Insights into Mental Illness

By Catie Nettlinham, author of Her Patient Fight

As I begin to write this article, I look out the large window in my family home on the hill. The grey sky lies heavily on the neighbouring roofs. Rain constantly drizzles. I see puddles around their gutters. Winter has truly set in. Unfortunately so many cannot keep out the cold. This kind of severe weather moves from one home to the next, freezing their lives for a long while.

This is exactly why I have written Her Patient Fight.

It is not only because I have lived in the black fog for years, yes, even on the hill, but for those in the thick of it now. This beautiful storm I am talking about is mental illness. So many people in New Zealand and across the globe are impacted by mental disorders, both directly and indirectly (seeing it in someone you love). I wrote my book so others feel less alone, and the community can gain insight into the mind of someone who has lived with poor mental health. Unintentionally I accumulated written poems of my journey. This healed me. I spread these to help others and radiate hope as everyone deserves to get through their hard times.

My book Her Patient Fight is broken up into five sections.

‘The Story’ is the first part of my book, explaining that I had a lovely childhood and teenage years but how life took a huge turn after leaving high school and heading down to the South Island for university, in the hall of residence. Mental illness does not discriminate, it can impact anyone and everyone. We all have mental health we must look after. One in four New Zealanders develop some form of mental illness for various reasons: trauma, genetics, environment/huge change, bullying etc. For me it was most unexpected. I don’t like to be misunderstood with my illness as I am a real human being, with a real story, who once was very well and will be very well again.

‘The Wave,’ the second part in my book, is all about what it’s truly like living with my type 1 bipolar disorder (including depression and anxiety) and what I have learnt through this adversity. It is important to read this section with an open mind and listen for the hope threaded throughout.

Thirdly and arguably the most important section of recognition in this book is ‘The People.’ My family and my loved ones saved my life. Without them I would not be looking out this window now, breathing in the smell of passing winter. Just like them, you may have someone in your life you have noticed is a bit off, a bit quiet, a bit lazy, a bit excited, or a bit different to their normal. You can save their life too. It takes a village of people to fight a mental illness. Jump on the roller coaster, it’s worth it a thousand times over if it brings health to a life.

How To Help Loved Ones

I would like to take this opportunity to explain what the best ways are that people supported me, and how you could also support someone in your life. Ultimately I just wanted someone to understand me but that was very hard as no support person in my life could hold up an x-ray to the thoughts in my mind. Therefore the best thing is actually to show empathy. Just be there. Walk beside them. Importantly, encourage them to seek professional help if you see them battling. Then continue to follow them on their recovery, go to the appointments, be a listening ear, help with the daily tasks, pick up the pieces as someone needs to be there to do that. As I said before, it does take a village during this roaring storm because lots of people find it hard to deal with it for their own reasons. That is okay. As long as you do your bit to care when you can. Here is a tip, doing something to show compassion is better than overthinking and doing nothing. Even if it’s a simple text, but remember the person is not in a good place so may receive it but not reply. At least you’ve shown them you have taken a seat right next to them for when they are ready to look up.

The following section ‘The Ride’ is all about recovering from mental illness and how it’s not a linear process. but what helped me on my recovery. The fourth section, ‘The Reason’, is really about finding what is important to you, giving yourself purpose and a solid foundation to be the best person you can be. Finally ‘The Rise,’ is my favourite section, saved for last. This is all about inspiration. Hope is dominant in this section. The good thing about this poetry book is you can take it at your own pace, focusing on what speaks to you and moving on from poems you don’t connect with.

My aim for the book is for people to come back to it when they feel like they need to relate to something or remind themselves there is hope. It is not a read once move on kind of story. It is a journey, my journey in finding health. Health is the most important thing in this world, if you don’t realise that, you are lucky but mislead. Her Patient Fight is well worth the read, even to open your mind to the world many in this country feel locked in. ‘Hardship to hope’ is my line, and I hope this message is spread wide and far, touching all lives. Lastly as I listen to the wind howling I do wish to say to those struggling there is hope, storms do pass, and your mind will be set free.