Creating My Odyssey

Editor's Note: Thank you to Jo for sharing your story about your mental health journey, and for continuing to advocate for those living with depression and anxiety.

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Hi,

I’m Jo - quirky artist, writer, traveller, mental health advocate, music lover, wild west nut intrigued by science, and renaissance soul with a potty sense of humour.

Four years ago I began a three-year journey towards miraculous full recovery after thirty years of depression and anxiety – a medication crisis was the catalyst, I’ve never felt this good - and I’m chronicling the rebuild of my polymath, adventurous and creative lifestyle on my blog, Creating My Odyssey.

I’m networking with creatives with mental health issues and reaching people with a voice, and those with depression in particular, to show that depression is the most treatable of mental illnesses.

By enormous good chance through the crisis and wonderful neighbours, we met the brilliant mental health team, who, with a combination of medication (known as California Rocket Fuel - love it!) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, brought me to where I am now. This proves that provided sufferers know where to look, help is available. That's the hard part, which shouldn't be the case.

Creating My Odyssey is a great vehicle for my creativity - writing (anecdotal articles and an epic novel) and art - and covers a myriad of eclectic subjects. I’m unleashing everything that was previously hidden under a bushel, and I've been interviewed and had articles published on mental health and general sites.

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I'm posting blog links on my site and would love to exchange links and guest posts with other bloggers, particularly on mental health matters. So if you're interested, I'd love to hear from you! Collaboration with other creatives who suffer or have suffered from mental health problems and exchanging posts about creativity - whatever ideas anyone may have, I'm open to (almost) anything!

I’ve been writing my humongous novel forever, on and off, particularly during young parenthood and depression to help keep me sane. Alias Jeannie Delaney is the life story of a devastating cowgirl who’s the fastest gun in the west and also bisexual. Since my recovery, I've decided it’s time to get it out there! I’m blogging about it on my site. I've had interviews about my fascination for the wild west, and appeared on a news item on southern UK television.

Thank you so much for reading this preamble and all the rest!

- Jo
Hampshire, UK

PS: I was born confused and disorganised, so any lovely respondants be warned: I do sincerely want this but sometimes I have to be shouted at to gain my attention!

Why is it important for you to share your story and experiences with mental health and illness? 

I need to share my mental health story in order to give other mental health sufferers some hope in the knowledge that depression is one of the easiest mental health issue to treat. It's finding the right treatment that's the hard part.


More about Jo's life, creativity and mental health can be found on her blog, Creating My Odyssey here: www.jo-b-creative.blogspot.co.uk


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