Monday Motivation

Hi Guys!

So for my Monday Motivation feature I've decided to share with you all some feel good stories from the previous week. I will look through new articles and pick one each week that has made me feel good about the world we live in.

So this is the first instalment.

Enjoy & be happy.

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'I finally got to thank the man who saved my life'

After his "Find Mike" campaign, Jonny Benjamin is reunited with the man who talked him down off Waterloo Bridge six years ago

A remarkable reunion took place this week in a room above a pub in Vauxhall, central London. It was the first time that Jonny Benjamin and Neil Laybourn had met in six years. Back on that cold, rainy January day, the two young men had only spoken to each other for about 25 minutes. But they were the 25 minutes that saved Benjamin’s life.

Laybourn, walking across Waterloo Bridge on his way to work on January 14, 2008, had stopped Benjamin from committing suicide. On Tuesday Benjamin was able finally to thank him.

“At first I was so overwhelmed. I just went up and gave him a hug,” says Benjamin, 26. “There were so many different emotions, I couldn’t grasp them at first. But we sat down and he began to talk and I could see his mannerisms, and I heard his voice. Only then did I recall those same mannerisms and voice from the bridge.

“Out of nowhere, I suddenly pictured him trying to persuade me not to jump.”

Moving reunion: Jonny Benjamin, left, with Neil Laybourn, who persuaded him not to commit suicide

Since that horrific day, Benjamin had mostly blanked its events from his mind. He was nervous, indeed, that he would not even recognise the stranger who had stopped and listened. All he could remember about him was that he was white, that he had hair, that he said “things can get better”, and that he suggested the pair go for a coffee.

Laybourn, a personal trainer, could remember Benjamin very well, however. He had often wondered what had happened after the young man, then just 20, whom he had talked to and tried to keep calm until the police, called by another bystander, had bundled him into a car and taken him to hospital.

“But I never followed it up. I sort of thought the police would contact me,” says Laybourn, now 31. “I had no idea what had happened to him. I wondered if he had got over it, or whether he had gone back and that day had made no difference.”

And then, two weeks ago, Benjamin – with the help of the Rethink Mental Illness charity – launched a campaign to “Find Mike”, his nickname for the stranger. Doing so, he decided, would not only allow him to “close the door on that chapter of my life”, but also help to generate more interest in mental health issues.

The campaign spread quickly thanks to social media. Within two days, Laybourn’s fiancée saw the story on Facebook and immediately knew her partner was “Mike”.

A meeting was quickly arranged. Benjamin admits that he was “petrified” about the encounter, but Laybourn was excited. Their hug lasted for some time; so, too, did the talking – despite meeting in a pub, the two never even got around to having a drink.

“I have thought about him a lot for the last six years,” says Benjamin. “It was a pivotal moment in helping me to get better. I’ve always wanted to say 'thank you’.”

For Laybourn, there was likewise a sense of resolution. “Watching Jonny get some closure was really nice. Seeing him be able to express his gratitude was the best thing. That was why I was there.”

He found, too, that Benjamin is now an engaging and animated young man who works as a charity campaigner. Indeed, it is hard to imagine that he lives with a chronic schizoaffective disorder, which means he is prone to deep depressions and paranoia. “I am in a good place,” Benjamin says. “I am able now to talk about this. It’s a massive issue: 16 people every day take their own lives. Suicide is the biggest killer among young men.”

His own troubles leading up to his suicide attempt were acute. He grew up in a middle-class Jewish household and had done well at school. But from the age of 11 he started hearing voices in his head, which became progressively sinister. Added to this, he genuinely believed – after watching The Truman Show – that he was being filmed and monitored every minute of the day by hidden cameras.

Too ashamed to admit to the voices in his head, he was never properly diagnosed until he was 20.

Today, a mixture of medication, physical exercise, cognitive therapy exercises and mindfulness – a technique focusing on living in the present – helps him keep on top of his condition, he says. “There are thousands of people going to work every day, having functioning lives, with schizophrenia. You can have a normal life.”

The Samaritans charity is nervous that his tale may glamorise Laybourn’s intervention; most suicide attempts are not averted by guardian angels.

But Benjamin says: “I am not trying to romanticise this. I was very fortunate someone came along. The point is, there is always support out there. Having someone able to listen – over the phone, by email, or face-to-face – can make such a difference.”

For his part, Laybourn says he had no option but to act. “I saw him from far away on the bridge; it clicked immediately why he was there. I didn’t think I would reach him first, because a lot of people were going by. No one stopped; hardly anyone looked. It was obvious he needed help.”

Both men say they will keep in touch. “We really got on,” says Benjamin. “We’re finally going to have that coffee.”

This article was written by Harry Wallop from the Telegraph.

It's these kind of stories that, amongst the doom and gloom that the news normally brings, restores faith in humanity. 
I hope this has cheered up your Monday.

Stay Safe
Paige 
xo

Tattoo acceptance

Tattoos have such as bad reputation, even in this day and age when tattoos are a lot more common, people still tend to shy away from those with tattoos. A few stereotypes are thugs, rough, a member of a gang, been in prison. The fact of the matter is a lot of people with tattoos are none of those things.

I have 7 tattoos. I am not threatening in anyway. My tattoos aren't a waste of money. Each one represents something very important to me.

This is my name in Japanese (Katakana). This was the first tattoo I got.

My nan passed away 3 years ago. Her ashes were scattered under a cherry blossom tree. I loved her very much and still do.

This is a heartagram (nothing to do with the devil!). Its the sign used for the band H.I.M. Both I and my fiancé have this tattoo. It means a lot.

These roses are for my mum. She loves flowers so I got these to show her my love and appreciation.

This says Megan, Luke and Jake. My little sister and 2 little brothers.

This is my latest tattoo. My great grandma died not long ago from cancer. My nan also died from cancer and the majority of the people I have lost have had cancer. This is a cancer ribbon mixed with the norse sign for family. This is my favourite.

My fiancé gets tattoos just because he likes how they look and that's perfectly fine, but just because people don't have the same tastes as him or because his tattoos are extensive people tend to steer clear of him regardless of the fact that he is the nicest man I've ever met.

I honestly believe that unless your tattoos are offensive or obscene that you shouldn't have to cover your tattoos whether for a job or school or just because they aren't to others tastes. Tattoos are a part of an individual. They are creative and expressive. To some they tell their personal stories. To others they are art.

I suppose just don't judge a book by it's cover.

Stay safe,

Paige xo

Lets talk depression..

Depression and anxiety is an illness very close to my heart as I myself suffer with it. 

A lot of people don't view depression as a mental illness. I get it I didn't either until I was diagnosed. I felt hopeless most of the time. It took all of me to get out of bed some days. I thought constantly about suicide. The little voice in my head telling me I was worthless and that no one cared if I did die. Sometimes it would feel like the voices weren't just in my head and that I could actually hear them. It only made the already sleepless nights worse. I would cry endlessly and feel like there was no way out of the despair I was hounded by. Even though everyday was a constant struggle I still managed to pull myself together and go to college and work because I knew that if I didn't try things would only get worse.

 I was diagnosed at 19 and was told that I'd had severe depression and anxiety from a young age. At first I couldn't take it in. I wasn't behaving out of character, I didn't self-harm and I was still managing to get out of bed. I saw three health and mental health professionals before I realised that the sooner I accepted my diagnoses, the sooner I could start getting better, or at least coping with my illness. I saw a mental health nurse every 2 weeks to discuss how I was feeling and progress I had made. My doctor put me on antidepressants which was very daunting for me; I'd never had to be on long-term tablets before, especially ones that are so easy for you to develop and addiction to. 

For a while things got worse, increased suicidal thoughts, no sleep at all and crying constantly. I couldn't focus on anything no matter how much I tried, college work seemed to get away from me. Eventually things got better, I was signed off from sessions and my tablets ended. Things were looking up.

A couple of months later I suffered a panic attack. My first big panic attack. This sent me back into depression so again I was put back on the antidepressants. I soon realised that this was an illness I would never get rid of. I'd had it for so long that it had somehow formed a part of my personality.

Now: Things are good. I haven't had a big panic attack in months. I haven't been on antidepressants in months. 

Having a mental illness is not the end of the world. You just need to learn how it works and how it affects you.

I'm not a doctor or a medical professional in anyway but if you may have any questions about depression and anxiety, don't hesitate to ask.

Stay safe,

Paige xo