# Other > DWD/depression and the media >  World Mental Health Day 2020

## Suzi

It's World Mental Health Day today and on FB we will be sharing some of our own experiences of living with mental ill health - either ourselves or a loved one. If anyone else would like to contribute - here or on FB (I promise not to share anything written here without permission as always) then that would be fab - and you can be anon. 

I will be sharing the posts to here so you can all see what we're up to even if you aren't on FB.  :):

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shine (12-10-20)

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## Suzi

The first post of the day by the lovely Emmie... 




> It's #WorldMentalHealthDay and Suzi asked each of the mods to write something about their own experiences with mental illness to make everyone feel less like they're the only one experiencing it.Well, dear reader, this is not the first time in this pandemic that I've made people feel less unusual.
> 
> The world is a weird place now, so many of us are suddenly afraid of getting ill from touching things. News reports cause so much fear. Hands are washed so often they're cracked and sore.
> 
> I understand completely. That's been my life for many years. It's debilitating. Even before the pandemic started I couldn't go on holiday, if I went around to a friend's house I'd have to force myself to sit down and fight the urge to shower when I got home.
> 
> I wish I had a positive spin in this, but I don't I just keep telling myself that this will end and then we can start doing the work to teach ourselves that usually, it's safe. But honestly, I'm scared of how much work I'll have to do. How much further I've slipped into those feelings thanks to being stuck in the house.
> 
> I'm still pushing myself, trying to notice the small ways I can challenging these thoughts. And the wins are there!
> ...

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Jaquaia (10-10-20),Paula (10-10-20),shine (12-10-20)

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## Suzi

TRIGGER WARNING *SUICIDE* 

This was posted by the lovely Emma x




> *Trigger Warning* Suicide12 years ago I attempted to kill myself. I did a pretty good job tbh, but I still failed. I planned to do it again...& again. I'm grateful today that I didn't succeed.
> 
> It's odd really, as I know just how terrible it feels to lose someone you love when they take their own life. 15 years ago I lost my dad to suicide. I'm at peace with his choice, but I'll never fill the hole left in my heart from his absence on this amazing planet. The pain at times is still unbearable & the tears flow when I least expect it. He was an amazing man, yet couldn't see that.
> If you find yourself in that dark place, I beg you to not act with haste. Take 5 mins, an hour, a day, a week to see if you still feel the same. Seek help, give your emotions chance to settle. Easily written on a page, not so easily to do when you're stuck in the middle of feeling you're not worth it & you're a burden. Those feelings can, & do change. Trust me, I know. We're human, we make mistakes, but we can work on those. 
> 
> What changed for me? Talking. 
> I know I'm fortunate. I have a mum who did everything she could to get me through. And a best friend who did likewise. However, I also found the DWD forum, with kind empathetic people who got it!  They listened, understood & were there for me in those minutes, hours, months & years when I picked up the pieces and found my path. People who were going through it, had been through it & were supporting friends & family through it.
> A chance conversation with a DWD admin who asked me if I'd heard of Pre-Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder (Pat De, who I've lost touch with but think of often) truly changed my story. It gave me the power to fight a misdiagnosis, get proper treatment & reclaim my life.
> My battle with PMDD is another tale, but you can find out more about the disorder here:
> ...

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Jaquaia (10-10-20),Paula (10-10-20),shine (12-10-20)

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## Suzi

This post from the amazing Paula..




> I think I had my first mental health crisis when I was 16, post GCSEs - which I passed with flying colours, but at a cost. I wasn’t diagnosed until I was 27 - 11 years of what felt like a rollercoaster ride. Life felt really, really hard. I’m 46 now, 30 years on from the start of a lifetime’s battle with severe depression and anxiety, and I’m still here. Which is a huge shock, if I’m completely honest. So, why am I still here? Why do I keep fighting and how have I managed it? The why is easy - my family, particularly my husband and 2 daughters, and my faith. How? The right medication, support from my medical team, therapy, DWD, and love and support from my friends, church and family. I think a couple of the stand out moments for me are: my mum racing to me when I called her, sobbing because I’d spilt nail varnish on the carpet; and, when I was in a mental health hospital, my husband working from home during the day, looking after our young children, putting them to bed before, when mum arrived to  babysit, coming up to see me and play board games with me before returning home to work into the night EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. (He’s my hero.)
> 
> But there is one other person I need to recognise for getting me through - me. Dealing with any MH issue is exhausting, devastating and really, really hard. Getting through requires a lot of hard work; asking for help seems wrong; taking medication even when they make you feel physically dreadful; seeing your counsellor even when the sessions seem to make you feel worse; and having to tell your boss why you keep going off sick. Your brain is probably telling you you’re insignificant and nobody wants or needs you but everyone around you is telling you the opposite. Who do you believe? Well, take it from someone who knows, your brain is lying to you. Those around you who love you and tell you they need you in their lives are telling you the truth. It’ll take a lot of work to get your brain on the same page but, believe me, it’s worth it. Paula

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Jaquaia (10-10-20),Paula (10-10-20),shine (12-10-20)

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## Fishlll

Wow, thanks for your post. I really started to feel a little better that I wasn't the only one with such problems. And now I'm sure that I should turn to a specialist with my problems. I want them to link removed as per. DWD policyspotting signs of addiction[/URL]. I can't stop drinking alcohol. I tried to get rid of it many times, but I still broke down. I also asked my loved ones to help me with this, but unfortunately, I still didn't succeed. This is very harmful to my health, both mentally and physically. I want to feel normal and feel normal in society. Because I'm even afraid to go out on the street, it seems to me that everyone is looking at me, and I disgust them. As everyone knows, I'm an alcoholic.

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## Paula

Hi and welcome Fishlll. Ive removed the link from your post as we have a policy not to allow external links until we get to know you a bit better. Wed love to know more about you so feel free to start your own thread, or head over to the Introductions section of the forum  :):

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Suzi (13-05-21)

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## Suzi

Hi and welcome. It'd be great to get to know you more.

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