Recent health problems have become much less worrying. My second gynaecological surgery went well and the investigations showed up no serious concerns. It looks like I'm going to be sticking around for longer, which is great. I'm enjoying life and there's still so much I want to do.
Now that summer has ended for the year, I thought I'd take advantage of this unexpected second debut of sunshine and head for the coast. We had a lovely day in Scarborough yesterday. I love being near the sea. I wonder what it would be like to live on the coast. Perhaps not as good as it sounds because I'd probably take it for granted and appreciate it less.
Today I've been wandering the streets looking at gardens. I mean noseying at the ordinary gardens of ordinary people. I wanted to get some ideas of what to do with ours. We only have a small garden and it's badly in need of a complete makeover.
I arrived back home to several emails and messages on the answerphone. One from my speakers club - do I want to take part in a speech competition? Erm.. no, not really, I don't think I do. One from work about the training classes for voluntary workers that I help to run, which start this Saturday. One about a date for a session I'll be doing for social workers at Bradford University (hey, they must have liked what I did last year as I've been invited to do another). One giving details of the book chosen for the next reading club. One from a friend about meeting for lunch ...
I'm going to stop moaning about being busy. It's so nice to be busy again with things I enjoy doing.
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About Me
- Jean
- Hi, I'm Jean. I'm fifty-something, married to Ian, and live in West Yorkshire. I'm a writer, and part-time mental health worker. My memoir 'The Dark Threads' is published by Accent Press. As a mixed-up, depressed teenager in 1968 I was heavily drugged, given electric shock treatment, reduced to a zombie and, by age 20, 'written off' as suffering from chronic schizophrenia (a misdiagnosis, evidence suggests). I managed to jump out of the net in 1974 and went on to build up a life for myself. Today life is good, good, good. I have a first-class BA (Hons) degree in Combined Studies (literature and psychology), and qualifications in counselling skills. 'The Dark Threads' is my first book. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Threads-Jean-Davison/dp/1906373590
5 comments:
Sounds as if things are really going well. That's lovely!
I'm from Scarborough and grew up there, but strangely have never had any desire to return since I moved 'down south'!
So glad your surgery went well and there's nothing serious going on :o)
Miriam - Yes, things are going much better for me now. Thankyou.
Karen - I love going to Scarborough for a day trip. Last time I went it had glorious sunshine, a great veggie cafe, and a Waterstones with my book on the shelf.
Hi,
I am reading your book at the moment and it is so strikingly sad. I am very interested in the (ill)treatment of mental health in asylums, it is very morbid and hearing yours and other people's suffering makes me feel guilty to be interested in something so awful. It seems as if you were thrown away so easily to this awful place! It was a visit recently to an abandoned asylum that got me interested as it struck me as such a sad place, it was also left almost as if one day everyone had left in a rush, very eerie.
I often encounter people with mental health problems at work and feel desparately sad for them, it seems as if, sometimes, the help is just not there for them. The more I read about what happened in these places really moves me and I am so sorry for what you and others had to experience. So happy to see that it didn't destroy you and hope you have many happy years!!
Matt
Hi Matt, thank you for commenting on my blog. Yes, the old mental institutions were truly horrible places in my experience. No doubt there have been significant improvements in attitudes and care since, but there is still no cause for complacency. I wouldn't want to put anyone off seeking help and I hope they'd be offered the kind of help they want and need, which I'm sure does happen for some. Sadly, many receive no help or, worse still, inappropriate treatment seemingly based on the wrong notion of 'one size fits all'.
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