Thank you to John, Briege & Kit for bringing this to my attention.

Today is Time to Talk Day, part of the Time to Change Campaign. The idea is to spend 5 minutes to talk about mental health to break the silence and remove the taboos and stigma that surround invisible illness.

So here’s my story. I was first diagnosed with depression as a teenager and the Black Dog has been a companion on and off for most of my life. I’ve fought with darkness, self-harmed, been tempted to suicide. Depression has left me with anxiety, robbed my of confidence, isolated me, cost me friends, jobs and more. I’m lucky to have had friends around even if they didn’t always understand and after a really hard 2014 I’m on the road to recovery. I’ve also had the privilege over the years of helping others; helping them see the best in themselves, encouraging them to find help and on a, thankfully, few occasions talking them back from the brink.

In fact one of the inspirations for Silicon Nomad is bringing positive news to help people better cope with everyday life and remembering that the world isn’t all bad.

Alex

I love Games
I enjoy Singing
I suffer with Depression

Links that people may find handy:

• Glasgow Steps (Self-Help Advice)
• Moodscope (Free site to help track your mood)
• I Had a Black Dog Advice Blog
• Living With A Black Dog (Great Book for Coping)