A Mental Health Update And How You Can Donate

I am so pleased that discussing mental health is no longer a stigma.

Around six years ago, I suffered heavily with panic attacks and anxiety due to a traumatic previous relationship during University as well as my Mum being diagnosed with Cancer. It was a lot to deal with in a very short space of time.

I didn’t know what panic attacks were. I honestly thought I had extremely bad indigestion which was making me feel dizzy and suffer from a mouth that had been transformed into a dessert.

My doctor set me up on anti-depressants for six months. When I first started taking them, I basically slept for two weeks – in bed in the middle of the day, on the couch while my new born nephew took a nap and even during a ten minute car ride. I had the ability to fall asleep anywhere due to my medication.

I then discovered Reasons To Stay Alive by Matt Haig. A book in which spoke volumes to me and in his own words, he explained mental health to me in a way in which no doctor could ever do.

After six months free of panic attacks, I decided to stop taking my medication. I went cold turkey (not my smartest move) and I learnt how to control my panic attacks. How did you do that, you may ask?

I hummed the Harry Potter theme tune.

I kid you not.

Harry Potter has been a massive part of my life since I was six years old and with that being said, it has become a way in which I was able to calm myself down. I downloaded the theme tune to my phone as well as watching the films on repeat (no change there!).

Fast toward to now, June 2019 and I can’t remember the last time I had a panic attack. There is always the odd anxious moment, especially in airports but aside from that – I’m 100% all good and I’ve never been happier.

There are several charities in which I donate money to – Macmillan, Marie Curie and Mind just to name a few. But during the next year, Nature’s Finest have set themselves an incredible goal of raising £25,000 for Mental Health UK.

They are donating 2p for every sold 700g jar of their fruit – you get to eat healthy as well as raising funds for an extremely worthy cause.

How will your donations help?

• £2 can pay for refreshments at a support group
• £5 can help to pay for promotional posts to be printed
• £10 can pay towards a Group Co-ordinator’s phone so they can be contactable 24/7
• £20 is how a room can be privately hired for two hours for people to talk or listen
• £30 can help to pay for Safeguard training
• £50 will go towards providing art materials such as colouring books, pencils etc.
• £57 can allow someone to have access to weekly support for 14 months
• £100 is how a group of people can visit a local attraction

Thank you to the wonderful teams at Nature’s Finest for bringing this amazing fundraising to my attention. I’m so pleased to be a part of something remarkable and life changing.

EL xx
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Disclaimer: These products were gifted to me in exchange for a blog post.

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