Views on disability, mental health and life living in the heart of North Yorkshire!
It's that time of year again. The nights are drawing in, the weather is getting colder and the sounds of 'pop', 'bang', 'fizz' fill the air as Fireworks are let off everywhere around the country. Fireworks can be a bit of a nightmare for people like me who have Cerebral Palsy. Ever since I was… Continue reading “Sorry for making you jump!” – Living with a startle reflex and Cerebral Palsy
I've been following the distressing story in the news of the murder of 10 year old Dylan Freeman, who had autism along with other severe disabilities, by his own mother. Its a story similar to ones I have read about before, where parents of disabled children reach breaking point and cannot deal with all the… Continue reading We need to stop pitying desparate parents of disabled children and instead get to the root of the problem
This past week has been "Mental Health Awareness Week" and in addition to all the current talk around Coronavirus and coping with the world in lockdown, the media has been shining a light on the impact mental health struggles can have on our own lives and of those around us, particularly in these current circumstances.… Continue reading “That’s amazing… considering you’re disabled”: Disability, ‘inspiration porn’ and how I feel like an imposter
Looking through countless glossy magazines, you'd be hard pressed to find any that don't give advice, in one way or another, on how to deal with romantic love, break ups and moving on from long term relationships. As someone who unfortunately (or not!) has never been in that position myself as a single woman, I've… Continue reading Friendships @ 30
This post contains discussions relating to suicide, self harm and other topics relating to mental illness. If you find any of those topics trigger distressing thoughts and feelings, I would advise not to read further until you feel able to. Today is World Mental Health Day, a day to raise awareness of the impact mental… Continue reading World Mental Health Day – Why we need to do more than raising awareness and talking about our feelings
Tonight on Channel 4, there is a new programme set to air called "Train my baby like a dog" where dog trainer and behaviourist Jo-Rosie Haffenden applies dog training reward techniques to working with kids. Already there have been controversy and mixed reviews about this show - a lot of it probably stemming from the… Continue reading Things I’ve learnt in life through training my dog
Why I personally believe that coping with longer term, chronic illnesses and disabilities is more a journey of acceptance and self discovery rather than a battle to permanently end suffering and pain. A few weeks ago, after months of weekly sessions, I said 'goodbye' to my counsellor as she passed the baton over to me… Continue reading #HowIFightDepression – is dealing with mental illness really a fight or is it something else?
As a child, one of the great things you look forward to do when you grow up is to be able to stay up late and go to bed when you want to. Granted, you later find out, it is not something you want to do all the time (what with work, and the later… Continue reading The Perils of Overnight Support
Wheelie Yorkshire Lass 