By Whirlwind|2015-09-28T15:02:56+12:00October 25th, 2014|Whirlwind Stories|0 Comments
I think it was Churchill who coined the phrase the ‘Black Dog’ and guess we all have one following around at some time. Most people seem to be able to keep theirs under control, or it is just that bubbly puppy which gives you the ability to work through complex and tiring situations.
You know those […]
By Whirlwind|2015-09-28T15:02:56+12:00October 15th, 2014|Depression, Whirlwind Stories|0 Comments
Marcus Trescothick is a supremely gifted cricketer from England who was the first in the international game to speak out about struggles with depression. Having returned early from two high profile tours due to a ‘stress-related illness’, and having tried and failed a number of times to conquer his issues in an effort to prolong […]
By Whirlwind|2015-09-28T15:02:57+12:00October 1st, 2014|Depression, Whirlwind Stories|0 Comments
I grew up in a normal Samoan family in Auckland in the 1950s and 60s, living in a State house, going to church on Sunday, doing all the faeus (chores) and getting hidings. It seemed like everyone was allowed to give me a hiding – at home, at church, at school, at family occasions – […]
By Whirlwind|2015-09-28T15:02:57+12:00September 15th, 2014|Depression, Whirlwind Stories|0 Comments
Mike Chunn is best known for his role as bass player and founding member of seminal New Zealand 70’s band Split Enz. Along with school friends Brian (Tim) Finn and Phil Judd, Chunn formed a band that it is widely regarded as the first to really put New Zealand popular music on the map.
After […]
By Whirlwind|2015-09-28T15:02:57+12:00September 1st, 2014|Depression, Whirlwind Stories|0 Comments
Imagine standing on a jetty, either side and in front there is a mirror of calm water disappearing into the distance. When you leave school there are many paths like this, but as you get older they become few. I am 50 now. One of these paths led me into marriage and raising a family […]
By Whirlwind|2015-09-28T15:02:57+12:00August 15th, 2014|Depression, Whirlwind Stories|0 Comments
“The real problem is in the hearts and minds of men”- “it is ok to ask for help”
I am a 46 yr old of maori descent and of course am proud to be maori except for the fact that we top a couple of statistics in society that are not good – those being domestic […]
By Whirlwind|2015-09-28T15:02:57+12:00August 1st, 2014|Depression, Whirlwind Stories|0 Comments
I’m using my mind and my thoughts, to deal with bipolar. One day I hope I can reach out to young people out there in time, so they don’t have to go through what I went through. This was written when I was about 21. Now I’m 28 ? living, learning and helping.
When I was […]
By Whirlwind|2015-09-28T15:02:57+12:00July 1st, 2014|Depression, Whirlwind Stories|0 Comments
Stephen Fry is one of the most recognisable faces on television. An intellectual, an actor, a journalist, a gay man, a film-maker, a comedian and a presenter, he is well loved the world over for his warmth, honesty, sense of humour and disarming humility.
Stephen Fry is perhaps best remembered for his comedy show “A bit […]
By Whirlwind|2015-09-28T15:02:57+12:00June 15th, 2014|Depression, Whirlwind Stories|0 Comments
When did I start to fall apart?
When I kept on taking psychedelic drugs, even though I hated most of my trips? When I carried on drinking until the bottom of the bottle arrived, with no accompanying revelation? When I had my first breakdown? Or when I chose to ignore it? When I developed chaotically fluctuating […]
By Whirlwind|2015-09-28T15:02:57+12:00June 1st, 2014|Depression, Whirlwind Stories|0 Comments
How often does a story of depression start with the words…’everything was going well in my life’ ?
I was partner in an Architectural practice, had two lovely kids, a lovely wife, a nice home in an idyllic Cornish town by the sea.
For some inexplicable reason, as the millennium drew to a close, I decided that […]