Euripidis: Why did you start blogging?

Addy: In March 2007 I suffered a nervous breakdown following; being diagnosed with cancer, losing my girlfriend, college course, income and friends all in the space of ten days. Following the breakdown the rest of my life collapsed and the mental illnesses (depression, self harm, social anxiety) I'd been fighting all my life resurfaced. After two failed suicide attempts, the diagnosis of bipolar and being homeless, friendless and moneyless I decided to start a blog. The blog began in October 2007 and was started in an effort to record every detail of my life in raw, brutal honesty in an effort to add to the fight against the stigma of mental illness - a stigma so prevalent around the world it needs a damn good spanking or two. Mental illness is destroying lives, and more people need to talk about it; as only through talk can we really learn about each other.


Euripidis: The top 3 blogs you read?

Addy: I love reading Pole to Polar, A Very Quiet Mind and Imperfect Clarity. Of course there are many others and many genres of blogs I read, it depends on what mood I'm in and what/who I fancy. These three blogs though are written so well, and are so entertaining, emotional and powerful they're worth every second I spend there.


Euripidis: The top 3 post you write?

Addy: My top 3 posts. Oooo, that's a toughie. To go for the ones which spring straight off the top of my head it would be:
i. My War against Mental Illness (because it was the first post, and written before the blog began, and was the inspiration behind it's commencement)
ii. (Some) True Confessions of a Self Harmer (because it's such a misunderstood condition and it's desperately important people start understanding self harm more)
and
iii Emotional Abuse (because it happens so frequently and no-one ever really realises or acknowledges the damage it can do)
If you were to ask me that tomorrow though, I'd probably change my mind and go for a few others.


Euripidis: Where do you get your inspiration from to write?

Addy: A lot of the time it's down to my mood. Suffering from bipolar has a lot of control over my life, if I'm in a deeply depressed episode it's difficult to find the confidence to write even a few words let alone an entire post. Whereas if I'm in a manic or mixed episode the posts fly thick and fast and can be about anything; although if I'm in a manic phase there's often a degree of sensuality dripping through the posts due to my increased state of randiness! :p
Basically I will write about what I want to write about at the time; whether it be monologues about my history of self harm, my admiration and fascination of women's posteriors, my suicide attempts or ribald ways in which we can combat depression/mental illness. The inspiration comes from me, my emotions, my passions and my cravings.


Euripidis: Choose one word to describe your blog?

Addy: Whether anyone would agree, I'd go with "brave". Some of the posts may not be well written, but they're all written from the heart, and there's so much of "me" in there sometimes I question how insane I really am. There's not a lie to be found, so to open myself up so much is either incredibly stupid, or incredibly brave, I choose to opt for the latter :)