Friday 29 May 2015

Banish them bad thoughts!!

Hello, I hope your well.

Firstly I got to say I'm so sorry for the lack of blog posts lately, I have no excuse really. I've been quite busy but each night I plan to sit down and blog I end up falling asleep. Disaster!! One of the side effects of my medication is drowsy/tiredness but I don't blame that because I've always loved and really needed my sleep, otherwise I just be a huge grump. So tonight I've the girls in bed early and decided to get to work. I also have to mention the interview I did for The Derry Journal, now believe me I was so shocked that any newspaper wanted to hear about what I have to say because really all I know about mental health is what I'm going through and the help I've received so far. Thank god the response from the interview was fantastic and I was so overwhelmed by the lovely things everyone has said about it. You guys ain't a bad bunch x. 

So I want to talk about negativity, don't we all hate it but still we all put up with it day to day. Negativity is everywhere and I bet you don't even realise it most of the time. I deal with plenty of negativity and sometimes I can manage it and rise above it but there's lots of times when it beats me and leaves me exhausted. I really want to mention more of the effects negative thoughts have on us. I mentioned in the interview for the journal how there's a very fine line in how you deal with what your thinking and it really is so true. It's only lately that I can see some sunshine thru the clouds that I'm able to reflect on thoughts I once had, so let me explain more on a few I've dealt with.

I remember this day so well I was stressed and had been in a low mood for a while and of course I never let anyone know things where getting on top of me (silly billy) so that evening I was on my own heading for some groceries, I drove over a bridge and all I could think of was "why don't you just drive off this, nobody will care". Now them few words had two choices of what kind of effect they had on my life and this is where the fine line comes in. I could have of said yes your right nobody will care, everyone will be better of if I wasn't here. If I thought like that more and more negative thoughts similar to that one would reappear in my life so much that eventually there would only be one way to keep them quiet and believe me the negative thoughts are the loudest. Thankfully my way of thinking that time when the darkest of thoughts entered my head is this. That evening within a minute of having that thought I said to myself "that was the most stupidest thought ever, why would you even think that" followed by many swear words and feeling like crap over a single thought. Unfortunately we all get bad thoughts but we got to try kick their arse with positivity. Now positive thinking is not easy and hats of to the people who have it perfected, I'm trying to do it more but it's so difficult at times and there's only so much tongue biting you can do. 

A few positive thoughts could save your life or hey say a few positive affirmations out loud and you never know you may save someone else's. It's a scary world we live in and we don't know each others life story or struggles no matter how well you think you know someone, it's impossible to know everything. Mental Heath affects so many people, all from different backgrounds, all different ages and many celebrities who you think have the perfect life struggle each day. Nobody wakes up in the morning and chooses to have a mental health problem but we can all choose recovery. So come on, let's get on the positive road to recovery. Who's coming? 

Now at the start of writing this I had the girls in bed but Miley decided she didn't want to sleep and asked me to write that she's enjoying eating mushmellows (marshmallows) and being a bogger (blogger) like mammy. 

Stay safe, stay healthy and look after your sunshine.
xO Leonie 








Monday 11 May 2015

Are you okay?

Hello you, I hope your keeping well.

So statistically every one in four people suffer from a mental health issue, to me this is frightening numbers and raises the question how well do we really know the people were close to? I know what you're probably thinking, that you would know for definite if your loved one was suffering. Honestly I don't think it's possible, not for everyone anyway. From being there myself I know that it's not easy but it is possible to hide how your feeling and keep it to yourself. I'm so thankful I spoke out about how I really felt, instead of letting it eat away at me now if I'm having a bad day you will be able to tell. I just be a massive grumpy pants which my family will try to tell you it's every day but they are all compulsive liars. 😂 (I joke) 




When I posted my first blog post admitting I suffer from depression some of the things I hear the most and still to this day are "Really you, but sure your always smiling" or "You don't look depressed". So what does a depressed person look like, walk down a busy street and I bet you couldn't pick a person suffering from mental health from someone who doesn't. I know for sure that I couldn't. I feel we all need to be more concerned with the here and now and please take a proper look at your family, your friends, your work colleagues but especially yourself.  It's so easy to hide from certain people and especially if your surrounded by people who have negative thoughts about mental health, I know I wouldn't want to open up to them. But honestly there is so much help available and plenty of people to talk to that if your family aren't supportive don't give up and keep it all to yourself because that won't help it will make you suffer more. 


 

Unfortunately so many people struggle to admit their feeling and sufferings that more times than enough it's too late for help. If you think someone is hiding a mental health issue, let them know your there. If your busy and someone wants to talk, sit and talk. Day to day things can wait. Having the chance to save someone's life by just being there for them, or noticing they need help that can't wait. Last year nearly 600 people in ireland took their own lives, now I'm sure they are not all related to mental health but I will guess that a large number are. It's scary and it's sad but hopefully we can all take a look at our own circles, help each other and pray that it's not too late. 



It won't be easy and it takes many attempts to find the help that works best for you, but it is possible and please don't give up. It's okay not to be okay.


Stay safe, stay healthy and look after your sunshine.

xO Leonie