all, why is he should not have this occupation. Firstly, his father was arrested at a Ku Klux Klan rally, and sued over the fact he flat out refused to rent property to African-Americans.   (1) This does not make him a bad person, but it is inevitable that your parents will influence the way you become. Much like his children, he had a negative role model. He has become a negative role model not just for his children, but for parents around the US. They pass on this hate to their children. "The SPLC's Teaching Tolerance Programme conducted a survey of teachers, and found a disturbing increase in bullying and, in particular, in bigoted harassment, especially toward vulnerable groups like immigrants, Muslims and others who've been targeted by Trump. In some cases, Trump's very name was used as a threatening ta...

Abortion is probably the most discussed topic in Ireland at the moment, and in countless other places. With the referendum being pushed back (again), I feel the need to clear some things up. Personally, I am pro choice, converted from pro life. I think that there are many issues around abortion, particularly womens rights, which are avoided. I can understand the pro life debate to a point. Abortion is indeed a horrible thing, but these people forget something vital. Pro choice isn't pro abortion. No one is saying that abortions are fantastic. No one turns to their friends, excitedly wondering when we'll get to have their first abortion. Pro choice is what it says on the tin. It allows you to decide whether or not you want to have an abortion. I honestly find the term "pro life" to be rather insulting.  It is blatantly suggesting that as a pregnant woman, my life is less important than that of a mass of undeveloped cells. I feel a certain amount of s...