A story of mental illness from graduate, James Lindsay
This Mental Health Awareness Week, we speak with 2011 BA (Hons) Business Administration graduate, James Lindsay.
From breakdown to recovery then combining his passions of marketing and mental health, James shares his advice to anyone struggling with mental illness or disorders.
Learn how James befriended his brain and made it out the other side. All the while, finding a new career path:
My first episode of psychosis happened in September 2016. The trigger was things ending with a previous partner. In the lead-up, I didn’t feel like I was ill at all – there was no self-awareness. It’s difficult to sum up how it felt in a nutshell. In my head, I had unlimited energy and creativity. But this was deceiving because to other people, I was talking fast and rambling without making much sense.
Two weeks later, I was sectioned and these feelings turned to terror, confusion and panic, but I was on a path to recovery. At first, it was slow and difficult. I was depressed believing there wasn’t a light at the end of the tunnel.
I was so lucky to have such a great support network, including great friends I met during my first year of university. Everyone was there for me when I needed them. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without their support - they are the reason I never gave up on myself.
I was in hospital for a month but soon after, I found a new purpose in life - reading and blogging about mental health. To this day, I find writing very therapeutic.
The writing skills I developed whilst at University have helped my career. I feel so lucky, I get to use my writing skills and share my lived experience of mental illness.
My psychosis led to the career I’m in today. Before my first episode, I was not particularly passionate about mental health. When I recovered, I discovered an enormous sense of purpose to help others, raise awareness and end stigma because my mental illness is something I would not wish on my worst enemy.
I work as the Senior Marketing Officer for Hertfordshire Mind Network - it’s the best job I’ve ever had. My day-to-day tasks include updating the website, managing social media accounts, producing an internal staff newsletter and marketing materials such as leaflets and posters, and attending local mental health events.
The writing skills I developed whilst at University have helped my career. I feel so lucky, I get to use my writing skills and share my lived experience of mental illness. We are such an important charity making a huge difference to Hertfordshire residents, so I’m proud to be a part of that.
If anyone with mental health illnesses were to ask for my advice, I’d say to not keep any suffering to yourself.
I was very comforted after reading mental illness memoirs. They made me realise I was not alone and that it was ok to be unwell. Also that people can recover and live the same lives as people who aren’t mentally ill. So, I decided to write my own.
‘Befriending my Brain: A Psychosis Story’ is the book I’ve published. The title perfectly sums up my journey. Unfortunately, my psychosis came as a result of leaving stress and anxiety struggles untreated which led to that first episode. But with the help of medication, therapy and writing, I’m now out the other side and much happier. I wanted to share my story and help others who are experiencing the same thing.
The launch has been an incredible journey, I’ve had amazing feedback and conversations, as well as plenty of 5-star reviews which have justified my decision to write the book. It’s been within the top 100 of the ‘mood disorders’ category on Amazon a few times too.
Unfortunately, I did relapse at one point but I generally feel confident about avoiding future episodes. I’ve definitely learnt to no longer take my mental health for granted.
I now take medication every evening in the form of an antipsychotic called Quetiapine. It calms my mind of racing thoughts and allows me to have a good quality sleep, pretty much every night. I’ve also had cognitive behavioural theory (CBT) through the NHS which I would highly recommend. I stay well through a mixture of exercise, a healthy diet and writing which my job helps with too.
If anyone with a mental health illness were to ask for my advice, I’d say to not keep any suffering to yourself. If you can befriend your mental health struggles and treat them as an ally, instead of an enemy, even better. Try to learn more about it and meet people going through something similar. There are lots of groups on social media so you’ll be able to find supportive people around you.
I am determined to get conditions like psychosis and schizoaffective disorder more coverage and awareness. The warning signs are not sleeping, talking very fast, changing subjects randomly, being delusional and experiencing a different reality from those around you. As well as potentially being more emotional and spontaneous.
It’s great that the theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is anxiety. In the future, I’d love for the theme to be a mood disorder or psychotic condition. We need more people to know about them and offer support for individuals, or people they know, going through it.
In terms of the future, I have a lot to look forward to. I’m really excited to get married in October 2023 and we’d love to get a house and start a family too. I am keen on the idea of getting a second book published and doing even more mental health work especially in blogs, podcasts and further media coverage. I want to do as much as I can.
Purchase James’ book in paperback or ebook via Amazon, Waterstones and TriggerHub. There is also a copy available at the University of Portsmouth Library.