Hi! It’s Maddy here, the new Digital Media intern for Mind Waves. I’ll be running the social media accounts at Mind Waves and writing blog posts to update you all on positive mental health news whilst also sharing the personal stories of our wonderful Community Correspondents.
I feel very lucky to have been chosen for this job as it lines up perfectly with so many of my personal and professional interests. Personally, I battled with anxiety and depression on and off throughout my teenage years and although I am doing well mentally these days, I would have loved to have found Mind Waves when I was struggling.
As a writer, poet and, until very recently, an undergraduate in English Literature, I have always believed wholeheartedly in the power of storytelling as a way to cope, educate and start important conversations around difficult topics. This is why, out of all my new tasks at this internship, I am primarily looking forward to sharing people’s stories.
I believe that creative writing and other artistic forms can be used to aid discussion and education around various mental health conditions, and the stigma that surrounds them. I cannot wait to be the moderator of other people’s stories (and maybe my own!) and be able to use the tools that I have collected during my degree to work towards Mind Waves’ goals.
Mind Waves is working to help reduce the stigma around mental health in all its forms. Although everybody has mental health, and it is important to look after your brain always, there are also countless people living with severe and enduring mental illnesses, and suffering in silence due to the stigma that surrounds them. I believe that through education, open communication and sharing stories, the stigma around these conditions can be reduced, and this is why Mind Waves is a perfect fit for me.
I want to live in a world where taking care of yourself mentally is the norm, and discussions around mental health are viewed as commonplace and vital. I feel grateful to be working for Mind Waves and hope to become an active participant in the eradication of shame and loneliness in the discussions around mental health. That’s all from for now but I’m sure you’ll be hearing from me very soon! Here’s a picture of me on my favourite bench with a wee coffee to tide you all over until then 🙂 
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