Being a Father by Johnny Hunt   See Change Ambassador, Johnny Hunt, shares his experiences of fatherhood as a person who also experiences a mental health difficulty.   If you are having a tough time at the moment and need to reach out for support, please contact any of the following Shine: phil@shine.ie Samaritans: 116123...Read More

    Men’s Health Week  by Adrian Yeates As a man in his fifties, I sometimes find myself rather confused about who I really am. It’s not my age per se that is at issue, but rather the shifting sands of what it is to be a man in modern society.   During my upbringing in...Read More

72% of people say they would not want to live with someone with a severe and enduring mental illness Almost three quarters (72%) of people say they would not want to live with someone with a severe and enduring mental illness, despite the majority (75%) saying they don’t know what a severe and enduring mental...Read More

Let’s talk about: Ridicule, judgement and rejection This week we are looking at the shame triggers that are ridicule, judgement and rejection. Shame triggers are moments that cause you to feel shame. They can be caused by another person or circumstance, or by perceived shame, which is when you believe that you have been shamed...Read More

There has been a large spike in the stigmatising language being used by the Irish media in the last month. That’s according to Headline, our sister project at Shine, and Ireland’s national programme for responsible reporting and representation of mental health.  Headline found that 44% of stigmatising language use since 24th February is related to...Read More

Shame, the constant companion  by Lucie Kavanagh One day last week, I was struggling with anxiety to the extent that I didn’t pick up the phone and organise my monthly prescription. I hadn’t run out yet and I told myself it could wait. Unfortunately, by the time I got around to it, my GP was...Read More

Shame  by Daniela Ferro   When I was 18, I went through an episode of Psychosis. I was in a mental health ward for two weeks and after a relapse recovered at my family’s house for a few more weeks. After that, I was in the great care of my Psychiatrist who explained to me...Read More

 Food By Lucie Kavanagh “Listen to the people who love you. Believe that they are worth living for even when you don’t believe it. Seek out the memories depression takes away and project them into the future. Be brave; be strong; take your pills. Exercise because it’s good for you even if every step weighs...Read More

     It’ a Shame By Adrian Yeates   Oh my God, how did it get to this? How did things get so bad, what did I miss? I can’t believe how quickly I’ve gone to pot, Why didn’t I do more to stop the rot? I’m a total failure, an imposter, a charlatan! To...Read More