Proving You’re Struggling: When Asking for Help Becomes Another Battle

February 10, 2026.Reading time 7 minutes.

There’s something deeply wrong with a system where people have to prove their pain before they’re allowed support. Not explain it.Not share it.Prove it. With paperwork.With evidence.With repeated retelling of the worst moments of their lives. For many people, asking for help doesn’t bring relief.It brings another exhausting fight. The Paperwork of Survival If you’ve […]

Acceptance

May 27, 2020.Reading time 3 minutes.

Holiday 2 of 4 cancelled. Part of me is pleased because COVID is still amongst us. When I add to the fact I’m nowhere near ready to leave the house and mingle with people, it makes for a good outcome. The other half of me is conflicted; I should leave the house, I should be […]

142 Days

May 4, 2020.Reading time 6 minutes.

How do people who have suffered trauma cope with lockdown, with every day a Groundhog Day of pain? I can only speak for myself, but I’ve been on my own lockdown for the last 142 days. Yes, I’m counting. Each day presents new or repetitive challenges but the basis is the same. Dealing with the […]

A Little Goes A Long Way

January 23, 2020.Reading time 8 minutes.

I’ve always bounced back. From every knock I’ve ever experienced, I’ve found a way to reflect, rebuild and go again. My Psych on Wednesday was pretty hard. He pushed me to recall really difficult stuff, he challenged my thinking, my self-esteem, my perception. Considering it was the second day after we said “in a bit” […]

Grief. You’re a Prick!

January 12, 2020.Reading time 8 minutes.

On 13th December 2019 my husband, Mark, passed away. The reason he passed was unexpected, the Coroner came back with `undetermined’. That shit is hard to reconcile with. Mark was 52. Christmas and New Year passed in a blur, as have the days and weeks since. How can I possibly explain how I feel right […]