Why blog?

I've been considering writing a blog for a while however various things have prevented me from doing so. Recently though, I have begun to realise the power of writing in terms of educating, informing and the personal therapeutic benefits. It is my belief that my mental illness stems from bottling things up and writing is a way of releasing the lid of the bottle, especially at times when it can be difficult to talk. My twitter profile suggests that I have a lot to say but I'm limited in characters there so I thought I'd give this blogging business a go. 

Life has not turned out as well as I had hoped. I didn't anticipate on developing an eating disorder that would see me hospitalised on multiple occasions or any of the other mental illnesses come to that. They have sought to destroy me and it has been an incredibly tough battle. I want to write about my experiences of mental illness for several reasons. I believe we have made progress but stigma against mental illness is still strong, much of this I believe is down to the misconceptions that people have been led to believe. I believe that educating people and raising awareness are vital processes in the fight against stigma. Listening and reading accounts written by those with lived experience is in my opinion, one of the best ways of eradicating those misconceptions and reducing stigma. I hope that my blog helps with this. 

It's likely that I will write a lot in my blog about my experience of living with anorexia nervosa. Over the years I have developed a very good insight in to my eating disorder and I would like to share this insight with you. The foundations of an eating disorder are never to do with anxiety/control over weight food or a quest for a model like physique. They are in fact, incredibly complicated and incorporate many biopsychosocial factors. It strikes me that many people are not aware of this, not even some mental health professionals. 

Another reason why I want to start blogging is to help others feel less alone in their struggles. Living with a mental illness can be incredibly lonely and isolating, especially when you feel as though nobody understands or relates to your experience. Sharing experiences can help people feel less alone in their struggles helping to comfort and reassure. Sharing journeys can also inspire people and help bring them hope. I have felt like giving up on so many occasions because I've lost sight of any hope in there ever being an end to my suffering. I couldn't see past my mental illness and I saw no future for me. Fortunately hope returned and I now see a bright future ahead as a mental health nurse. 

I also wish to blog in the hope that it will benefit me therapeutically to have a platform in which I can write and share my experiences. I have identified many strategies for safely and effectively managing my distress with writing being one of them, probably because it helps prevent me from bottling up my difficult thoughts and feelings. 

Lastly, I wish to document my journey and experiences of being a student mental health nurse who continues to face her own battles with mental illness. No 2 days are the same when you are a student nurse and it really is a rollercoaster of a journey. I have one year left of my studies before I am a fully fledged RMN so will be writing about my progress throughout the year including job hunting and the transition to becoming an NQN.