Tag Archives: howareyoureally?

As summer draws to a close…

As I write, our late summer break is drawing to a close. Mick and I have spent the past few days at our son’s home in South Devon. It has been a lovely opportunity to slow down, reflect and recharge our batteries before we embark on the busy times ahead of us. As always, the […]

You’ve got this

  I wrote this specifically for a young woman who is really struggling this week, but I’ve put it here because I believe it sentiments can be applied to so many of us at the moment, including myself. You’ve got this   It may not feel that way today, But I know you’ve got this. […]

‘Secrets’

This week I am publishing one of the most difficult letters I have ever chosen to write. Please note that I used the word ‘chosen’. Much of the subject on my ‘Secrets’ page is about things I have been coerced or even forced into. To write this letter last year was my choice. It was […]

The dreaded ‘R’ word

🖤🖤 ‘Secrets behind the collar’ is my story. It is the account of the traumatic events not only of 2020, but also of the abuse suffered during my childhood and teenage years.  If you are reading my ‘Secrets’ blog for the first time, you may wish to go back and begin reading from where my […]

A means of escape…

🖤🖤 ‘Secrets behind the collar’ is my story. It is the account of the traumatic events not only of 2020, but also of the abuse suffered during my childhood and teenage years.  If you are reading my ‘Secrets’ blog for the first time, you may wish to go back and begin reading from where my […]

Being honest with yourself is the start…

  It has been a challenging week for me, which is why my post is later than usual. I have struggled and I feel that I need to reiterate that have not written and shared my story (Secrets behind the collar) for any shock value, neither have I shared it to evoke any particular reaction. […]

A horrible legacy

🖤🖤 ‘Secrets behind the collar’ is my story. It is the account of the traumatic events not only of 2020, but also of the abuse suffered during my childhood and teenage years.  If you are reading my ‘Secrets’ blog for the first time, you may wish to go back and begin reading from where my […]

Beginning difficult conversations

The idea of beginning difficult conversations is being promoted daily by the BBC. The phase can be seen regularly between programmes and follows documentaries where celebrities such as Freddie Flintoff and Nadiya Hussain, who both feature in the advert, have opened up frankly and honestly about their own mental health struggles. For years, mental health […]

Traumatic memories and Night Terrors

My ‘Secrets’ blog is a serialisation of my story. You may want to first go back to read previous weeks’ accounts 🖤 May 2020 Two months into lockdown. We are all fit and well again. We’ve turned the dining room into a makeshift gym. Dad now has a care package in place, which includes three […]

Challenges and hitches can be overcome

This week I met in person with a friend for the first time since before Christmas. We went for a walk and a good catch up. Over the intervening months we have shared the odd text, but nothing to alert me to the fact that she was lower than low. I must admit that I […]