Each week we publish blog posts on a whole range of topics, relating in some way to mental health — written by Mind staff, service users and health and policy professionals. Some blog posts may not reflect official Mind policy.
We welcome comments and questions on our posts, but have a few ground rules to keep the site welcoming and interesting to every body. The first rule is the most important: be respectful of other commenters and bloggers.
Polly, who has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), took part in a photo shoot for Mind in October last year.
Start the discussionSadie blogs about managing depression and anxiety at work, and the strain that a life in politics can place on your mental health.
2 CommentsSteve is not my real name – I was given it by the production team filming me anonymously for a new mental health documentary – but I like to think of it as my ‘stage name’. Sounds a bit more glamorous than pseudonym.
14 CommentsI have sometimes wondered if having a mental illness has led to living a double life: tentatively balancing a seemingly contented existence with a life of despair, shame, and anxiety.
9 CommentsIn depression awareness week Esther, winner of our autumn photo competition for Ecominds, tells us about how she uses photography to help keep her depression in check.
5 CommentsAmy is a 21 year old student in the final months of an English and Drama degree at the University of Sussex.
5 CommentsMaureen blogs about finding the courage try open water swimming, and the difference getting outside made to her mental health.
4 CommentsDepression has been part of my life for so long. Maybe it is part of who I am now.
The events leading up to my breakdown and subsequent start down to the road to recovery started once I understood one immutable fact. I had never been myself with anyone, but myself. That one thought set in motion a chain of events that led to numerous guilty feelings, thoughts, and internal recriminations.
8 CommentsDespite only recently recovering from an ankle injury, Kate will be running the London Marathon today in memory of her dad. Here, she blogs about her journey to the starting line.
Start the discussionThis Sunday, Liz will run the London Marathon in memory of her mum, who took her own life 12 years ago. Here, she celebrates all those who've been by her side as she prepares for the challenge.
2 CommentsHelen blogs about the "heaving ocean" of depression and asks why whether we should be more concerned about the mental health of society.
How did I get here? After dipping my toes in the ocean of depression in my early twenties, 20 years later I plunged head first, deep into the middle of the ocean. I was lost, trapped and struggling to stay afloat.
5 CommentsAmy blogs about the experiences that led to her diagnosis of borderline personality disorder, and why the stigma surrounding it makes it so hard to open up. Please be aware that this post includes discussion of suicidal thoughts.
23 CommentsIn this guest post, Karl blogs about getting through the 'earthquakes' of the mind, and why it's important to plan for your darkest days.
Start the discussionSarah opens up about her postnatal mental health problems and the distressing and confusing feelings she had for her infant daughter. She wants to tackle the taboo around such difficult feelings.
Whenever I read in the news about a mum who has killed her child, I can’t help but think “that could have been me.” When I think about my daughter and the last time we saw each other; smiling, laughing, playing, singing, hugging, I find myself asking if our secret past ever actually happened? Did I really try to smother her when she was a baby?
When Sandra was struggling with cancer and depression, it was her mental health problems that those around her found most difficult to deal with. Here, she blogs about the support she found through her local Mind and the difference it made to her life.
2 Comments