So, how does it actually feel to suffer from a mental illness?

By Sarah White.

"There is a song called ‘Joy’ by PAGE CXVI and it sounds how I feel. More than any other song, it portrays the sense of comeuppance that I’ve come to experience from ignoring how I feel and trying to cheer my way through these moments. Perhaps this song is one of those ‘sing it to believe it’ pieces (and sometimes rightly so), but just for now, let the following hint at the daily battle of the will; ‘I can’t understand, and I can’t pretend, that this will be alright in the end. So I’ll try my best and lift up my chest to sing about this - Joy, Joy, Joy’."

I’m collating a book of stories and experiences of people who suffer from any Mental Illness and asking whether you’d like to contribute. It’s going to be an honest depiction of the daily struggles and a way for the isolation that can be so daunting with mental ill health to be eradicated. I have written a launch piece to kick off the honesty and openness I’m hoping to collate from people in all walks of life. 

To read the article and/or to find out about contributing to the project, click here.