Why 13 Reasons Why is f***ing important and you should go and watch it now

Posted in Mental Health, Reviews by jennyinneverland

The world has been taken by storm with the new season, “13 Reasons Why” which was released on Netflix earlier this month. Based on the book by Jay Asher, 13 Reasons Why is about Hannah, who has committed suicide and has left behind tape recordings for her old friend, Clay, with the 13 reasons why she did it. In these tapes, she opens up to Clay about what was going on in her life, the people that have wronged her and the events which ultimately led up to her taking her own life. But it’s not all as it seems as these tapes have a far more profound effect on not just Clay but a whole group of kids from their school. Sounds good right? Sounds gripping and shocking? It is. It’s also the most important show I’ve ever watched in my life.

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Things to remember if you’re nervous in therapy

Posted in Mental Health, Reviews by jennyinneverland

I recently wrote a post on why I love therapy. But I’ve not always loved it. My first private therapy session was agony. I was super ill that day, I had a rotten cold, I’d been asleep practically all day and I woke up around 2 hours before I was due to leave and I felt really dizzy. I also couldn’t eat anything because I was so nervous and it was in the middle of summer and was boiling hot. So all around, a perfect cocktail for your very first therapy session with a brand new therapist. I have never felt nerves like that before, I literally couldn’t function. But coming out of that session an hour later, I felt like an entirely new person. Nervous? Me? Not a chance.

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17Mar2017

Therapy is awesome

Posted in Mental Health, Reviews by jennyinneverland

The longer I’ve been on social media, the more I’ve seen people open up and be honest about mental health. And that’s fantastic. And I’ve also seen people be more open about therapy and counselling for mental health conditions. I’ve had counselling and therapy and I’m a huge advocate for it too and it really pains me to hear that people don’t use it, for a variety of reasons, when they could potentially benefit so much. Obviously I’m not a professional but I want to talk about my personal relationship with therapy and why you absolutely shouldn’t be put off by it.

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10Mar2017

What My Generalised Anxiety Disorder Feels Like

Posted in Mental Health, Reviews by jennyinneverland

It’s a nice afternoon; you’re sitting on your bed, in your comfiest clothes and your fluffiest socks, doing some blogging or some online shopping or watching your favourite YouTubers. The dog is laying at your feet, sleeping peacefully, not making a sound but you can feel the weight of him against your leg and it’s a welcome comfort, knowing he’s there. You’re sipping on possibly the best cup of tea you’ve ever made yourself – way to go! And munching on your favourite snack; an apple pie or a bar of chocolate or maybe, because it’s that time of year, an Easter egg.

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18Feb2017

BLOG TOUR: Talking Anxiety With Cassandra Piat

Posted in Book Related Misc., Reviews by jennyinneverland

I’m taking part in the weekend blitz blog tour for Cassandra Piat’s, ‘Stuck With Me’ today and I’m delighted to share a guest post from Cassandra about anxiety; which as you may know, is a topic close to my heart and something I’m always happy and willing to talk about in the hope it may help someone else. So it’s over to you, Cassandra! And make sure you scroll to the bottom of the post to grab the information about Cassandra’s book. Continue reading →

4Jan2017

Looking After Your Mental Health in the New Year

Posted in Mental Health, Reviews by jennyinneverland

Going into a brand new year can be equally as exciting and scary. Who knows what it may bring? Will it be good or bad? Will you experience anything life-changing this year? A new year in front of us can be a daunting thing but it doesn’t have to be scary – and for people like me who suffer with anxiety and mental health problems, it can be a welcome sight to have a solid foundation on which to try and build a fresh start and a new mindset. I do tend to stray away from the, ‘new year, new me’ malarkey and I don’t believe we can truly start ‘new’ but I do believe we can improve ourselves and take active steps to do that and therefore, become healthier and happier people – both physically and mentally. But today, I want to focus on the mental side of that metaphorical coin and share my tips on how to look after your mental health in the new year.

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14Oct2016

How Books and Book Blogging Saved Me

Posted in Book Related Misc., Mental Health, Reviews by jennyinneverland

Warning: Very personal post coming up so if y’all not into that sorta thing then clear off. The other day (haha I say the other day but it was literally a month ago now) I had a bit of a rant / vent on Twitter. I mentioned that although I love lifestyle blogging and writing about a whole bunch of different topics, I feel sad sometimes that I’m not known solely as a “book blogger” anymore. For those who might be newer readers and followers of mine, my blog started as a book blog and only after a year or so did I venture into other topics. I was constantly reading, reviewing and in contact with authors and publsihers. It was wonderful. And although I still am to some extent (aside from my blog touring business which literally revolves around books), I can’t help but feel a bit distant from the book blogging community now.

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11Oct2016

My Response To a Very Stupid Question

Posted in Mental Health, Reviews by jennyinneverland

Is There Any Point of Getting Diagnosed if You Don’t Want Drugs for Treatment?

So I can’t quite believe that a question such as this even exists therefore I can’t quite believe I’m taking time out of my busy day to write a post and an answer to such a question. I saw this on Twitter, via Reddit or something (I’ve never used Reddit in my life) and it angered me so much that I felt compelled to write something about it. If you know me, you will know I rarely feel ‘angered’ to the point of going full on blog rant about something (the last time I did this was my post on What’s the Point of Book Reviews?) but this is something that needs to be addressed.

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31Jul2016

Guest Post: Coping With Anxiety in High School

Posted in Guest Posts, Mental Health, Reviews by jennyinneverland

As I’m walking through the crowd, I can feel my body starting to react; my heart is in my throat, my skin is crawling, my mouth is dry, my head is spinning and all I can think about is running, running, running away. But I can’t. I’m frozen to my place, terrified that one wrong move will draw attention. My eyes are darting from here to there, looking for threats. There are people all around me; laughing, talking, looking. Rationally, I know my reaction doesn’t make any sense. Rationally, I know there aren’t any real threats around. Rationally, I know it’s my anxiety acting up. Rationally, I know I need to calm down. But I also know that rationality and logic are useless against it. They do their best, but they never win. I put my hands in my pockets. With my shoulders bent and my head low, I walk away. I don’t look back.

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31Jul2016

Guest Post: Why It’s Important to Talk About Mental Health in YA

Posted in Guest Posts, Mental Health, Reviews by jennyinneverland

Young Adult novels aren’t just popular with teenagers, but with adults and pre-teens alike. For many younger readers, books are one way they learn about life – about relationships, sex, family issues, sexuality and gender… And with YA novels covering such a broad range of topics (including a wide variety of genres, protagonists, and diverse characters), why shouldn’t mental health make the list of Things That Should Be Included in YA?

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