Mind With A View
By Waffa
Mind With A ViewJan 22, 2021
Loneliness And Mental Health
In this episode, I talk about loneliness, and the misconceptions some people may have about what loneliness actually means, it's not always about being physically alone, one can suffer from loneliness when being around people. Also the various reasons and life situations of how loneliness can occur in a persons life, and the impact loneliness can have, the affects on ones physical health and mental health. I'll also be talking about my own suffering of prolonged loneliness and the difficulties I have in social situations for example which then exacerbates loneliness and isolation.
- Please support the Zero Suicide Alliance and access the free online training at: zerosuicidealliance.com
Workplace Bullying And Mental Health
In this episode, I talk about workplace bullying, and specific types of bullying, and what affects it could have on people, their health and wellbeing. What makes a bully target a person, is it because of their weaknesses or indeed their strengths that they feel threatened by, there are many reasons this may happen, but on the other hand, there may be no real reason, it may just be the simple fact that a person may be targeted due to speaking up for themselves or speaking out about an issue and so on, hence they may be targeted by people as retaliation. These types of cleverly intricate, subtle, and covert methods, are still classed as a type of bullying. A person may start to feel left out, avoided, ostracised, excluded from various things in the workplace, obstacles put in their way in order to prevent the person from developing in work roles and so on. These types of actions, are still classed as bullying. There are so many people around the world that go through such traumatic times, and once they feel they can speak about it, there is support out there and people that can guide them and support them.
- Please support the Zero Suicide Alliance and access the free online training at: zerosuicidealliance.com
Stigma And Personality Disorders
In this episode, I talk about the ongoing stigma and discrimination encountered towards Personality Disorders, especially Borderline Personality Disorder, it's the most stigmatised of all mental illnesses. What ways can sufferers change these kind of wrong attitudes and wrong approaches that some mental health professionals have when dealing with people who suffer from BPD and what ways we can work together to bring about a change, and become more trauma informed. Things have to change, for every person worldwide that suffers from PD.
- Please support the Zero Suicide Alliance and access the free online training at: zerosuicidealliance.com
Childhood Trauma And Mental Health
In this episode, I talk about a difficult and sensitive subject, childhood sexual abuse and the effects on mental health into adulthood. I think it's important for people who want to open up about such traumas are given the opportunities to do so, in an educational way within mental health services, to work together with mental health professionals to bring about more awareness and understanding about everyday kind of triggers. It's important for people that want to talk about their life experiences to be given more opportunities to turn it into an educational piece of work.
- Please support the Zero Suicide Alliance and access the free online training at: zerosuicidealliance.com
We're Still In A Pandemic You Know
In this episode, I’d like to give a follow up on a previous episode I did called 'Mental Health and the Covid-19 Vaccine'. Now this follow up episode is to remind people the importance of getting their vaccines and booster, and especially now with the Omicron variant and the speed in which it's spreading. As I'm a service user at Mersey Care NHS, I just want to remind other service users not to let their guard down, just because Omicron may be a milder variant, it doesn't mean Delta has vanished now, so it's vital that healthcare professionals keep reminding everyone to get their vaccines and booster, and some people especially with mental health problems might feel hesitant to have their vaccines or booster too. So I just thought I’d talk about my experience of having the vaccines and the worries I had beforehand which also played on my mental health problems, hopefully by talking about it again, it may help to reassure others, that may have the same anxieties I had before getting the vaccine. Thankfully I've had both vaccines and booster, even though with a phobia about injections, I still didn't think twice, I just got my vaccines done and felt relieved about that.
- Please support the Zero Suicide Alliance and access the free online training at: zerosuicidealliance.com
Once Upon A Dream
In this episode, I talk about dreams, what are dreams, do specific dreams give us answers in our daily lives ? I always like to go over every detail of a dream I may have, especially strange dreams. I got into the habit of keeping a dream journal when I was about 12 or 13. But the past few years I've not really continued writing down my dreams, as I just remember most of them anyway. But I read some of those old dream journals recently and I laugh how strange the dreams I used to have. Some dreams seem so real that it affects my mood in my waking day. Why do we dream, what is our subconscious trying to tell us ? Do sad dreams affect your emotional state afterwards ?
The Story of Roger
In this episode, I talk about in detail the life I had with my late partner Roger. Talking about this in detail, has been a help to me, as a way of healing from grief. Roger passed away from MND / ALS (Motor Neurone Disease / Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis). Hopefully this episode would also resonate with anyone else that has had to go through something similar, caring for the person they love through a terminal illness. I have difficulty seeing Roger on that last moment when the doctor was beside him, and Roger made the decision for the effects of the morphine to just finally let him pass away peacefully. So in this episode I go from the very beginning, how me and Roger met, and everything in between, right through to the end and how it felt when I lost him. Recording this episode was like a therapy session for me, I feel proud of myself for being able to talk in detail about the love of my life Roger, how we met, how great our relationship was, and how I felt at the end, and how do I feel now, 8 years on from his passing. The support I have from Mersey Care NHS through the difficulty I have coming to terms with my partner's loss has been invaluable to me, my CPN is a vital support, helping me to talk about Roger and how I feel now, and finding ways to manage that loss, no matter how many years later.
- Please support the Zero Suicide Alliance and access the free online training at: zerosuicidealliance.com
Low Self Esteem
In this episode, I talk about my experience of having low self esteem and my lack of confidence, what are the causes and why the need to feel reassured often, is it an insecurity or lack of confidence and what is the root cause.
- Please support the Zero Suicide Alliance and access the free online training at: zerosuicidealliance.com
Being Highly Sensitive
In this episode I talk about the difficulty of being overly sensitive, highly sensitive, which coincides with suffering from trauma and Borderline Personality Disorder, and being unable to regulate my emotions. I also talk about Black and White thinking, and "splitting" as it's known to people that suffering from BPD or EUPD (Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder).
- Please support the Zero Suicide Alliance and access the free online training at: zerosuicidealliance.com
Choose Your Own Expectations
In this episode, I talk about expectations that people put on others, and how difficult that can be, especially if someone is suffering from mental health problems, it can affect the person even more. Pressures and expectations from family, friends, peer pressure, school, work and so on. Trying to please people, not wanting to let people down. I also talk about cultural pressures, for example there were certain expectations and pressures that I faced in my younger years, coming from an Arab background, there were certain expectations. For example the pressure to settle down and get married, but at the same time it's like I was trying to live two separate cultures as I was born in England and from an Arab background, I found certain expectations quite difficult which also affected my mental health more. So, with any kind of pressure or expectation in life, it's important to decide what is best for you, take a step back and think it through.
Racism And Mental Health
In this episode, I talk about how difficult it can be within mental health services for BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) service users to talk about racism to non BAME professionals, and how there needs to be a change in attitudes and overall culture within services, in order to empower BAME service users to openly talk about how racism affects their mental health in daily life. I also talk about my own experiences on how racism affects my mental health.
- Please support the Zero Suicide Alliance and access the free online training at: zerosuicidealliance.com
Mental Health And Covid-19 Vaccine
In this episode, I’d like to talk about the Covid-19 vaccine, and how especially some people with mental health problems might feel hesitant to have the vaccine. So I just thought I’d talk about my experience of having the vaccine and the worries I had beforehand which also played on my mental health problems, hopefully by talking about it, it may help in some way to reassure other people with mental health problems, that may have the same worries I had before getting the vaccine.
- Please support the Zero Suicide Alliance and access the free online training at: zerosuicidealliance.com
Digital Inclusion
In this episode I’ll be talking about digital inclusion, what is digital inclusion. The three main aspects of digital inclusion is: 1 - access, affordability and availability, 2 – digital literacy, 3 – application, applying digital technology into the workplace, workforce development, applying digital technology into education, into healthcare, and into communities overall. In what ways do you think people can help others, to eradicate the digital divide, especially in these uncertain times. There is a responsibility for the government and companies to do more, to bring about solutions for people who are digitally excluded, low income households and disadvantaged.
Lasting Relationships
In this episode, I talk about the qualities of what makes a lasting longterm relationship and reflect on how my relationship was with my (late) partner Roger. I have nothing to compare it on, as he was the only longterm relationship I've ever had, well the only proper relationship full stop, the only love of my life, my soulmate... So my definition of what makes a good lasting relationship, the three main points would be Love, Loyalty and Communication. And the term love, for me would mean loving the person 100% and still being in love with the person no matter how many years together, that feeling would never fade away, that's true love. There's a difference, if you love the person, but maybe being in love with the person has faded away after so many years, or loving the person and still being in love with the person no matter how many years together, that feeling is still there, and I believe that's what makes a lasting relationship. And in terms of for example, with me having mental health problems, if someone truly loved me and cared about me, they would stick by me no matter what difficulties there were. As I know, some people would probably walk away, from someone with difficulties, whether someone had mental health problems or physical health problems.
Mental Health vs Culture In Yemen
In this episode, I talk about the difficulties I went through over 20 years ago when I lived in Yemen, in my 20s. Difficulties in terms of my mental health problems, and being unable to seek the appropriate help for those difficulties. I worked in a political newspaper over there (The Yemen Times newspaper). But in terms of my mental health it was very difficult to seek professional help when I was living in Yemen, due to the country's lack of funding for mental health services, and peoples perception of what mental health problems mean, due to how some people are brought up to think mental health problems means you're possessed. This is all due to lack of education and awareness around mental health and lack of funding. It made me sad knowing that some people have to live like that for so many reasons that are out of their control. Imagine how lucky I was to get back to England/Liverpool at that time, to finally receive the mental health support I needed.
- Please support the Zero Suicide Alliance and access the free online training at: zerosuicidealliance.com
Appearance vs Personality
In this episode, I talk about appearance versus personality. What's more important to you when you initially meet someone, in terms of looking for true love, building up a possible relationship, and more importantly looking for your soulmate. Do you initially base your first opinions on someone's appearance or their personality. Me personally I go for personality first and foremost. But some people are only interested in a person's appearance, without giving their personality a chance, which is a disadvantage because they're not willing to really get to know the person, which also suggests they are not really looking for true love anyway. I'm sure some people would agree that if you're looking for true love, you'd never take an interest in those kinds of shallow people anyway. Right ?
Mersey Care NHS Gary Crosbie
I recently had the opportunity to interview Gary Crosbie, who works as a Patient Advice Liaison Service officer, within Mersey Care NHS PALS and Complaints service. I asked him about his work in the organisation, to give more of an insight into his varied roles. And how his work has adapted the past several months during COVID-19. I've known Gary for a number of years as he's an important part of my support network. He really does go above and beyond into the work he does, he's one of the nicest people you could ever meet.
- For PALS information, please visit: merseycare.nhs.uk/contact-us/patient-advice-and-liaison-service/
- Please support the Zero Suicide Alliance and access the free online training at: zerosuicidealliance.com
Childhood Habits
Do you have any habits from childhood that have continued into your adulthood ? In this episode I talk about the embarrassing fact that my continuous habit is that I still suck my thumb (I'm 45 now). I often wonder what it's all about. Is it a habit or a need ? Is there a root cause ? Or just the simple fact I've never grown out of the habit. How many other people in their 40s do you see that still suck their thumb ?