Holly McCormack
M
EDITORIAL
ental Health is slowly but surely becoming less taboo in society . Thanks to many initiatives including the ‘ See me campaign ’ and ’ Choose Life .’ I think that it ’ s great that the Scottish Governernment are committed to reducing stigma towards mental illness and also to reduce the amount of suicide in Scotland .
It ’ s not just the Government though who have been making strides in this area , a lot of credit needs to also go to the mental health charities like SAMH and Pnenumbra who are giving back across a variety of services from crisis support to working with addictions .
Let ’ s talk recovery
for contributors for the next edition of this magazine , and I hope ‘ mental matters ’ can grow .
I can only do so much myself but this is only the start of an exciting journey . Please send any feedback or suggestions for the next edition to random _ hollz @ hotmail . com
The Scottish people are renowned for being story-tellers . In this magazine , I want to share the stories that recovery is possible , recovery will happen and highlight it ’ s important to share our stories .
Of course , there is still a long way to go and I ’ m hoping that with the launch of this magazine : we can as a nation collectively do our own bit to reduce stigma and raise awareness .
Nobody chooses to be physically ill and likewise mental illness is no different . I ’ m looking
At my lowest point , I thought I ’ d never get better , but with a little bit of hope - I do believe again .
Holly McCormack
4
WHAT IS SCOTLAND ’ S MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID ?
Independent trainer Amanda O�Connell talks about her career change
CONTENTS
6
8
10
11
RECOVERY FEATURE
Beth Burgess talks of hope and recovery from alcoholism and BPD
A SOCIAL NETWORK
Is social media a help or a hinderance towards our mental health ?
MENTAL HEALTH NEWS / LETTER TO THE EDITOR
News from across Scotland / Comment from the readers
REVIEW
A look back at Taking Over the Asylum