Stories

Gavin's story: running from the black dog

Gavin has experienced depression for many years and has unexpectedly become a keen runner. He slowly learned to become open about both his mental health and how running helps him to manage this.

My scars: journey to body acceptance

Sylvia Mac is a child burns survivor who created Love Disfigure, a community that raises awareness and support to those living with hidden & visible differences, bodily & facial. She wants to tell you about her journey to finding body acceptance.

Kyle Burgess

Kyle Burgess from the band 'We Came From Wolves' talks to us about why music and creativity are so important for his mental health, and how music keeps him feeling alive.

Tom's Interactive Dungeons & Dragons Livestream

Tom Graeme-Drury held an interactive Dungeons & Dragons livestream to raise money during Mental Health Awareness Week.

Katie's story: body image after pregnancy

Katie found it hard when her body started to change during pregnancy and a traumatic birth saw her struggling to accept the amount of time it took to get back to 'normal' physically. However, after a few months she found she emerged with a new sense of pride and identity in her new body as a mum.

Mohammed’s story: watching my body change with age

Mohammed talks about noticing changes in his body as he ages. He also talks about how other people's perceptions of him as he ages, alongside cultural pressures can have a negative impact on how he feels.

Iain's story: the pressure to look a certain way

Iain was about 15 when he first started to notice a pressure to look a certain way, this led him to start comparing himself against his peers at school and had a negative impact on his mental health.

Frances' story: how I think and feel about my body

Frances talks to us about the way she thinks and feels about her body and how this impacts her mental health. Feeling comfortable in her own skin is something that she rarely feels but has learnt to allow herself to do.

Rachael's story: I've always been curvy and felt a bit different

Rachael has always been curvy and felt a bit different. Moving into her 30s she is starting to feel more comfortable in her own skin and wants to spread the message that it is important to unlearn the negative things we were taught about body image and to move towards self-love.

Lucy's story: confident and comfortable

Lucy talks to us about what it is like to be a teenager today and talk about body image. She doesn’t find it easy to put down on paper what she feels in her head about the image she has of her body.