First Class

Edit: Speaking of writing, here is a piece I did for One in Four on the subject of mental illness and humour: http://www.oneinfourmag.org/funnyinthehead.html

My Greatest Moment

Long time readers will know that the highlight of the week is my sloping down to the newsagents in my pyjamas to return victorious with my Thursday Haul of trashy magazines. Then I spend a glorious hour flipping through them all (for an hour is all it takes to read them), and then they spend [...]

BBC World Service are looking for people who’ve spent time on a psychiatric ward

I was contacted by BBC World Service looking to speak to me about the following programme. Considering I’ve only spent four days on a mental ward, I don’t think I’d be much help. But one of you may be, so if you’d like to speak to her, email her at lucy.williamson (at) bbc.co.uk. I work [...]

Mood Diaries

Edit: No iPhone over here!  No smartphone at all, just a wee cheap one. I’m looking for a mood diary.  I’ll fill it in with Robert’s input considering there are a fair amount of times I wouldn’t be able to recognise my own mood. I want a computerised one because- well, they’re fun!  I like [...]

On bullshit, psychics and prayer

So, loaded question here and one I’ve always resisted asking on this blog: where do you stand on religion, alternative medicine and other such spiky subjects? I wrote this on my other blog (which I forgot existed, whoops) and am reposting it here. It explains my stance on such matters. I’d marry James Randi, if [...]

Quick post: hooray!

I haven’t slept and have barely eaten, and I’m finding citalopram (mixed with caffeine, let’s be fair) somewhat activating, which has made me faintly giddy.  Which is a good state in which to receive the news that I got onto the course at Birkbeck!  Yay!  It’s just a part time access course but it’s something [...]

Happy birthday, Orlaigh!

C’mon everybody, please say HAPPY BIRTHDAY! to my favourite baby sister Orlaigh.  She’s 18 today, which should frankly be illegal as in my mind she’s still six and sleeps in the bunk above me. Now she’s a beautiful, cheeky, clever woman who posts Facebook status updates that disturb and delight me in equal measure.  I [...]

I Am Not “Too Smart” To be A Nurse.

Off topic, but I find it really insulting when people comment or email me to say I am too smart to be a nurse and that I should pursue writing. Writing is the clever person’s career. I appreciate that you’re trying to compliment me, but by doing so, you’re kind of insulting, well, nurses. I [...]

The end of the crisis

A shit two days, and your experiences with citalopram

The past two days have been shit. No poetics, they’ve just been very emotionally draining and I need to get into some sort of sleeping routine. Today I’ve done almost nothing but sleep and cry (and ate a piece of cake in a cafe Robert took me to, but I was crying while I ate [...]

God farts upon you

I’ve been sitting here waiting nervously for the crisis team, who were due at 12pm.  At 12.30pm I thought, “You know, the last time they were here, they didn’t even want to sit on my sofa because it was such a mess, so let’s straight up Reggie and maybe open a curtain so they don’t [...]

And the fate of my first love

Not my only love.  But my first, and possibly my last.  I am lucky, I shouldn’t forget that.

The fate of my first (and only) suicide note

I’ve never composed a proper suicide note. The one time I tried to was when I was fifteen and I didn’t really understand what death was. I thought I’d be there to read my own obituary and wanted to make sure they had something poetic to put in it. Adrift in agonising over words that [...]

This is a Low

This is cut for length and whinging. Edit: Quick update.  I’m with the crisis team, grudgingly.

My Last Day Of Being 24

Holy fuck, I am 25 tomorrow.  Or possibly today.  (Nobody agrees on what date my birthday is.  I celebrate it on the 4th, but it could be the 3rd.  My mum and dad don’t even agree.  And no, I wasn’t born at midnight.  I explain this almost every year.  It amuses me). 25 is my [...]