By Jordan Thomas Defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) health is; “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. Now, with this definition in mind let’s look to that that bruised arm from that drunken fall you had on the weekend, I’m willing to bet … Continue reading Talking Mental Health: Reflections of a PWP →

By Muireann Bochanan Trigger warnings: This article mentions trauma, medical trauma, flashbacks and intrusive thoughts, and has graphic descriptions of seizures and choking. When I was diagnosed with Non-Epileptic Attack Disorder (NEAD from here on) at the end of March, I sort of assumed that that was the end of my illness. I had been … Continue reading Content Warning: Medical Trauma →

By Elliot Denton TW: Mental health + Body Image For most people, with or without chronic illness, mental health and physical health often go hand in hand. People often separate the two, thinking that the mind is completely segregated from the body. Those who suffer from mental health conditions such as myself can confidently say … Continue reading How my Mental health affects my physical health (and vice versa!) →

By Amber Daw If you think back to when you were younger I’m sure you can recall countless relatives asking you “what do you want to be when you grow up?”. For the most part they’d always agree with whatever you said, no matter how silly or out of the ordinary your idea was: “you … Continue reading Future Redefined →

By Suruthi (@fightrheumatoidarthritis) When discussing the symptoms of my condition, it’s usually my joints and the side effects of my medication that get discussed, but over time I have found that there is something that is way more affected by my condition: my mental health. For a very long time, I’ve felt quite down and … Continue reading Rheumatoid Arthritis and My Mental Health →

By Ella Marcham Physical health and mental health are closely connected, especially for those living with a chronic illness. Sometimes a bad physical health day can trigger a decline in mental health, or vice versa. This piece explores navigating through life whilst trying to find a balance between the constantly tipping scales of mental health … Continue reading How Chronic Illness Affects Mental Health: Ella’s Experience →

In this article we interviewed three students and asked them about their experiences with chronic illness, neurodiversity and mental health. Through our interviews we noticed a lot of the same issues within educational institutions when it comes to supporting students in need. From miscommunication, to lack of specific needs-based support, this is why Good Cause … Continue reading Why Good Cause is Failing the Chronically Ill and Neurodiverse – and What Educational Institutes Should do About it →

My assumption was that studying medicine with a chronic illness or disability was likely to be an experience in which you felt supported, as the staff would understand what is going on. Your perspective would be valued, as the kind of doctor who had first-hand experience with various conditions. However, neither of these things are … Continue reading University and Disability: Being a Medical Student. →

Part One of a three-part LUNA Project Series, by Rachael Banks and Ally Lloyd When Rachael said she wanted to write about the experiences of Disabled and chronically ill students at University, looking at what was working well and more importantly what wasn’t, I jumped at the chance to write alongside her. Even just from … Continue reading University and Disability: Not Having a Diagnosis →

by Alessandra Thom After 22 years of forgotten homework, missed deadlines, three pairs of impulse purchase roller-skates and too many lost post-it notes to count, this summer I was diagnosed with ADHD. Last week, after a month on medication, I submitted my 2500-word dissertation proposal on time, without an extension. To anybody reading who does … Continue reading “Why can’t you just do it?” – Navigating ADHD in Higher Education →