Adventurer Alex Staniforth turned to outdoor sports as a teenager as a way of counteracting a lack of self-confidence caused by a bad stutter, mild epilepsy and anxiety. Immediately he felt like he had found his calling… until he was injured and the resulting time off led to an eating disorder. Alex tells of how […]
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Finding your own personal Everest, Alex Staniforth
Tomorrow might be great, Josh Zitser
Josh Zitser was always a deeply sensitive child, but when a teenage friend took her own life, he suffered depression, panic attacks and an eating disorder. But it took a while for him to realise his feelings weren’t the same as everyone else. Josh has had suicidal thoughts, but recent therapy has changed his life. […]
Reclaiming myself after addiction, Talitha Fosh
Psychotherapist Talitha Fosh is an addict. “The way that my mind works is what makes me an addict,” she says. It started with an eating disorder when she was 14, comparing herself to others, and it spiralled out of control quickly. Then Tally found alcohol and drugs. “I didn’t like who I was when I […]
Art brought my life back, Lorna Collins
Lorna Collins suffered a life-threatening brain injury and total amnesia, and she had no concept of who she was. She tried to exercise control in the only way she knew how – by controlling her eating and by self-harm. Art became her lifeline: it was Lorna’s way of expressing her hallucinations and her pain. One […]
The Road to Recovery, Lucy Jackson
Actress and mental health blogger Lucy Jackson had no idea she had depression, anxiety, OCD and borderline personality disorder. She didn’t even think she had an eating disorder. But a stay in a treatment facility exposed her to new bad habits. Eating disorders are addictions, she says, and should be treated as such. She admits […]
Exam After Exam After Exam, Jenny Pewsey
Borderline Personality Disorder Looking back, Jenny says she probably had mental health issues from an early age. But her food obsessions, panic and anxiety didn’t explode until her first year of medical school when it got so bad that she couldn’t leave her flat. ‘There is so much pressure on young people. Exam after exam […]
Hammering it Out – The Bipolar Blacksmith, Bex Simon
Bipolar Blacksmith Becoming a blacksmith saved Bex Simon from succumbing to bipolar disorder. In fact, the illness laid the foundations for her blacksmith business. Praised for her unusual and spectacularly artistic designs, Simon has been off medication since 2009, and lives with her husband and two children. She uses her illness ‘by building like a […]
The Power of Words, Charlotte Reed
Author ‘May The Thoughts Be With You’ When Charlotte Reed was struck by a constant feeling of ‘utter terror’, she bravely decided to try and heal herself. One way she fought her depression was to write down one inspiring thought a day. ‘May The Thoughts Be With You’, is a self-illustrated, handwritten book and, like […]
Addiction Counsellor Uncut, George Atiase
Addict Turned Substance Abuse Counsellor and Lecturer George Atiase is a London-based addiction counselor and lecturer. In this moving video, he opens up about his own battles with addiction and how he eventually learned that ‘it’s ok to be me’. Apart from his love for singing, bespoke jewelry, and his motorbike, George now devotes his […]
Fighting for your Child, Dani Maimone
Mother of Child with Eating Disorder and Depression Depression and anxiety among children and teenagers has soared. Yet a staggering 70 percent don’t receive help when they need it most. When Dani Maimone’s teenage daughter developed an eating disorder and became so depressed that all she wanted to do was die, Maimone faced years of fighting […]