I spent most of my adolescence dipping into the puddle that was therapy in the Caribbean. I got to feel special, I got to be enigmatic. I was told I was simply just bright for my age, as though depression was the punishment for reading above my grade level. I was told I had mood swings, that I should be kinder to myself, that I … Continue reading Invisible Illnesses VI: Living with Borderline Personality Disorder
By Morgan McGowan Illustration by Amelia Field ÔÇ£Sorry, IÔÇÖm really bad with facesÔÇØ. WeÔÇÖve all been there, right? YouÔÇÖre in a meeting, or at a party, or youÔÇÖve just bumped into someone in the street, and theyÔÇÖve struck up a conversation with you. HereÔÇÖs the problem: you have no idea who they are. Only apparently we havenÔÇÖt all been there. I was nineteen years old … Continue reading Invisible Illnesses VIII: Prosopagnosia and Face Blindness
By Ella Lloyd Illustration by Amelia Field *TW ÔÇô Discussions of autoimmune diseases and undiagnosable illnesses* When I was 11, I caught glandular fever. I was off school for nearly 3 weeks and lost a lot of weight. IÔÇÖve never quite been right since. From around 15, I developed a host of unexplained symptoms- joint pain, excessive fatigue, chest pains, consistent anaemia, and weird blotchy … Continue reading Invisible Illnesses VII: Living with an Undiagnosed Autoimmune Disease
By Katie Waits *TW ÔÇô Discussions of Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviours (BFRBs), dermatillomania, and trichotillomania* ÔÇ£Can you all please turn your cameras on?ÔÇØ ThatÔÇÖs such a familiar request nowadays. Some days, IÔÇÖll be happy to switch my camera on in a seminar. Other times, I dread those words. It usually means an hour of fidgeting, sitting at an awkward distance from the camera, constantly tilting and … Continue reading Invisible Illnesses VI: My Experience with Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviour
For most of my college life and the start of my university years, my dad stopped talking to me. At first, it took me a while to comprehend what was happening. It was like a switch had been flicked in our family dynamic, and before I knew it, I had spent four years living in a house of silence. Initially I was really angry, but … Continue reading Invisible Illnesses V: Living With a Depressed Parent
Words by Molly Govus / Interview by Rebecca Astill Illustration by Amelia Field Can you tell me the story about how you came to realise your diagnosis? Due to having an estranged and problematic past with my biological Dad, I have been in and out of counselling sessions for as long as I can remember. I remember being so young that counselling was just drawing … Continue reading Invisible Illnesses IV: Coming to Terms with My Complex PTSD and What Comes with It
Words by Caitlin Parr Illustration by Amelia Field University can be an immensely challenging time for any student. Whether youÔÇÖre naturally very confident or were at the top of your class in school, University is sure to present challenges and anxieties that are totally new and have the potential to disrupt your time there. Unfortunately the majority of University students, 1 in 4, will struggle … Continue reading Invisible Illnesses III: Learning More About My Mental Health Than I Learnt From My BSc
Words by Rhianna Hurren-Myers Illustration by Amelia Field / @amelialfield The Story It was around 1am on the busiest night IÔÇÖd ever seen at CardiffÔÇÖs StudentÔÇÖs Union. Somewhere between the bar and the main stage, I had failed to notice that I had lost the friends I had come out with. Instead, I was preoccupied clumsily tugging on the door of a disabled toilet. ÔÇ£YouÔÇÖre … Continue reading Invisible Illnesses II: Living with an Unseen Disability
Words by Sasha Nugara Illustration by Amelia Field / @amelialfield Dementia is such a complex disorder and despite it not being labelled as a mental illness, the effects it has on mental health are undeniable. Whilst my dadÔÇÖs disease has forced him into a never-ending bout of depression, it has dropped my entire family into a whirlpool of sleepless nights and constant worry. Although many people … Continue reading Invisible Illnesses I: Living in the Shadow of Dementia
