Instead of writing about others, Head Talks’ editor Emma Price shares some of her own struggles with mental health. What is my story? It is a different one depending on when you ask. Had you asked me two years ago, or even a year and a half ago, I would have told you a positive […]
Depression
Learning to trust my brain again, Scarlett Curtis
Scarlett Curtis is a writer, podcaster and activist. Her new book, It’s not OK to feel blue (and other lies), is a collection of writings on mental health from high-profile figures. Scarlett tells us about how she gets through some of her own dark times — they’re less frequent now, fortunately, but still affect her […]
Paws for thought, Professor Jo Williams (and Boomer)
An estimated 10% of youngsters in the UK have had an official diagnosis of a mental health condition. “The complexities of modern life add further cognitive strain and we are seeing a rise in these diagnoses,” says Professor Jo Williams from the University of Edinburgh. She has been researching the impact of pets on the […]
Letting the fizz out, Lou Lebentz
Lou Lebentz is a therapist and trauma specialist. She came to her work through her own experiences of trauma, addiction and eventually psychosis. Lou says that years of trauma are like a shaken-up bottle of fizzy drink — at some point it will explode. She sees her role as helping clients to open the bottle […]
Quieting the active mind, Owen O’Kane
Owen O’Kane is a psychotherapist with a medical background. He’s the author of Ten to Zen, a guide to meditation and mindfulness that he says anyone can use to calm their mind. Owen grew up amid the Troubles in Northern Ireland and has seen how anxiety affects a place and its people. He has also […]
Doctor, heal thyself, Dr Reena Kotecha
While Dr Reena Kotecha was working in the health service, she began to realise she was burnt out. She learned that she had to look after herself in order to help her patients. When Dr Reena took time out with anxiety and depression, she studied meditation, mindfulness and the traditional Indian medicine, Ayurveda. Now she […]
Tell your story with passion
We are delighted to have partnered with OC87 Recovery Diaries to bring you a worksheet designed to help prompt you to dig a little deeper when journaling, or to help you start, or to help you voice your own story with passion. You can download your own version of the worksheet here. Bud Clayman, the […]
Facing the move to university
Adjusting to student life can be hard. Being away from family and friends, with a new environment and facing new expectations. We went to Edinburgh University to speak to some of the students and teaching staff about how we can help with this important transition.
A map to find your way through life, Justine Hardy
Justine Hardy is a trauma therapist who works with people in conflict zones and other desperate circumstances. But she says that the devastation of feeling lost in a dark place in your life can happen to anyone, without an obvious reason. Trying to find a way out, Justine says, is the most important thing. When working with refugees, Justine tries to find […]
The hurting places of life, John Sutherland
John Sutherland was a police officer for more than 20 years, rising to become a Borough Commander in London. He was overcome by exhaustion, anxiety and then depression that ‘broke him into a thousand tiny pieces’. The stress of a job that brought him constantly into ‘the hurting places of life’ such as crime scenes and […]
Mind vs Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, has been part of my bucket list for years. Suffering from diagnosed depression and anxiety, I decided to travel across the world solo and trek it.
The stress of student life, Students, Edinburgh University
Student life isn’t always the best time of your life. In fact, it can be one of the most overwhelming. Four students at Edinburgh discussed the pressures of life at university, often far away from home, friends and family. Stay connected to what feels true to you, whether people you love, or activities you enjoy, […]
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