#mentalmovement

1. How/When/Why did you start #MentalMovement?

We started the blog up in February as a last ditch attempt to help ourselves through a really difficult period. I was still awaiting my therapy and Stephanie had just started Schema therapy. We’d always been social media savvy, Internet geeks and researchers by nature but with all of that we still found it really hard to find something (online) that grabbed us, inspired us and didn’t have that stigma attached. We would always say ‘How would people react if they found out Vogue was created entirely by people with Mental Health problems?’ it’s almost impossible to describe it in simple terms but it was important for us to create something that we would naturally gravitate towards because of its quality of content, visual aesthetic and ‘cool’ appeal – it would just so happen to make people think twice if they knew it was created by those with ‘mental illness’.

We know what people with Mental Health problems are capable of; some of the greatest people on this earth who have those creative minds deal with mental health – so why aren’t we celebrating this? Surely this is the key to reversing how we perceive mental health today? We are capable, creative and strong. Not write-offs.

Why did you decide to create the #MentalMovement Zine?

We love a good Zine and the thought of being able to work with everyone involved with #MentalMovement on a tangible, real thing was really exciting. It also gave us an opportunity to offer our writer’s tasks, “celebrity” interviews and give a positive focus that would see a finished Zine celebrate every person involved. It’s not explicitly about ‘Mental Health’ but its progressive, has community at it’s heart and aims to re-address how Mental Health is commonly dealt with and portrayed. As much of a struggle as it was to create and put together it’s a huge accomplishment and we hope it will let every person out there who reads it will know that they are not alone, they too can get involved and there is hope! We are a big online community, do everything by email (because we are allergic to making any phone calls) and genuinely care – so the Zine is a great way to reach people who might not otherwise know we exist.

2. On you’re off days, what pushes you from almost throwing in the towel?

The fact that we now have a huge responsibility to our writers, readers and those who contact us daily about where they can get support or advice. We have thrown in that towel so many times and when it comes to ourselves, we are not as well as we would like to be but we have to do this, there so many voices but no megaphone to project them. We will fight for them to be heard, and we will pick that towel up over and over again until the changes we wish to see happen are made.

3. How do you handle triggers? Is there anything that sets you off on a regular basis?

To be honest, we don’t. It’s a bit like riding a tidal wave, a tsunami of emotions we unfortunately have to let pass. We both handle our triggers very differently. Stephanie will often resort to cleaning and de-cluttering anything and everything, write lots of lists and try to figure out her triggers came from. I will often retract from life, struggle to leave my house and start obsessing over perfectionism. Photographs are a huge trigger for me; if someone pressures me to get in a photo I’ll likely have a meltdown over it and it can take me weeks to recover. We both find the pressure of social situations too much also. As #MentalMovement continues to gain momentum, we do struggle to keep up and that expectation to not fall apart is really real for us, we try really hard not to get stressed by it all but it is very overwhelming.

4. What are the top 3-10 outcome you’d like to see happening within the next few years when it comes to mental health?

More immediate services for people to access during crisis

More activity/skills based schemes that people can tap into for either a reasonable price or better still, free. Stuff that is relevant, not just a pottery class, your 19th free IT course or ‘CV building’. What’s there to do after you have done all of this? It’s just not inspiring.

For GP Surgeries to have specialist on site Mental Health teams. Just because you are a Dr, doesn’t mean you have knowledge or understanding of Mental Health. We have both experienced this countless times and been left wishing there was a Dr that actually got it!

Mandatory Mental Health training for mainstream services from retail shops to your local Nando’s restaurant. TFL to the police – it should be a law that people working in public facing jobs understand Mental Health inside out. No excuses!

Shorter waiting lists for therapy.

Better media representation – films that might highlight subtly that a character deals with anxiety, schizophrenia or depression. Not just your token ‘crazy’ character.

Longer therapy periods. Deeper assessments of what people need. Not just CBT for all and only for 12 weeks.

Too many more to even mention, we might be here for months!

5. What life hacks have you learnt that could help people struggling with mental health issues? (Inspiring yourself, mantras on the wall, things said out loud etc)

Lavender! Anything Lavender. Pillow spray, room spray and essential oils. Once you get over the initial grandma vibe, you won’t be able to live without it. Get a lightbox if you deal with SAD in the winter, they are amazing and really trick your mind into thinking you are on a hot beach. Calming Zen music on YouTube. Drinking herbal tea’s are a big deal for us, especially green tea. Writing! Keep a journal of your mood; write happy thoughts, dreams and aspirations. Write a feeling you feel each day so you can look back on it and see how you felt, how you’ve progressed and where you might want to make changes. Do kind things for those you love or help other people who are also struggling. Go on YouTube and watch Oprah’s Lifeclass series and indulge in Ralph Smart’s ‘Infinate Waters Diving Deep’.

6. What do you think about having mental health as part of the school curriculum across the world?

It’s an absolute must. The modern world is advancing at such a rapid rate I feel as humans we are really struggling to keep up or at least remain unaffected by it all. You can’t live in today’s world without experiencing some sort of anxiety and early intervention is key to ensuring the children of the future have the tools to be able to deal with this. If you can prevent this stuff in the early years, you’ll save a lot of adult pain in the future.

7. What is the most annoying misconception you hear all the time when it comes to your Mental Health?

“You don’t look like you have Mental Health issues” – Well, what is someone with Mental Health issues supposed to look like?

Anyone can use #MentalMovement or become a writer/blogger/editor. To get involved with #MentalMovement or to find out more visit their website now at www.mentalmovement.co.uk or email them at [email protected]

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Twitter: @RauccioWilliams

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