The Easter prior to lockdown was a long sunny weekend. Families got together, couples went for romantic meals – I had nothing planned. I was just lay on my bed in my room listening to the parties outside and feeling a deep sense of regret that I not only didn’t
Dear friends, family and colleagues, Hello from a sparklingly frosty Staffordshire. I’m delighted to present issue 4 of Hopezine today, attached, which is hot off the press. You can buy yours today. And past issues as well as paintings can be brought here. In this special winter 2020 edition of
By GC In early June 2019, I came home from hospital without the twins I was expecting. My beautiful son and daughter were born alive, but too small to survive for long. I can’t find adequate words or phrases – in this language at least – to describe how dark
By Stevie Saranga One day a wandering holy-man, a mysterious mendicant visited our hill-top ashram. He had taken a vow of staying no longer than three days in any one place and like a bumble bee, travelled the earth taking a little nectar from each tiny flower, pollinating as he
By Erica Crompton Today, as coronavirus sweeps across the globe, everyone is staying at home and it feels like the playing field has evened out for people with severe mental illness (as well as the elderly and disabled). It’s made hermits of all of us. There are various things I
By Bhakti Vinode, Gardener (as seen in The Guardian) My story begins in London when I was 20 years old. Myself, and my new friend Glen were walking around the West end of London. We spent all of our money and Glen suggested we go to the Hare Krishna temple
By James Leftwich, CEO NoLongerLonely.com I’ve never tried to commit suicide. However I certainly have thought about it. I’m not a religious person but I do have a belief that life is quite precious and that abandoning it is something of a violation. Suicidality is a repudiation of long-term thinking.
Feeling low in lockdown? You’re not alone, as Editor Erica Crompton shares her nostalgic tragedy and urges readers to make the most of what they have Once upon a time, in a world where I had a secure job, partner and Herne Hill mansion; I had had a meeting with
By Rachel Melinek I watch on terrified. I can see a woman in white in the doorway holding a baby. The figure stands there looking at me, I’m so scared I run back to bed and put my head underneath the covers. Seeing the vision makes my ability to sleep
By Nutan Modha There are cold facts about ‘suffering’ with mental illness in this age. It’s a cruel and silent isolator. However, here we are in 2020, with Corvonavirus and the external world is on the brink of a shrinking populous, and mass isolation. News sources from MSM to independents
By Erica Crompton A very strange time for the whole of the world Testing times ahead! An ill-fated holiday yesterday evening And we could finally return to our beds But today has been quite wonderful Compared with recent times A bright spring day with fresh new growth On the trees
Many papers cover creativity and mental illness. Here, Hopezine Editor Erica Crompton delves into the discussion… Abstract Many papers have written about creativity and mental illness, and whether mental illnesses can improve creativity (Waddell, 1998). This report aims to address this conundrum. Furthermore, according to Waddell, there are limited scientific
Child of the world, María Llewellyn, suffered sleepless nights and self-doubt until losing a loved one to suicide prompted her to see a therapist and learn to love herself.
By Hopezine’s Editor, Erica Crompton “Ever since I was a child, I’ve had an appreciation of antiques. I grew up with parents who loved car boot sales, charity shops and all things vintage (before it became cool). More recently, I’d brought myself a tiny, white cottage in a little village
Author Graham Morgan tells of his life and small wonders that help keep him sane and breathe much love into his life… Graham Morgan is the Author of START – a memoir of love and compulsory treatment for mental illness, Twitter: @GrahamM23694298; Facebook: Graham Morgan – Author. Image: The boat
By Divya Modha The fluid undertones of the first few bars had me captivated. It’s make or break, I know then if I should listen or skip to the next tune. An impressive intro makes me believe, and feel like a hip-hop head produced and wrote this EP with friends
Music speaks to Corin Liall Douieb AKA The Last Skeptik. In Issue 2 of Hopezine, the rapper relays how different genres of song have helped with his anxiety, self-harm and depression.… Making and listening to music has helped me in so many different ways during my life. From the big
When I started CFT (Compassion Focussed Therapy) I had been referred for my ‘low-mood’ which I had felt was like a separate depression to my schizoaffective disorder. One of the side effects of taking a high dose of anti-psychotics is that I get very tired. Imagine for a minute, if
“In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.” – Albert Camus. For me, the invincible summer can be found in Lesmahagow, some 25 minutes south-east of Glasgow, just off the M74, writes ERICA CROMPTON. Here I discovered a spiritual eco-farm retreat through Worldwide Opportunities for
Yoga requires a few things that impact and reduce your stress level, says CHERYL MACDONALD, and the first stress-reducing component is breathing. When we become calm, this stabalizes the functioning of the mind. Many yoga styles have a structured breathing protocol. When you focus on your breathing, it automatically
It took writer RUBY C a few minutes walking up and down the same street, Google Maps in hand, to find Master Oh’s Jung Shim studio, discreetly tucked away behind the sensory onslaught that is Oxford Street, the throbbing loins of the West End. But when she found this hidden
I’ve had a tough 12 months and my anxiety has been so bad I’ve ended up in hospital for one night last month, writes Hopezine editor Erica Crompton… “When I heard from the PR from Faye’s Fitness in Wirral my ears pricked up. We all know that exercise is good
