I knew, from a very early age, my mind was something that could work either, incredibly powerfully for me or against me.

As we walk through life, all sorts of things happen to us. Some are within our control, others are not. The only thing that really matters is how we think about what happens to us and how we respond – ultimately, that is the only thing we can control.

Unfortunately, very soon after I came to this understanding, my mind became sick. It became clear, after many years of pharmacological and psychological therapies, the only way I would be able to overcome the illness was to use the very part that was unwell. Onset of the illness was beyond my control but surviving it was a decision I had to make.

Now, I am fascinated by the mind, how it works and the control it has! My humble blog has come about because I love observing the world and I love writing. I’m interested, not just in mental health (although that is my main focus) but also in how people behave and why.

I am a qualified doctor but no longer practice, I have experience working in the community and in hospital alongside people with severe and enduring mental illness.

On my travels through the mental health world, I’ve written for metro.co.uk, Beat, community magazines and Mental Health Nursing journal. I’ve been iterviewed for podcasts, Mentally Yours (by Metro.co.uk) and The Secret History Of The Future, a collaborative between Slate and The Economist. I’ve been involved in making video features for online newspapers and I’ve been interviewed on The Wright Stuff and on BBC Radio Berkshire, I’ve also appeared on the BBC debate show The Big Questions.

You might like to navigate my blog using the menu or by searching for a specific term you’re interested in—I’ve now written nearly 200 blogs on all sorts of topics, including mental and physical health through to a few of travel and crafting blogs!

In my spare time I like to keep active as a way to manage my health, I knit, make jewellery from silver clay and I enjoy spending time with my husband, 2 cats and African pygmy hedgehog!

I have recently made my hobby of making jewellery into a business so please check out my new “Jewellery Shop“!

My blog is my space to express my musings, I do not claim to have an authority on any matter, I usually just talk about my experience but I don’t want to down play my expertise. Some people think the doctors, psychologists and other professionals have all the answers but unless you’ve lived it, I’m not sure you can really know what it’s like.