I’ve really struggled with my mental health in the last few days. The days and evenings have all been tough. So here’s a video and photo update from Nick, Dylan & Russell, my Bengal cats:
Nick says Hello, with the cutest meow ever. Video taken a couple of months ago.
A photo of each of them, taken yesterday:
Nick, my black Bengal kitten, he wouldn’t take his eyes off me, I think I was being stalked :P.
Dylan always seems grumpy, well when one looks at his face anyway. He looks like an eternal pessimist.
Russell with the big eyes. He knows how to use those eyes to make all that see him give him attention and fall in love with him.
Despite what people say about cats being independent and not really caring about their owners, apart from for food; my cats have been a great comfort to me. Indeed Dylan, the grumpiest looking one of the bunch seems to be able to sense I’m struggling. He comes over to check on me and rubs up against me. Not his usual behaviour. I think it’s his version of a hug and saying he cares.
At the weekend, I bought a playmate for my two Bengal cats. His name is Nicholas (Nick) for short. He’s a black Bengal, which are incredibly rare, apparently 1 in 10,000. Here are some photos:
Nicholas (or Nick) my black Bengal kitten.
Nicholas’ space, only lasted a couple of hours.
Nicholas’ was about to jump over the wall I’d made. This meant he needed constant monitoring. I felt like a guard in the Night’s Watch in The Game of Thrones.
Nicholas rubbing against his cat tree.
Nicholas playing (1).
Nicholas playing (2).
Introducing him to the boys and the household has not been without tension. Dylan has begun hissing at Russ and Nick. Russ hisses back. Dylan and Russell are litter mates and have always been together. However they are slowly getting used to each other.
It has made me super anxious, as I’ve never introduced a new kitten to a household with cats. But having read around on the Internet and spoken with others that have introduced new kittens to cat households, all seems to be going really well.
My first batch of 13 paperback copies. They have all been signed and sent out to people.. More have been ordered.
This is a general life update. As most of you will be aware my new book Mental Health Wisdom has been released. It was due to be released in May, but was moved forward due to the way Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing Works. I realised that it is also available on Amazon internationally. You can learn more here here.
The whole process of writing, editing and publishing the book has been a huge learning curve. It’s awesome to see my own work in print. I feel really happy and very proud of myself.
I’ve managed to get my book on Goodreads. I’ve reached out to some bloggers who have agreed to review my book. I now need to get some reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.
As I spent the end of last year and the beginning of this year working on my book, I’ve used the time since to catch up with family and friends. I’ve met with my mum and she’s shared her excitement about going to Thailand and Cambodia. My brother Shaun and his girlfriend are adding to our family. My brother Neil and his fiancee are excited about a move.
My friend Kay has shared her experiences from a recent trip to Australia. A family I’m close to (they have all but practically adopted me!) have shared stories of their children and grandchildren. My friend Sye shared that he has passed his theory driving test.
There’s been so much going on for the people that I love and it’s all positive. It is wonderful to hear.
My iPhone 6 Plus had fingerprints on the camera that no amount of lens cleaning would remove. The battery was beginning to die. This is the second iPhone I’ve had in two years and I really look after my stuff. So I decided to upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy S10+:
Samsung Galaxy S10+ SmartPhone.
This phone is superb. The only annoyance is that often the fingerprint scanner doesn’t recognise my fingers. Here are some features on the phone:
A massive screen.
A long-lasting battery and fast charging.
Three camera lenses on the back and two on the front.
A sensor that can detect you heart rate, the oxygen saturation in your tissue and levels of stress.
It was quick and easy to transfer my data (contacts, photos, music, calendars) from my iPhone to the S10+. In fact Samsung has an app that does it all for you.
The settings make the phone highly customisable. You can download full themes, or just wallpapers and icons.
All Apps available on iPhones are available in either the Google Play Store or Galaxy Store.
It has plenty of RAM.
A huge amount of storage, the amount customisation on order. It can also be extended by Micro SD.
It can be wirelessly charged and can be used to wirelessly charge other devices.
Has a headphone jack.
Dual speakers that are really loud.
Affordable accessories made by third parties.
The list could go on.
I’ve planned and booked my annual leave off work until the end of January. I am in the process of make plans for my time off.
After Life by Ricky Gervais is on Netflix and a must watch.
I’ve been enjoying Star Trek Discovery on Netflix. I also watched After Life written by and staring Ricky Gervais.
After Life is a must watch. It’s about a man (Gervais) whose wife dies due to cancer. It is about how he deals with the loss and gets on the path to contentedness.
After Life is funny, pulls at your heart strings and is overall brilliant. The ending felt rushed, but the reasons for this are understandable.
Finally, I’ve recently had feedback from a 360° online anonymised questionnaire as part of a Leadership Programme at work. This questionnaire was sent to a wide range of people that I work with. I don’t discuss work on my blog. But I will say that it was hugely positive, with only a few minor areas for improvement. This affirms my beliefs that I am good at my job and perform well.
Every aspect of the book has been created with a reader who is struggling with depression in mind.
This book is written as if the author is having a conversation with the reader.
The book is short, a total of 114 pages, as are the chapters, which is intentional as a symptom of depression is having a limited concentration span.
The short chapters mean that the book is easy to dip in and out of. Depressive Illness covers a lot and doesn’t waste a single word.
The book covers:
What depression really is and the historic diagnosis and treatment of depression.
What causes depression.
What the clinical research around depression says.
Managing and treatment options for depression.
Recovery and staying well in the future.
The politics of depression – why we as a society need to be more open, honest and have dialogue about it.
Cantopher’s believes that if you have done too much, been too strong and tried too hard for too long it will lead to clinical depression. This isn’t a failing in the person, in fact quite the opposite.
It’s a wonder that anyone can be so strong for so long. This approach is very empowering for the individual with depression and very true to real life. It is often those that just keep going, those that are there for everyone else who eventually burn out and find themselves in the unpleasant land of clinical depression.
I read this book during a severe episode of clinical depression and was able to do so, by using the chapters to do little and often.
Depressive Illness – The Curse of the Strong is an essential book around clinical depression and should be read by all those interested in mental health and mental illness. For health professionals – particularly in the mental health and illness field this book should be required reading.
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