Strength Of Tears

Tag: medical professionals

What You Need To Know About The Mental Health Benefits Of Journaling
What You Need To Know About The Mental Health Benefits Of Journaling

Journaling is a way of recording your thoughts, feelings, habits, and gaining insights for your personal development. It can look different for each individual, some record digitally and some use paper, and it can be written or drawn. It takes work but it’s worth it for the good impact journaling has on mental health.

Journaling has helped me cope with my Mental Health issues since I became chronically ill with migraine disease and was traumatised by the lack of support and, what I now know was, gaslighting from my neurology team.

The stress I was under as I tried for months to get a diagnosis, unable to work as a teacher, was immense. Even when I was diagnosed with IIH, a rare brain disease, I became depressed and had extreme anxiety as I had to wait for over a year for treatment so I had support from a mental health professional.

Whilst facing these challenges I started journaling about my situation as a way of exploring the difficult feelings I had, for example, writing about grieving for the life and career I’d lost.

This helped me work through this extremely emotional phase and I was able to rant without my loved ones being in the crossfire. Writing about my difficult emotions, whilst living with chronic illness, helped me so much that I’ve written about the benefits journaling has on our mental health when done safely.

I have also created an epic coaching journal for mental health that is written to ensure you’re not isolated in the process. The Journey To Balance Journal will help you understand yourself and your mental health needs better. You can buy the journal by clicking here.

You need this 400 page coaching journal!

Forget the trends and get ready for the journal you need as a busy and stressed out mum.

It is split into 4 sections:

Emotional Health Coaching

Goal Setting For Whole Well-being

Undated Monthly and Weekly Planner

Emotion Based Journal Prompt
Journaling is different for everyone, some use it to record parts of everyday life, whilst others use it as an exercise to process experiences, negative thoughts and feelings. Putting these things on the page helps you take back a sense of control. Psych centra says in this article that:

“journaling is a powerful, evidence-based strategy that you may find helpful for managing mental health conditions and stress.”

The mental health benefits of journaling can be powerful, helping you process stress, trauma, and difficult emotions. These are some of the ways that journaling can support you:
- Reduces stress and anxiety
Writing about your thoughts and feelings can help you reduce their intensity and therefore loosen their hold over you, reducing symptoms of stress and anxiety.
- Improves mood
Journaling can help you focus on the positive aspects of your life, which can improve your mood and increase feelings of gratitude.
- Enhances self-awareness
Journaling can help you become more self-aware as you reflect on your thoughts and behaviors. This can help you identify patterns that are causing stress or holding you back.
- Boosts creativity
Writing can stimulate the creative parts of your brain and help you come up with new ideas and solutions to problems.
- Increases mindfulness
Mindfulness is being present in the moment. Journaling can help you practice this by focusing on your thoughts and feelings in a non-judgmental way.

These mental health benefits of journaling show that it’s simple and effective to use journaling to improve your mental health. Regularly taking time out to reflect on your thoughts and emotions helps you develop strategies for coping with stress.

What Should A Mental Health Journal Feature?

Here are some elements that can are often utilised for each individual’s needs in a mental health journal:
1. Mood tracking is one of the most important features, involving recording your mood each day so that you can analyse patterns and look at what may affect your mood. By identifying triggers, you can evolve strategies to manage them.
  
  This is a key feature in the Journey To Balance Journal, based on the theme of the journal and the emotion coaching in the self-help section of the journal. Over a month you record your daily mood on this graphic, colouring in using the key. There’s also space to document how triggers impact your mood.
2. Daily gratitude log allows you to practice gratitude, which is important in promoting mental wellbeing. This exercise helps you beat negative self-talk which can stifle your personal development and impact your mood. Learn more about how to overcome this by reading my blog about beating toxic self-talk.

I set out to ensure that the ‘Journey To Balance’ mental health journal encourages positive self-talk by having a segment where you write down what you are grateful for each day. It’s a quick and easy way to help you maintain good mental health.

3. Self-care habits are one of the mental health benefits of journaling, building self worth by tracking your self-care activities. Using a habit tracker can help you set goals for things that make you feel good and improve your well being. You can adopt and keep up habits such as exercise, meditation or any other activities that promote self-care.

Recording your self-care activities on the habit tracker in the Journey To Balance Journal will help you feel motivated and committed to doing self-care. In the long run, achieving your goal to make these activities habits will improve your whole life.

“In a nutshell, your health. wealth, happiness, fitness, and success depend on your habits.” – Joanna Jast

4. Thought records, according to this NHS information, is a common cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) exercise. It is explained in full here as the practice of recording and studying your thoughts and feelings about a situation so you can understand the link between your thoughts and behaviours.

As explained in the daily gratitude section this is a helpful tool that allows you to identify and challenge negative thought patterns. The gratitude log is part of this section of the Journey To Balance Journal for mental health. Record the thoughts and feelings you have throughout the day, so that you can process your emotions and reframe negative thoughts and feelings.
5. Regular Reflections is a core self care activity. I discuss how this activity and others lead to emotional development in this blog (link). I explain how self reflection is vital for meeting our goals and improving ourselves through regular self care.

In the Journey To Balance Journal for mental health, I’ve ensured that there are activities in the prompts section and space for deep work in the monthly reflection area. This is what makes it a powerful self awareness book as it helps you gain real insight into your thoughts and feelings.

These features should be personalised to your specific needs and goals in a mental health journal. They can be a powerful tool for promoting self-awareness, identifying patterns, and working towards positive mental health outcomes.

Quick Guide: How Is Journaling Good For Mental Health?

From my own experiences with chronic conditions, I have found journaling a helpful tool for balancing my mental health. I used it as an opportunity to explore the difficult feelings I was experiencing as I grieved the life I’d known pre chronic illness.

Journaling helped my mental health during this difficult time period and has continued to do so as I manage the challenges of chronic illness. Journaling gives me space to shout about it without aiming my negative emotions at my loved ones.

It isn’t just me using journaling to process big emotions, in fact it’s well documented that journaling is good for mental health. I found research, such as this WebMD article, that explains that the mental health benefits of journaling include reducing stress, building self-awareness, regulating emotions, and breaking the cycle of obsessing over negative experiences.

In Conclusion…

Journaling is good for your mental health. Recording your thoughts and feelings can be therapeutic, helping you process difficult emotions and experiences. Writing about stressful events can help you make sense of them.

Journaling helps you gain a deeper understanding of yourself, your values, and your priorities. It can help you explore new ideas and perspectives and can be a helpful tool for tracking progress towards goals and reflecting on personal growth.

I know that writing about my difficult emotions whilst living with chronic illness helped me, so I have written the Journey To Balance Journal to include the 5 key features of a good mental health journal: Mood tracking, gratitude journaling, self care habits, thought records and reflections.

This journal for improving mental health puts emotional development front and centre, so that it has a positive impact on your mental health. Chronic illness life comes with many difficult feelings so the Balance Journal allows you to:
- Write freely to help you understand yourself better
- Rant about difficult situations without it being aimed at loved ones
- Use the coaching aspect of the journal to create a safe space to explore your emotions
Overall, journaling can be a valuable tool for improving mental health and well-being. It’s a simple and accessible practice that can be tailored to meet your unique needs and preferences.
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✋ Hey there! I hope you’re feeling stronger now. If so, sharing the love will help me help other mums with chronic invisible illnesses.⬆ Hit one of those sharing buttons or save these images to Pinterest and I will do a bed-bound happy dance – there’s an image for you!
18/05/2023
How Long a Broken Nose Takes To Heal – My Experience

How Long a Broken Nose Takes To Heal – My Experience

This March, I am joining in again with the monthly writing prompts from Sheryl at A Chronic Voice. It’s been over a year since I last joined in as I’ve been focused on writing my new coaching journal which you can buy now on sale for £26.99 in my Lulu bookstore.

I was going to write about that but I broke my nose and it has taken over everything so I decided to use these March prompts: Dealing; Thinking; Reacting; Experiencing; Viewing, to tell you about breaking my nose.

Dealing

I’ve been dealing with a broken nose since Saturday 4th March. I recognised nearly all of the following broken nose signs, as shown on this Mayo Clinic website.

– Pain or tenderness, especially when touching your nose

– Swelling of your nose and surrounding areas

– Bleeding from your nose

– Bruising around your nose or eyes

– Crooked or misshapen nose

– Difficulty breathing through your nose

– Discharge of mucus from your nose

– Feeling that one or both of your nasal passages are blocked

I felt I needed urgent medical care as the bleeding wasn’t stopping and I had a noticeable change in the shape of my nose. I was also worried that I may have a head or neck injury.

The trauma happened because I have to deal with some strange symptoms linked to my brain being under pressure due to my Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH), explained in this blog.

One of the main symptoms I deal with is poor balance and I walk like I’m drunk, especially on high pain days. This has led to reduced mobility and I need walking aids and a wheelchair for distances longer than the length of a bus.

I’d been dealing with a flare-up and had been in bed for two weeks but I had had a lower pain day so decided to go downstairs for a change of scenery and to be with my husband Joel. When I stood up from the sofa to go up to bed, I struggled to steady my feet but I didn’t notice. I went to take a few steps but I fell over my own feet and landed face down, smashing my face on a low cupboard.

Joel was still in the room and as the blood started pouring he jumped up to help. He managed to stay calm as he dealt with the copious nosebleed and blood from the cut on my nose. He helped me get to the car and drove me to the hospital.

Thinking

It was a painful and traumatic experience, which has left me thinking about the incident over and over in a loop. I’ve only been downstairs a couple of times since as it’s affected my confidence and I’m overthinking taking the smallest steps.

I’ve also been thinking about my experience with the A&E Doctor as he made me feel uncomfortable when I was in the consultation room. When I explained what had happened he seemed puzzled that I was in my wheelchair but had fallen because I’d walked a few steps unaided.

This article explains that about ⅓ of wheelchair users in the UK are ambulatory, meaning they need to use a wheelchair but can walk in some circumstances, as I do. All NHS doctors must see ambulatory wheelchair users in hospital but it seemed to be an issue for this particular doctor.

He then tried to blame my lack of balance on the strong medication I take and I couldn’t help thinking that he was judging me. I explained that I fell just as much before I was on these medicines but I don’t think I should have to justify this.

I understand that IIH is rare and that most NHS doctors know little about it. However, I knew that this accident was due to my IIH and I just wish that more doctors would trust that I know my body after 9 years of living with this condition.

I spoke to Joel the next day about how the doctor had made me feel as he hadn’t really thought that the doctor was using ableist language as it was subtle. When I explained what I was thinking about what this doctor had said and how it made me feel, Joel was better able to understand my position.

Reacting

The way we reacted to the initial incident was calm and considered. Looking back I see that adrenaline played a big part of that. We were reacting in the moment but we knew that I needed ice and to pinch my nose to stop the bleeding.

You must go to the minor injuries unit or A&E if you have broken nose signs, such as these on this NHS a website:

– your nose is crooked (not straight) after the injury

– the swelling has not started to go down after 3 days

– painkillers are not helping

– you’re still finding it difficult to breathe through your nose after the swelling has gone

– you’re having regular nosebleeds

– you have a very high temperature

If you think you have the signs of a broken nose you need to assess the extent of your injury to react appropriately. When you do see a Doctor they will determine the extent of the injury and react to your needs based on that assessment.

After the initial incident, I kept checking how my face looked. I had a strong reaction about how I looked when the swelling got worse but this changed daily. However I didn’t react badly to the kink in my nose as I knew they would probably reset it.

Experiencing

My next experience with NHS doctors was so different. I saw a lovely junior doctor in the ENT department about having my broken nose fixed. He listened to me and was understanding about my disability, even wanting to know more about my IIH treatment so far, like I describe in this blog, as it’s such a rare condition.

He did struggle to feel the break as there hadn’t been enough time for the swelling to go down so he got a second opinion. The more senior doctor confirmed I had a broken nose and deviated septum and was sure I should have the procedure.

I was told that the broken nose fix was cosmetic so I had to decide whether to go through this quite traumatic experience. I had to have 5 injections around the nose as I was still feeling some pain after the 3 injections the doctor said I would need.

The doctor applied a lot of pressure to my broken nose as I experienced how to fix it. A lovely nurse held my hand and reminded me to breathe throughout. They were both impressed by how I’d handled the pain which I explained was due to experiencing constant pain for 9 years.

I immediately felt like I could breathe more normally, which I hadn’t realised was a problem until then. This is important as it’s one of the broken nose signs that means the nose needs fixing for more than cosmetic reasons. The doctor was happy with how easily it had gone back into place and I was relieved the experience was over.

Viewing

Now nearly 2 weeks after the procedure I am starting to get back to my normal. I’m still in pain and have some swelling and bruising so I’m viewing this as healing time. As I wondered how long it takes for a broken nose to heal, I found out that it takes anywhere from 3-6 weeks.

It was a nasty, traumatic event so it’s now about viewing my mobility with a little more care to rebuild my confidence to move unaided for short distances in the house. I’m nervous on my feet so I will need to be patient with myself when getting up as I don’t want to have another incident like this.

This fall affected my face and neck where my normal IIH pain is. However, after the immediate agony of the incident, from my perspective, it’s not anywhere near the pain I experience on my worst days as these leave me unable to move.

In A&E, I was given a dose of oramorph because of the pain relief I already take. Viewing the pain on a typical pain scale, it was initially an 8/10 which is the same as my normal bad days. But it’s been 6 or 7 out of 10 most days so I’ve used paracetamol for my pain.

A broken nose will fix itself in 3-6 weeks. You should use ice and over the counter painkillers as I have. You must not ever try to straighten your nose yourself. In some cases people need surgery to fix their nose, so I am definitely viewing my treatment with a positive outcome as it could have been worse.

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✋ Hey there! I hope you’re feeling stronger now. If so, sharing the love will help me help other mums with chronic invisible illnesses.⬆ Hit one of those sharing buttons or save these images to Pinterest and I will do a bed-bound happy dance – there’s an image for you!

23/03/2023
How To Know If You Have Significant Mental Health Issues

How To Best Manage Agony If Your Pain Relief Medication Isn’t Approved

Why do they refuse to treat you when they know the agony you experience without your chronic pain medications? Is it something you did? These are genuine concerns in the chronic pain community right now.

The NICE guidelines were introduced formally in 2021, possibly impacting on professionals treating patients. There are legitimate concerns about this leading to many doctors refusing pain relief medication to patients with chronic pain.

Alongside this, the media are portraying those in the chronic illness community negatively. So I want to address some of these awful stereotyped viewpoints and share how living with chronic pain can impact those who are isolated.

People living with chronic pain symptoms have to manage if they aren’t prescribed pain relief medication or have it removed and social media provides a community that benefits you. It is a platform for sharing your experiences and solutions.

What Are The Guidelines For Chronic Pain Management

The World Health Organisation classes chronic primary pain “as pain that persists for longer than three months and is associated with significant emotional distress or functional disability that cannot be explained by another chronic condition.”

NICE only recommends exercise, antidepressants, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Acupuncture for treatment and management of chronic primary pain. Read my article about the NICE guidelines for the details.

The guidelines state there was no evidence that pain management programmes, therapies or preventative medications were effective, however, the research used did not use large studies which leaves the guidelines woefully inadequate. Read about The British Pain Society’s view here.

There’s a long list of pain relief medications the guidelines state as being ineffective for chronic pain, including opioids, paracetamol and many commonly used painkillers. Yet they do recommend antidepressants which seem lacking overall.

The Faculty of Pain Medicine states there is a “real risk that those classed as having “chronic primary pain” will include large numbers of people… to whom this guidance should not apply.” The likelihood is that Doctors will misunderstand and misuse these guidelines in managing pain and patients.

The NICE Guidelines And Chronic Pain Symptoms

As I read these guidelines I felt sick with the idea that others may have my experience of debilitating pain and not get help. Let’s be real, I’m consumed with chronic pain symptoms so my GP does prescribe pain relief medication so I can function, and I am still stuck in bed nearly every day due to the severe pain.

The guidelines aren’t rules, so you can advocate for individual treatment for your chronic pain symptoms, using this section of the guidelines: “When exercising their judgement, professionals and practitioners… [have] the responsibility to make decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual”.

This Pain Concern statement shares concerns raised by Blair Smith and Lesley Colvin that “chronic pain has such an important impact on the lives of people who live with it that we need every tool available in our toolbox to help in its management.”

Many chronic pain patients rely on [pain relief medication] to achieve any quality of life. I know chronic pain is torture, dominating every moment of the day… We doctors need to be compassionate and carefully talk to our patients and assess the various complexities of their pain, as it is unpredictable what will work. We need to remember… it could be any one of us.

Dr Rajesh Munglani

These guidelines are causing patients real distress when they are already living an unpredictable life consumed with chronic pain symptoms. Many patients already feel isolated and misunderstood. With such a complex symptom we still need to access pain management clinics and pain relief medication.

What Is The Media Saying About Pain Relief Medication

The BBC have asked over 4,000 adults aged 16-75 about chronic pain experiences. The results suggest 1 in 4 people in the UK live with chronic pain and 45% say their daily life is affected by chronic pain symptoms.

It goes on to talk sensationally about someone’s experience of persistent daily pain and how their experience was made worse by taking pain relief medications. In my opinion this is clickbait, one-sided journalism. It goes on to say: “It’s so easy to sit at home and take a pill and fall asleep. The other way to go is to… basically have a laugh – because while you’re laughing you’re not crying.’” Kev Howard, organiser of a peer support group at a pain clinic says. Read the full article here.

This infuriates me, as taking pain relief medication is the only way I’m able to get out of bed and have low enough pain to laugh. If I go to the hospital I have to take painkillers to get to the car and sit in a waiting room. In fact, taking pills actually enables many people to function. There is no one size fits all solution.

A second article by the BBC, quotes Dr Mark Hainsworth who “wants to see a different approach to dealing with chronic or persistent pain, to help prevent the rise in “opiate hermits”, people unable to work or exercise.”

This, in my opinion, is a damning view of those in chronic pain. It doesn’t recognise that those with extreme chronic pain symptoms do not choose to live isolated lives, nor that most try alternatives to pain relief medication. In fact, I’m now able to exercise again, because I have the right balance of opiate medication and because I’ve had Physiotherapy to help myself.

The commentary on prescription opioids seemingly aims to shame those of us whose pain is life limiting, despite trying or still using alternatives to pain relief medication. There is little recognition of a patient’s individual needs in these cringe worthy pieces of journalism. But the media hasn’t finished yet.

How Social Media Benefits Those With Chronic Pain Symptoms

On the 7th September 2022 The Daily Mail published an incredibly negative story that offended nearly everyone I know in the chronic illness community. The clickbait headline said – Addicted to being sad; and it gave another one sided article. Vulnerable young adults’ social media posts were shared without consent. The author writes that teenage girls are posting online as ‘Spoonies’, conspiring together, faking their illness or twisting their chronic pain symptoms to get the diagnosis they want, for attention and seemingly fame.

This article questions the actions of thousands of people living with chronic pain symptoms and complex conditions. As you can imagine, the repercussions of this article rocked the chronic illness community. I was hurt that the ableist society was louder again, judging those of us who are in pain.

The ‘spoon theory’ helped me in the first months of my illness. Written in 2003, it explains how spoons represent the energy you have for a day, with each activity taking away a spoon until you run out. It’s a well recognised explanation of chronic fatigue for any condition. Read about the ‘spoon theory’ here.

One weekend during this time, when I was seeking answers, I was struck down by unbearable pain and new, strange chronic pain symptoms. My husband was out and I started panicking but managed to contact a friend I’d made in a Facebook support group. She helped me until my husband got home. I ended up in A&E, prescribed multiple pain relief medications by my GP, including opiates. I couldn’t have managed without her support, that of someone who understood exactly how I was feeling. My husband is amazing but he, thankfully, doesn’t know what it’s like to be in so much pain, for so long. Read about my story here.

As I reflected back on my world, I realised how lonely I would be without the support I’ve found on social media. From when I was first ill and found answers by sharing my chronic pain symptoms to the amazing friends I’ve made along the way.

The thought of that not being available to others with chronic pain symptoms is horrifying. You learn from each other by sharing your conditions and stories on your own terms. There’s no pressure to share as a ‘victim’ or to exchange pain for likes.

What is there, in fact, is a genuine community supporting each other, looking out for those with new diagnoses and a collective effort to educate people about invisible illnesses and chronic pain symptoms. I know that I, and many others, share for awareness, not sympathy and that this benefits everyone.

Without this I doubt I would have had the treatments and surgeries that have given me back my ability to communicate, and more. I probably wouldn’t be invested in alternative therapies which help me alongside my pain relief medication, and I wouldn’t have a job as a patient advocate writer.

The Takeaway

I am incredibly thankful that my GP works with me to create an individualised treatment plan. I feel that everywhere I turn options that help me are being taken away from others and it makes me feel so angry that one piece of guidance can do this.

I’m concerned that the pain relief medication that helps me sit up, could be taken away at any time, which is distressing. The media’s imagery of opioid hermits makes this possibility more real for me, and everyone else out there in constant pain.

Picture-perfect snapshots on social media can be harmful for vulnerable people but I don’t accept the Spoonie community encourages harmful content. In fact, those with chronic illness find others who understand and support each other. Sharing images of your authentic experience of being chronically ill, shows the world your reality which helps raise awareness.

I’d love to know what you think about this? If you are a part of the Spoonie or invisible illness community, does social media help you?

Join my Strength Of Tears Instagram community now.

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✋ Hey there! I hope you’re feeling stronger now. If so, sharing the love will help me help other mums with chronic invisible illnesses.⬆ Hit one of those sharing buttons or save these images to Pinterest and I will do a bed-bound happy dance – there’s an image for you!

17/11/2022
How To Know If You Have Significant Mental Health Issues
How To Know If You Have Significant Mental Health Issues

Trigger Warning: This post discusses mental health problems, including suicidal thoughts, self-harm and eating disorders.

Do you feel as if something isn’t right but can’t pinpoint it? Don’t worry you’re not alone as you may be displaying mental health symptoms. In fact, millions of people struggle with these conditions daily.

Mental illness affects everyone at some point in life, whether it’s for a few days or years. It can be difficult to identify due to the many different types of mental health issues. So it’s important to know what mental illness looks like to get support.

I’m not a mental health expert but I know what it feels like to live with depression, anxiety and trauma. I’ve had bouts of depression since becoming a Mum and when I first became chronically ill, grieving the loss of the life and career I loved.

I want others to know they’re not alone with mental ill health so I share warning signs and a mental health symptoms checklist. Then I explore 3 symptoms that get overlooked which could help you identify what mental health treatment you may need.

Some Warning Signs Of Mental Health Issues

They’re are many different mental illness symptoms, but there are some general warning signs for anxiety, depression, and stress; as symptoms vary between people and sometimes even for an individual. The most common symptoms include changes in sleeping habits, isolation and sudden mood swings.

Self-harming is one of the common mental health symptoms but I haven’t experienced this myself but know people who have. If any of these symptoms persist and interfere with your ability to study, work or relate to others, please seek help.

Anxiety disorders involve excessive fear and worry. Some people feel anxious all the time, while others experience panic attacks that come on suddenly. Anxiety may also cause sleep disruption with people struggling to put the day’s worries away.

Anxiety is when you worry about things you cannot control. It can make you feel tense, nervous, restless, and irritable, and avoid social situations.

I created a free Anxiety Busting Exercises Download based on strategies I use myself. Just click below to get your copy now!

GET YOUR FREE DOWNLOAD NOW

Depression is characterised by unwavering sadness and loss of interest in activities that once brought pleasure, it can take over everything and has a significant impact on your life, affecting your eating habits, energy and concentration.

Many symptoms of depression are well known but it can also make you feel sick with guilt, have low sex drive, and lack of energy. If you worry someone you know may have a mental health issue you need to ask a few times how they are and just listen to them fully. Simply be there. Read more about depression warning signs here so you know.

Mental Health Symptoms Checklist

One or two symptoms alone don’t mean you have a mental illness but it may indicate a need for further evaluation. If you experience several at one time and the symptoms are causing serious problems you should see a doctor or mental health professional.

I was a young teenager when I first experienced anxiety but I had no idea that’s what it was. I struggled in social situations and was argumentative. I worried all the time, often laying awake worrying but I thought I was just being fussy.

Then when my baby was born sick and he was in NICU, I was a mess. My husband tried to take me out for a walk but I had trouble breathing. The Dr checked to see if it was a pulmonary embolism but they said I’d had a panic attack.

Once home, I couldn’t cope and my anxiety spiraled. I couldn’t cope and pushed my husband away so I could be in control of what I had to do, being mum to our boys who were both under 2. The traumatic experience was extended and I began having suicidal thoughts so I got mental illness treatment quickly.

I saw a counsellor immediately, which (I didn’t realise) meant they were genuinely concerned I may try to take my life. I was mostly in a daze but doing the mental health symptoms checklist, helped me see the severity of my situation. My past trauma and this one had collided and triggered my anxiety.

Symptoms vary widely depending on the tests, some being free online test. These are helpful to gain perspective, rather than for self diagnosis. The most common issues are in this mental health symptoms checklist. Please only use it as a kick-start to a professional test for mental illness treatment.

Rate these based on how often and strongly you experience these symptoms. Rate from 0 being never and 5 being always:

Remember you will experience some of these in the course of everyday life. It is meant to help you take a few steps back and look at the bigger picture to see if these signs are likely to be caused by depression, anxiety or other mental health disorder.

Being honest with your health care provider is crucial to improving your mental illness symptoms. But if you rated highly for suicidal thoughts or have had any intention to harm yourself or others, seek immediate medical attention. Call 999 (UK), your doctor or speak to your country’s mental health helpline.

Another symptom on this mental health symptoms checklist that needs fast intervention is feeling numb. This is also called Emotional numbing and can leave you desperate. You may want to feel so much that you self harm or seek danger.

Emotional Numbing

If you relate to this you need urgent care!
If you relate to this not feeling; emotional numbing, you’re not alone but you need urgent care. This feeling can be managed with mental health treatment. Read the full article on here.

3 Toxic Mental Health Symptoms That Are Being Overlooked

Some mental health symptoms can be a warning sign for early intervention, but are often overlooked. Everyone has heard of these aspects of emotional well-being but they are not usually associated with serious mental health problems.

These 3 traits can become toxic. Toxic behaviour is when a person’s behaviour and actions cause harm physically or mentally. This is usually a toxic person spreading negative behaviour, stressors or trauma. Toxic behaviour isn’t considered a mental health disorder but is caused by mental ill health.

Sometimes that person can be you! It can happen because others around you also exhibit toxic characteristics, adding negativity and stress to your life. Here I look into 3 traits that can become toxic to yourself so you can get help quickly.

Toxic Stress

Toxic, or chronic stress, occurs when the brain’s fight or flight response is triggered too often, for too long, or is triggered by multiple sources. Toxic stress normally only happens when there are many, persistent and severe stress factors.

The stress response is designed to warn us when there is a perceived threat. This activates the release of hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol. Learn more about the stress response in this blog about anxiety.

If you experience prolonged stressful events you may find a negative influence on your physical health and mental health symptoms, such as substance abuse and inability to focus.

Research shows that supportive, responsive relationships with caring adults, especially in early life, can prevent the damaging effects of toxic stress. Relaxation, like meditation and yoga, counteract high stress levels and reduce the physical aspects of the stress response such as heart rate and breathing.

Change in appetite

Toxic hunger is a physical addiction to a diet high in processed or ‘junk’ foods that are excessively sugary, salty or oily. These ingredients aren’t found naturally and are designed to give you a dopamine high. You become more likely to avoid natural, nutritious food.

Mental health symptoms can lead to a loss of appetite or to binge eating comfort food for short term relief. Toxic hunger symptoms are usually feelings you’ve learnt to interpret as hunger but are actually signs of your body’s toxicity:
- Headaches
- Cravings
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Shakiness
- Irritability
- Fatigue
- Brain fog
Toxic hunger can be accredited to the time of day, food cravings and alcohol intake. It’s very easy to slip an extra snack in, if you eat outside of your normal routine. Cravings can also be linked to activities, such as having popcorn at the movies, or a kebab after a drink at the pub.

Simply put, this means you need to check your hungry status and ask if you’re really hungry as toxic hunger comes from the head and stomach. Don’t replace mental health treatment with eating your feelings or starving your anxiety.

Toxic Perfectionism

This is often only alluded to on mental health symptoms checklists but the 24/7 world of filters and perfect pictures can easily distort your view of an ‘ideal life’. This can lead to setting goals influenced by the outside world, instead of meeting your needs.

Perfectionists often think that ‘perfect’ is an achievable goal so have unrealistic expectations. If there’s any deviation from the perfect end-point it is seen as a grievous failure. Researchers link perfectionism to mental ill health as you become convinced that others expect you to be perfect.

Once you set yourself these goals, it inevitably leads to an expectation of everyone around you meeting your standards. As nobody can meet these, it makes it difficult to maintain a healthy relationship.

As a recovering ’perfectionist’, I’ve felt empowered to leave certain practices behind by reading Brené Brown’s work. She talks about perfectionism being a shield we use to stop us being hurt but instead we hide fearing we’re going to be caught out as not perfect.

Perfectionism is not about striving for excellence. [It’s] a way of thinking and feeling that says this: ‘If I look perfect, do it perfect, work perfect and live perfect, I can avoid or minimize shame, blame and judgment.’”

Brené Brown

How Toxic Living Affects Your Mental Illness Treatment?

The hallmarks of a toxic person include unsupportive and unpleasant behaviour, being manipulative, judgemental and controlling. If this is you, you’re living in a cycle of negative self-talk which affects everyone around you.

You will probably experience mental illness symptoms and are likely to have either depression, anxiety, PTSD, BPD, etc. If you recognise this in yourself please seek mental health treatment. You can start practices to kick out toxic behaviour.

My Journey To Balance Journal can help you develop self awareness of your behaviour; develop your values and live by them, grow empathy and compassion; evolve into a person who thinks before they act and explore your vulnerability. Learn more about journaling to re-frame negative self-talk here.
Buy The Gifts Of Imperfection Book

This #1 New York Times bestseller is about effective daily practices are the ten guideposts to wholehearted living.

These practices will change our lives and walk us through our expectations that get in the way.

In conclusion

Mental health symptoms are hard to identify. If you’ve ever felt like there is something wrong with you or tried to combat anxiety or depression, you’re not alone. You can look for warning signs, such as sleep routine or appetite changes, mood swings and irritability; which are all things you can track.

There are many online tests and informative articles to help you. In this article I’ve included a list of the most common issues in a mental health symptoms checklist. However, this is not a replacement for professional mental health support.

Many symptoms get overlooked, here I focused on eating habits, stress management and perfectionism to help you spot if you or a loved one is developing unhealthy or toxic habits that could become toxic and lead to mental health conditions.

I’d like to link to some other key articles that I hope can help you identify the signs and symptoms of mental health issues. This can help anyone experiencing mental illness symptoms so please feel free to share this post with them.

I’m not a mental health professional so this article is based on research and my own experiences. I’ve struggled in the past to ask for help but as soon as I did reach out, I got help. I’ve been lucky to have support at home too so please share this so others can learn what to look out for to be that trusted friend,

If you think it could be time to seek support for your emotional well-being or someone you know may be struggling, it is crucial to seek help from a mental health professional, doctor or by contacting a crisis line. Please check out the links below.

Click here to check out these NHS curated articles and video to help you be kind to your mind.

It’s always okay to ask for help. Seeking help is often the first step towards getting and staying well. Click here to read this Mind guide about getting help for a mental health problem.

The Mental Health Foundation looks out for people like you, by researching how mental health issues affect an array of different people. Their resources are designed to give you information about how to cope with symptoms and even prevent mental illness developing. Click here to read more.

Most people recover from mental ill health with support. There are many UK services, providing therapies and counselling for free. Help with other aspects of life, such as claiming benefits, services to help is provided by a community mental health team (CMHT). Access this via the Citizens Advice Bureau.

The Samaritans offer emotional support 24 hours a day – in full confidence. Email jo@samaritans.org.uk or Call 116 123, free in the UK.

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17/10/2022
How Will New Guidelines Affect People With Chronic Pain In The UK
How Will The New Guidelines Affect People With Chronic Pain In The UK

This is the first of two articles I’m writing to highlight concerns about the chronic pain treatment UK. I first became aware of Claire Swain’s campaign to petition the government to review the draft NICE guidelines during the one year consultation period.

Although these guidelInes affect millions of patients with chronic pain in the UK, it didn’t get enough signatures in the alloted time. So a new petition was started and helps raise more awareness.

The guidelines are written for patient care by a committee of healthcare professionals. I’ll break down the guidelines and share how they affect patient’s quality of life from the perspective of medical professionals and those in the chronic illness community.

What Are The NICE Guidelines For Chronic Pain Treatment UK

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published these guidelines in April 2021 on the assessment of “all chronic pain (chronic primary pain, chronic secondary pain or both)” and the management of chronic primary pain in over 16s.”

The guidelines clarify that “Chronic primary pain is pain with no clear underlying cause, or pain (or its impact) that is out of proportion to any observable injury or disease.” Chronic pain in the UK is defined as persistent pain, lasting longer than 3 months.

Conditions of chronic pain in the UK classed as ‘primary’ pain are given as: “fibromyalgia (chronic widespread pain), complex regional pain syndrome, chronic primary headache and orofacial pain, chronic primary visceral pain and chronic primary musculoskeletal pain.”

This response from the British Pain Society concludes that “Chronic primary pain… is difficult to diagnose, even for specialists… Yet the guidance recommends that such patients should only be offered ‘antidepressants’, psychological therapies, acupuncture or group-based exercise.”

Recommendations for managing chronic primary pain in a “collaborative and supportive relationship” are based on evidence from clinical trials, forming chronic pain treatment UK. However, professionals have raised concerns over the quality of this evidence.

The Faculty Of Pain Medicine gave this response to the guidelines. They note their concerns about the risk to patient care for those with chronic pain in the UK, stating the need for ongoing review of “how pain is managed… [for] the full spectrum of patients”

Section 1 of the guidelines focus on person-centred assessment, which is largely welcomed for the chronic pain treatment UK. It suggests patients are asked to “describe how chronic pain affects their life, and that of their family, carers and significant others.”

Sadly, the message that the guidelines for assessing chronic pain in the UK should meet the unique needs of the individual are eclipsed by potential consequences of misinterpreted guidelines. It’s likely that this will become a blanket policy for all with chronic pain in the UK.

This makes it highly likely that underlying conditions will be missed and pain relief will be withdrawn or not approved for those in desperate need. The guidelines are not mandatory but the chronic pain treatment UK could leave many with little or no quality of life.

This petition is now closed as there weren’t enough signatures. It said that “A number of commonly used and vital treatments for pain relief and management are no longer recommended, and we believe the new guidelines do not meet the needs of people suffering from chronic pain.”

Medical Professionals On The Guidelines Impact On Life Quality

The NICE guidelines have been called out as cruel by experts, such as Pain Concern, who released this response, stating “As we feel the guidance is based upon crafted-together evidence rather than scientifically-strong evidence, then to remove much of the current toolbox seems to be poor timing in our view.”

The Faculty Of Pain Medicine, The British Pain Society, The Chronic Pain Policy Coalition and the Royal College of General Practitioners released this joint statement in response to the NICE guidelines. It highlights the process for patients with chronic pain in the UK, who already take medication.

“If the patient declares benefit from the medication then a shared plan can be developed using shared decision making processes, explaining any risks and the lack of evidence.

If the patient has no benefit from the medication, then using the same process, a staged reduction plan can be formulated. In all cases, additional or alternative methods of managing pain (as outlined in the guidance) can be explored.”

This comprehensive response from the Cochrane Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care (PaPaS) focuses on the evidence used by NICE for the chronic pain treatment UK guidelines. It notes how hard it is to measure how treatment affects people with chronic pain.

Their response says “The committee rightly identified throughout the document that quality of life was of key importance.” But go on to highlight the data chosen and how it was presented in the guidelines, is average due to such a small difference in pain levels.

Saying this makes it unlikely to show much difference in areas such as quality of life or sleep for those with chronic pain in the UK. But they add that “There is abundant evidence that large degrees of pain relief are associated with large benefits… in terms of quality of life.”

They affirm this with clinical trial data from almost 2,000 participants, saying “For fibromyalgia there is good evidence from individual patient-level analysis that those with good pain relief have large benefits in quality of life…(sleep, depression), and their ability to work.”

These responses clearly state the potential impact on life quality. It’s clear that the chronic pain treatment UK should be, in most cases, a combination of pain relief and additional methods.

However, these statements by professional bodies suggest serious concerns about the poor choice of evidence to support these latest NICE guidelines, which is incredibly frustrating. This opens the guidelines up to misinterpretation of the chronic pain treatment UK.

The guidelines clearly refer to changes to medication already taken by patients with chronic pain in the UK. Where it’s beneficial, medication shouldn’t be removed. Sadly we’re seeing this isn’t the case for many chronic pain patients, leading to a poorer quality of life.

How Will Poor Chronic Pain Treatment UK Impact Quality Of Life

I’m sharing how these guidelines have already affected those with chronic pain in the UK, despite this campaign now being closed. With Claire’s permission I’m using evidence from the campaign, Claire’s experience and comments from my own posts about this. Visit my Instagram here.

One experience shared via the campaign was a woman who’d experienced medical gaslighting where her pain management team had told her GP to stop her pain medication. In this post she says that her “medication supports her ability to function so she has a quality of life.”

Here, Spoonie Mama writes “I spoke to my Dr this morning then cried for ages. She was rude and questioned my pain. She told me she wants me off all opiates and I have been taking it for 6 years to help me with breakthrough pain with no problems. On top of that I had major surgery recently and my pain is sky high.”

These changes in the chronic pain treatment UK, show how the guidelines are being misused and causing distress. There are myriad reports from those who’ve had, or been told, their pain relief will be removed or their pain has been dismissed (Medical Gaslighting).

What’s clear from these experiences from the chronic pain in the UK community is that the NICE guidelines are to blame for the impact on patient’s quality of life. When patients, especially women’s, ability to function is questioned they feel the need to prove their pain is real.

““I’ve spoken to far too many [women] who’ve been told that their problems are “all in the mind” only to find, after much banging of heads against brick walls, that what was dismissed as psychological was actually frighteningly physiological. These people are now at risk of going through horrific pain that meds could dull down.”

— James Moore
Writing in the Independent Moore comments on the NICE guidelines recommendations for managing chronic pain in the UK: CBT; ACT; antidepressants; Acupuncture and exercise programmes. He says “the idea that a run around the block will zap the torment of people in chronic pain is patently ridiculous.”

Claire Swain is navigating and sharing her own experiences. She wants to be clear that it isn’t that the approved treatments are bad as they may work for some, but there’s vast numbers for whom they don’t work or only work in combination with pain relief medicine. In this post she says:

“I have a limited quality of life but I am grateful for what I have. I would have no quality of life without my pain relief and I am not going back to that. It would be game over for me. There is a big difference between addiction and enabling function.” Claire Swain

On one of my own posts to raise awareness of this campaign, Karen commented: “Taking these pain medications away has already led to suicides! We are not saying alternatives, such as acupuncture (although it didn’t for me) don’t work but in conjunction with pain relief, not instead of!!” Check out her profile here.

When I think about what quality of life is for me, I think of being a Mum, wife, writer and friend despite spending most of my days in bed. What’s most important to me is connection, love, laughter and being there for my kids. I can do it all if I have the support I need.

None of this would be possible for me without pain relief. Managing my pain means that I can be engaged in life. But if I didn’t have this pain relief I wouldn’t be able to move, not even lift my head off the pillow! How’s that for quality of life?

I’ve experienced chronic pain since 2014, saying in this blog “After I’d blacked out… my pain levels were so high, I was shaking… My GP prescribed a cocktail of pain relief, including Oramorph… My chronic pain conditions [leave] me unable to do anything.

The Takeaway…

These testimonies show that patients with chronic pain in the UK are losing their quality of life because the NICE guidelines aren’t clear about the withdrawal of medication. Doctors are already treating the guidelines as a blanket approach and removing pain relief incorrectly.

This statement from the Faculty Of Pain Medicine highlights that healthcare professionals must make these “decisions appropriate to the circumstances of the individual patient, in consultation with the patient and/or guardian or carer.”

The recommended alternatives to pain medication won’t work for many patients with chronic pain in the UK but if used alongside pain relief they may enable better function. It’s vital that GPs know chronic pain is torture and for many of us, painkillers are vital for our sanity.

All we really want from the chronic pain treatment UK is the ability to individualise how we manage our pain with the support of medical professionals. We should not need to prove our pain is real for this to happen. With support we have a quality of life, which is priceless.

And Finally…

I’d like to thank Claire and her team who have worked so hard on this campaign. She said “The campaign has a Team that I am beyond grateful for their support and hard work.”
- Sasha Twinham
- Ann Sinclair
- Kelly Brownell
- Terri Hester
- Niki Boswell
- Leanne Robson
- Jackie Low
- Georgia Siobhan
- Julie Andromeda Mao
Laura 💜
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✋ Hey there! I hope you’re feeling stronger now. If so, sharing the love will help me help other mums with chronic invisible illnesses.⬆️ Hit one of those sharing buttons or save these images to Pinterest and I will do a bed-bound happy dance – there’s an image for you!
16/06/2022