Never. NEVER thought I would do this. But I'm two months into flying solo as a freelancer and so far....so good, actually (and my final beta blocker is still sitting wrapped in its foil, not needing to go anywhere. Yet...) Ah, if I'm honest, I've had the odd panic. But given the ups and downs … Continue reading 6 freelance rules we should all obey
School’s out – how we spent a 1980s summer holiday
The halcyon days. We were so much healthier in the 80s weren't we? All that time outdoors, making dens in the woods, playing bulldog on hard concrete playgrounds, eating Findus crispy pancakes and learning how to smoke with candy sticks... But regardless of the e-numbers and carcinogenic habits that were formed in our formative years, … Continue reading School’s out – how we spent a 1980s summer holiday
Book Review: Taming the Beast Within
It's always nerve-wracking picking up a book that's clouded in controversy when you're usually outspoken. Especially as a non-professional who has no lived experience when it comes to the subject matter (personality disorder diagnoses) but I'd be a bit of a wuss if I didn't share my views - for what they're worth... Although I'm … Continue reading Book Review: Taming the Beast Within
Love Island isn’t reality TV
I said no SO MANY TIMES. You know, in that kind of smug 'I don't do reality TV' kind of lying your arse off way. And then, one particularly vulnerable evening, intoxicated by a near win at the local pub quiz and a couple of pints of Peroni, I sat with my wonderful friends and … Continue reading Love Island isn’t reality TV
It took having a breakdown on stage to take my mental health seriously
There's this idea that acting, performing, being creative, etc, is a cushy way to carve out a career. We've heard people complain on social media when a show or a gig is cancelled because of the performer's illness or exhaustion. Surely they can just get on with it for one night? But the pressure on … Continue reading It took having a breakdown on stage to take my mental health seriously
Soap fan and proud: Why TV soaps have a crucial role in education
Our beloved Philip Schofield has just hosted another raucous British Soap Awards and the usual best dressed / worst dressed nonsense has hit the headlines again. But the soaps do a lot more for us than generating gossip on the cobbles, leaving us hanging with duff-duffer moments and making us gasp for breath as something … Continue reading Soap fan and proud: Why TV soaps have a crucial role in education
If you haven’t experienced anxiety as an illness, please read this
This was originally a thread I posted on Twitter one night about the reality of anxiety as an illness (hence the strange snippet like style!) Feel free to read on Twitter via the link if you prefer 🙂 I don't know what a heart attack feels like. But I've had palpitations. I don't know … Continue reading If you haven’t experienced anxiety as an illness, please read this
What I wish I could tell my teenage self about sex and masturbation
Strange isn't it, that as a child, you thought about nakedness and body parts and how babies were made constantly and yet never felt guilty about it. As soon as you related those thoughts and feelings to the word 'sex', they become deeply shameful. What a fucker. Just as you're finding out how to operate … Continue reading What I wish I could tell my teenage self about sex and masturbation
A letter to my 16 year old self…
I recently read a piece in Happiful magazine where Denise Welch wrote a letter to her 16 year old self. That had to be an interesting exercise, Denise certainly thought so. So, here's my letter to me, aged 16, from me, aged 40. Dear Lucy, You probably won't believe this right now, as you sit … Continue reading A letter to my 16 year old self…
How to talk to someone who is hearing voices
This is an article I wrote for Metro but I thought it also needed special mention in a blog post here....because it's an area of mental health that is incredibly stigmatised in many ways. And we must talk about it more. People who hear voices are not always frightened, and neither should you be. But … Continue reading How to talk to someone who is hearing voices
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