Winston Churchill famously suffered with crippling bouts of depression. He was frequently confined to his bed, his energy depleted and his appetite lost. It was Churchill who likened the illness to a black dog. Since then, the expression has been used by the mental health charity, Sane, and their great work of depicting depression as [...]

When we’re deep in the well of sadness or depression, we often don’t feel like doing very much at all. We might find ourselves sitting on our sofas with nagging thoughts which flit from great pain to then great angst at all the things we need to do. The anxiety begins to pull at your [...]

My Nannie smelt lovely, layers of floral talcum powder, spearmint and Pears soap. Her bungalow was pristine - she was very much the homemaker. It smelt lovely, too, as did her baking and her much cherished garden. Staying with her was a real treat for the nose with the delicious aroma of homemade cakes and [...]

When we’re lost in pain, sadness, or depression, it’s really hard to distinguish our emotions. We often feel simply numb. For me, it’s as though I have a form of pins and needles that are all-consuming, and given the choice, there are many days when I’d simply like to stay in bed. However, like most [...]