About me: Joan Philips
I’m married, in my 30s, live in London and work full-time.
About this blog
People get a thrill from reading about the extremes of mental illness. In my case, having bi-polar disorder means some folk might have a peculiar fascination about the weird, often funny, behaviour it causes, but be less interested in the disabling lows of depression.
So much of what we read and hear about mental health is really about illness and sickness. There is almost an assumption that if you are not ill – if you appear to be ‘normal’ and living a ‘normal life’- you can’t have a mental illness.
But I don’t believe that at all. 2014 marked 20 years since I was last admitted to psychiatric hospital. Though it was a long time ago, and I’m confident I won’t ever get that ill again, my diagnosis makes my life different. I can’t drink every night of the week, for example, even if ‘it’s Christmas’. I might need to go for a blood test every few months. Or deal with stress in a very proactive way and talk things through. Stiff upper lips just don’t work for me. If I stay well and seem ‘normal’, then it’s not by accident. It takes work and discipline.
We don’t talk enough about what it’s like to live with a diagnosis of a severe mental illness and get on with the stuff of ordinary life; like work, relationships and families. It’s as if it either people assume it can’t be done, because once you’ve got a mental illness, you will always be ill. Or perhaps if something can’t be treated by medicine or talking therapy, then you’re on your own, so far as mental health services are concerned.
I don’t claim to be an expert but having lived with this diagnosis for 20 years, I know what’s helped me. This blog is my way of trying to capture something of what I’ve learnt through the songs that have been part of the soundtrack to my recovery. And force myself to write regularly too.
I’d welcome your comments and feedback – (and if you disagree with my point of view, please play nice). I managed to achieve my goal of writing one blog per month in 2014 – yea! – and will be continuing in 2015 too.
GUEST BLOGS: what’s your mental health jukebox sound like? If you’d like to contribute a guest blog, I’d love to hear from you. Use the ‘reply’ box below to get in touch.
© Joan Philips and Mental Health Jukebox, 2014. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of the material on this blog without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Joan Philips and Mental Health Jukebox with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Mental health jukebox 