I was surprised to receive an email telling me that I have won blogger of the year with HealthUnlocked for my blog www.looneychickblog.co.uk.

Before now, I have never won anything, and this was a lovely surprise, especially on the day before Mental Health Day. Yesterday, I went to the surgery for blood tests, and I came out late due to my name not registering on their system.

My Dad, who was waiting in my car told me that someone had reversed into my car and attempted to drive off and run over my Dad down when Dad ran after him.

We took the car over to a garage and they quoted £500 worth of damage as I will need a new headlight and the paintwork and bumper will need re-spraying.

When I rang my insurance, I was annoyed to hear that if they do the work and recover the costs, I will lose my no claims!

How is this fair?

I then had to chase the hit and run driver’s insurance company, and they are getting in contact with their client before letting me know. More waiting!

Rant over; let’s get back to the point on what it means to become an award-winning blogger!

After all that drama, I came home to an email saying that I had won the Health management blogger of the year award.

I sat staring at my computer for a few minutes in total shock, and my initial thoughts were “Was this a wind-up?”

Then I shouted to my parents who were sitting eating their lunch downstairs and asked them to double-check the email.

They confirmed that I was an award-winning blogger.

I started the Looneychick blog last October, documenting real-life experiences of mental health to help stamp out the stigma, raise awareness, and to fight for better mental health diagnoses and treatments.

At first, I didn’t have the confidence to share my life story, but I was encouraged by my father who told me that he thought I could make a difference.

Did I ever think that I would win the Health management blogger of 2017?

No way, if you said this to me even when I found out that I was shortlisted, I never in a million years believed that I would win.

I was shocked to be nominated.

According to the office of National Statistics with 1 in 4 people in the UK suffering from mental health and statistics looking to get worse over the next ten years, something drastic needs to be done.

Many people are talking about mental health and glamorising it, but no one understands it until they live with it and this is an issue that is real and is life-threatening.

More and more people are taking their own lives, and more needs to be done to reduce the suicide rate throughout the country.

I started this blog to make a difference, not just talk the talk like the British media.

The most important thing is that I can provide open and honest advice and help to inform and inspire people who deal with mental illness.

Plans for the Looneychickblog in the next 12 months

I have so many ideas for this blog, and I’m bringing out a YouTube channel which I hope guest YouTubers will join me on.

I would also like to step up the content and continue to deliver high-quality content and win more awards.

I would also like to become an ambassador for Mind or Heads Together and become an influential voice for fighting mental health stigma and getting accessible diagnosis and treatments for all regardless of how much money they have.

If anyone has anything that they would like me to cover or they wish to collaborate with me, please email admin@looneychickblog.co.uk.

I would like to thank everyone who reads the blog, all my social media followers, the judges at HealthUnlocked, and everyone who voted for the Looneychickblog and for me as blogger of the year 2017.

 

Firstly I would like to wish everyone a Happy Bipolar Awareness Day. It’s a great opportunity to raise money for better research and treatments.

One of the things that still annoys me is the fact that last week nearly everyone was aware of MacMillan and there were lots of cakes made, donated and lots of money raised, however, I’m yet to hear of a business taking part in raising money for Bipolar Awareness Day. Just like Cancer, mental health is also life-threatening. Bipolar also affects more than one million people in the UK.

Bipolar UK has launched “Game for a laugh” to help promote awareness by celebrating with a whole month full of games and laughter.

To take part in this, all you have to do is hold your own event based on the fun and laughter theme.

You can host a party, a games night, or a fancy dress which could be fun with Halloween also coming up at the end of this month.

You can download the Bipolar Awareness Day fundraising guide here

Download your event poster template here

Donate to Bipolar UK

You can also donate by texting BPAD17 £10 to 70070 today to give a gift and help transform the lives of people affected by bipolar.

Or just click the orange donate button and make a donation online.

If you want to host a fundraiser and aren’t sure what to do call Jaynee for tips and tools and on 0333 323 3780 or email fundraising@bipolaruk.org.

RIP Tom Petty

I didn’t feel it was right to end this article without writing a little bit of a tribute to American Singer-Songwriter Tom Petty, who I was shocked and saddened to learn of his death last night.

Tom, also suffered from mental health problems and was in one of the best bands ever, The Travelling Wilburys alongside well-known musicians such as George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynn, and Bob Dylan.

As a child Tom’s dad used to beat him up, as an adult, he married his friend and ended up in an unhappy marriage and soon ended up hooked on Heroin before deciding to go into rehab and marrying his second wife.

Here are some of the songs that have helped people during dark times by The Mighty – Mental Health Facebook followers:

Learning to fly

I won’t back down

Mary Jane’s last dance

Free Fallin

Breakdown

Yes, you read that right, I have been nominated for an award!

This isn’t a joke, it’s actually real.

I can hardly believe it myself since this blog has been running less than 12 months and despite it being in the pipeline a year before I finally found the courage to purchase the domain and press publish.

I was sent an email a few weeks ago asking for my contact details as I had been shortlisted in the Health management blogger category in the Health Unlocked Blogger Awards 2017.

At first, I thought this might be a joke and when I was given a confirmation with the details I was totally stunned.

I’m so surprised that at least 1 person nominated me in that category, let alone a judge who also read my blog and thought it was good enough to make the shortlist.

Blogging about mental health isn’t easy for me, which is why I waited a year before starting on the blog.

When I talked about starting the blog with people who attend Penzance bipolar group, some of them thought that this subject might be too painful for me to write about.

I suffer from an unknown mood disorder, which is thought to be bipolar 2 although this hasn’t yet been confirmed.

I also have low confidence and I have a really rough few years which is why this nomination means a lot to me.

Being shortlisted means so much to me and it tells me that although my blog doesn’t have the biggest traffic flow, there are people out there who appreciate my blog posts.

There are so many people producing really good content who deserve to be nominated and I can’t believe I’m one of those people.

I would like to say a huge thank you to those of you who nominated me for this award and a thank you in advance to those of you who have voted for me.

You have all made me realise that if I keep working hard, I can improve and raise awareness of mental health.

Even if I don’t win the award, the most important thing is to achieve better mental health treatments for mental health sufferers. Let’s stop talking and start doing!

Check out my blog and vote for me as your favourite in the Health Blogger Awards

As a mental health sufferer, I used to punch concrete walls to let off steam; now, I find boxing helps relieve some of that negative energy.

Recently, ex-footballer Rio Ferdinand announced his decision to become boxing professionally at the age of 38.

Like many other sportsmen, such as ex-footballer Leon Mc Kenzie and ex England cricket captain Freddy Flintoff, boxing helps release some of those inner demons within mental health sufferers.

Prince Harry also recently spoke of turning to boxing after the death of his mother, Princess Diana.

The prince said that when his mother died, he wanted to punch someone. As a result of this, he took up boxing.

It’s not just men taking up boxing; it’s becoming more popular with women as well.

I once went to a boxercise class, and I loved it.

I now do HIIT sessions twice a week, and the classes always include lots of running and boxing.

Boxing with my trainer is my favourite exercise, and I’m always encouraged to hit harder.

It’s great to be able to get all of that negative energy and thoughts into several punches as you hit the boxing pads.

According to an article in the Telegraph, Boxing burns more calories than any other sport, with a whopping 800 calories burning away per hour.

Fitness benefits include:
By taking up boxing, you can burn as much as 500 calories a session and increase your muscle tone, build strong bones and Ligaments, increase your Cardiovascular, muscle endurance, core stability, and improve your upper body strength.

Boxing is an excellent way to keep fit.
An article on the Netdoctor says that assistant psychologist Felicity Gibbons from London recently started boxing classes to help those who suffer from depression and anxiety. Here, she shares her motivating story.

“Boxing is making me more confident and providing a space to de-stress. It has made me much fitter and healthier generally. I’m now motivated to run to maintain my fitness, and I am stronger and more toned. It has improved my sleep and made me more conscious of eating healthily and taking care of my body.

Let us know what helps your mental health in the comments below, or join in the discussions on our social media channels.

 

Can you hear me? I’m screaming, yelling, pleading and I’m talking about mental health but no one listening.

Although I live in what many people would say is the best part of the country known for its idyllic beaches, countryside, and walks, Cornwall is said to be one of the worst places in the country, the third-highest in the UK for suicides.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that close to 800 000people kill themselves every year.

Which means that someone kills themselves every 40 seconds and it’s only going to get worse unless something drastic is done?

It’s predicted that by 2020, death by suicide will increase to one person every 20 seconds, that’s just three years away.

Probably, because there are lots of beautiful cliff tops to jump off or maybe because Cornwall isn’t the place to live if you are looking for a career, almost all of the jobs are in Retail and Hospitality.

Cornwall still lags well behind other places regarding employment and shops.

I went to another mental health assessment at Bolitho House in Penzance, just months after being released by the same so-called health professionals who failed to diagnose me.

That was back in May, and since then, despite telling both my father and I was told that we would hear from them within one week, I still haven’t heard anything from them!

It’s no wonder there are so many suicides in this part of the country.

It’s all very well for celebrities, Royalty, and charities to rant off about mental health and telling people to talk but I’m talking, I’ve been talking for so long that no one is listening.

I’m just a small fish in a big nasty, two-faced, and uncaring world that I desperately want to change.

We need more therapy treatments and better health professionals who can I bet no one thought that they could try to cure cancer 30 years ago?

Guess what, we are a lot closer to this goal due to the research and people who spent millions of pounds and hours.

So, why can’t the same be done with mental health?

As for Stigma, this hasn’t gone away?

Have you ever been laughed at for making yourself sick or had people egging you on to take your life or better still had so-called friends accusing you of things you haven’t done and calling the police with their lies just to get rid of you because they think you are a freak with issues?

I can recommend several things to try and make you better such as books, videos, quotes, photos, or treating yourself to something nice, but this won’t cure mental health.

Talking therapies and printing off sheets of paper for you to read or CBT doesn’t necessarily work either.

I’m not saying that the current treatments don’t work, but with the number of individuals who suffer from mental health issues on the rise and suicide statistics on the increase every year, I think it’s fair to say that we need better therapies than those currently on offer.

One of the Facilitators in the Bipolar group that I attend once told me that “The doctors won’t know what’s really wrong until you die or if they examine the brain.”

However, with NHS cutbacks I can’t see them sending mental health patients for brain scans in the near future.

Maybe this would be a start? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below or join in the discussions on our social media pages.

For confidential support visit the helpline page.