New Round-up: Mental Health

In November 2009 when I was 4 months pregnant with my sixth child, my world came crashing down. I was diagnosed with bipolar, after years of battling with my mental health.

That single word stole so much from me. Bipolar, also known as manic depression, would turn my life upside down. I lost my career, my friends and more importantly my mind. I no longer had any control over any aspect of my life.

I had for years suffered in silence, hid the illness the best way I could, yet it had taken over completely and as the cat was out of the bag so to speak, people began to notice I had become a “crazy women”. My husband could take no more and spoke out on my behalf to the health professionals.

For two whole years I would become someone I no longer recognised. Staring back at me from the mirror was a reflection of a former shadow of who I once was. I was afraid, terrified to be more exact and despite having support, felt so alone.

Despite having five young children, I could barely care for myself. Due to the pregnancy, medication was delayed until after I had given birth. As soon as Kody was born, I began the gruesome challenge of sampling a range of medications to find one that would work.

It would take almost two years for me to finally be able to look back into that mirror and smile. I now blog about all topics that are taboo or have stigma attached to them. Mental illness is a topic that is close to my own heart. The Real Supermum Blog is home to many of these not talked about issues.

Sadly, mental health, despite affecting one in four people is still so much a taboo subject, so I was delighted when BritMums asked if I would write a monthly mental health round-up.

This gives us a great opportunity as a blogging community to come together and support people in need of support. I hope it will also open your eyes a little to what it’s really like to have a mental illness. I hope you will become involved in some way, to help raise awareness and end stigma.

I have been busy reading so many blogs this week. Here are a few that I have found:

While ADHD appears to be over diagnosed and often mistaken for “bad behaviour”, it is a mental disorder and is the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorder in children. A mum over at The Rambling Pages  has written about her four year battle in getting a diagnosis of ADHD for her son. The process of any mental health diagnosis is a long and drawn out one for both adults and children alike, as this post highlights.

While Postnatal Depression is nothing new to me (I have survived it 3 three times now), I was rather interested to see Postnatal Survival blogging about new research that suggests food supplements are protecting us against the symptoms PND.

Emma over at Me, The Man & The Baby has been blogging about bullying and while you maybe wondering what bullying has to do with mental illness, I was 13 when I first began self-harming and was diagnosed with depression after being bullied left me feeling worthless.

Ian who blogs at Single Parent Dad writes about how he can help his son learn to live with the loss of his mummy. How can we ever begin to understand how the little boy must feel? Yet he has one amazing dad standing right by his side. Who would have thought TOWIE would create such inspiration? I love the idea of making a lantern and watching it float towards Mum. While grief is not a mental disorder, I am sure you will agree this family have faced many emotional challenges.

I am hoping next month you will have a post all ready for me, add it below or send it to me via Twitter or email and have a great month.

About Emma White

Emma White The Mental Health Advocate Who Blogs About Taboo & Stigma. Online Agony Aunt & A Voice For Others. Did I Mention The 6 Kids & Bipolar?

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