Review - Anthems For Doomed Youth, The Libertines

I am finally getting around to posting a review for The Libertines 'Anthems for Doomed Youth.' I am a big big fan who has had moments of being absorbed by the whole Arcadian dream. This album was a dream that many of us never thought would come true but it did.

It has been 11 years since the last album was released. In the mean time there have been many side projects from the band members: Babyshambles, Dirty Pretty Things, Yeti, Peter solo, Carl solo, Carl Barat and The Jackals. These have all been great but none have managed to capture the magic of The Libertines. 

There was a lot of scepticism when the band played their Hyde Park show last year. Many thought it would be a reunion like R&L 2010 which was, by all accounts, done for the money. But, just over a year later and there is a new album and a string of festivals under their belt. I saw The Libertines at Reading Festival this year. All the old stuff was great but mostly, I felt so happy hearing new music. Knowing about all that this band has been through, it is so heart-warming to hear them play together again and at least appear that they want to be there.

From start to finish, 'Anthems For Doomed Youth' sounds like The Libertines never went away. This album has libertines written all over it. There's incredible lyrics, catchy riffs, links to poetry and a lot of emotion.

The production of the album is brilliant. Every song sounds perfectly mixed. Getting Jake Gosling on board sounded like a strange move (he has formerly worked with the likes of Ed Sheeran and One Direction) but it has definitely paid off. One of the highlights of the production for me is 'You're My Waterloo.' A re-recording of an old Libertines demo, the new version of this song is incredibly beautiful and a bit of a tear jerker. The production of this album is all very clean and professional compared to their older stuff. Some older fans might not like this as much but it will definitely secure them a new generation of listeners.

Lyrically, the album is as brilliant as one would expect knowing Carl and Peter. A stand out lyric for me is in 'Belly of the Beast': "Back in London's grey scotch mist/staring up at my therapist/He says 'pound for pound, blow for blow/You're the most messed up motherfucker I know." Being aware of Carl's battles with depression, this is so honest, exactly what you would expect from The Libs. Of course we see historical and literary references littered throughout, most notably Cromwell and Orwell in the title track. 'Fame and Fortune' looks back at the band's journey and is definitely going to be a big sing along track at shows with the lyrics "to Camden we will crawl, one and all." 'Barbarians' is another track that will go down well at live shows and has one of my favourite lines on the album - "the world's fucked but it won't get me down."

My only issue with the album is the inclusion of the re-recordings of tracks from back in the day. I understand the decision to include them, a lot of fans have always wanted better recordings of them. For me though, I feel like the Legs 11 versions will always have something special about them and should have been left that way for new fans to discover.

The album we never really thought we would hear has finally emerged and as a long time fan, I can honestly say that it is wonderful. It is an incredible reflection of everything that is loved about The Libertines in a nicely polished package. This is sure to bring in a new load of fans and I am very excited to see what the band have in store for their upcoming arena tour.

Favourite Tracks: Dead For Love, You're My Waterloo, Heart of the Matter, Anthems For Doomed Youth

World Suicide Prevention Day

TW Suicide

"Why do people scramble to prevent death by lightning strike but don't scramble in the same way to prevent death by suicide? The latter is approximately 365 times more common than the former...it is fairly easy to understand how and why people die by lightning strike... By contrast, it is not all easy for people to understand how and why people die by suicide, and prevention is not clear cut at all. To make the prevention of suicide more like the prevention of lightning strikes, people need a clearer understanding of how and why people die by suicide." - Thomas Joiner, Why Die By Suicide.

At the age of 15 I experienced suicidal thoughts for the first time. I was still a child but all I could think about for a long time was dying.

I have planned my death several times. I have written goodbyes. I have been in hospital after overdosing. I have spent hours imagining killing myself. I have longed for the nothingness of death.

You might be in the view that suicide is selfish. People who commit suicide do not think about anyone else.

As someone who has attempted suicide a few times and thought about it a lot, I can assure you this is wrong. I never thought about the impact my death may have on those around me. On the contrary, I always felt that my death would make other people's lives better. Often, those considering suicide feel as they are a burden and that the world would genuinely be better without them.

When you feel like you've hit rock bottom despite trying to hard to fight, helplessness kicks in. It tells you that nothing will get better no matter what you do. The only way to stop the pain is to stop existing. There is nothing to suggest that there is light at the end of the tunnel so you may as well stop here.

I have spent many nights crying over how much I want to die. On those nights, I see no other way out of the darkness. My body feels like it is too weak to hold all this pain inside. My head starts to replay past attempts looking for ways to be successful this time. I am on the edge, well aware that doing this means going to nothing. In that moment, nothingness sounds ideal.

Someone puts a hand on my shoulder and I reluctantly turn around. "Step back, it will be okay, I am here." They do not know that it will be okay. They will not be here forever. But, I cannot let them watch me do this.

We sit and talk. They listen.

In 2013, 6233 suicides were registered in the UK. 78% of these were male. Suicide is the leading cause of death among the age group 24 - 39.

It is difficult to know what to say to someone who has said they are suicidal. We should focus on preventing it from getting to this point. September 10th is World Suicide Prevention Day. This is about raising awareness of suicide and looking, as individuals and as a society, at ways of preventing suicide.

Thomas Joiner argues that those who commit suicide often have 3 things in common: feeling like a burden, history of self injuring behaviour and not feeling like they belong. If any of this reminds you of someone you know then reach out to them. Ask them if they are okay, reassure them. Let them know that talking about their problems does not make them weak.

What keeps you going until tomorrow? Whatever it is, share this. It may help someone else stick around too. No one is suggesting that you write the story for someone, just help them find some ink so they can keep writing.

Living with Psoriasis

My first flare up of Psoriasis came when I was 11 years old. One day I woke up and was covered in red, flaky patches. The only body parts free of this were my face, hands and feet. This was scary and when the doctor saw it and said that he had never seen anything like it, my heart sank. I was referred to a dermatologist and they confirmed that it was Guttate Psoriasis. This particular type is usually caused by a throat infection which I had recently caught.

I was given creams which I had to apply constantly throughout the day. As I was still in school, the big issue that arose was other children. My teacher at the time was amazing and gave the class a talk on Psoriasis and emphasised the point that it was not a contagious disease. After that, I didn't get much grief from the other children. It was summer though and I spent most of it completely covered up, not wanting anyone to know the extent of the condition.

But, I was still embarrassed and felt disgusting all the time. I cannot imagine anyone would enjoy being covered in red blotches of flaky skin. I think this was probably what triggered my intensely low self esteem.

My next flare up was not until I was 18 and had just got to university. Another throat infection and another couple of months of misery. It was pretty easy to explain to the people I was in halls with, we were adults after all. However, there were still some horrified looks. Psoriasis can appear in small patches or cover up to 80% of the body. When mine flares up, it's probably towards the higher end of that.

As lame as it may sound, it has actually really helped me to see celebrities talking about their experiences with Psoriasis in the media. I now feel like the next time I am covered in scales, I can walk around safely in the knowledge that there are supermodels who have had to deal with it. If they can walk down the runway (albeit covered with make up) then I can walk down the street without being embarrassed.

Yes, Psoriasis is not pretty. It is uncomfortable and difficult to treat. I just urge you, if you ever see anyone with some sort of skin rash, please do not stare or comment on it or look at the person in disgust. We know that it is there, we cannot make it disappear. It is part of our lives.

Society only values the productive

This is all very incoherent. I am feeling very disillusioned with everything right now.

I am finding it hard to even believe that people exist who have never been suicidal or self harmed etc. I literally cannot get my head around what it would feel like to be able to get up and do things every day and socialise and function in the world. I do not know what it is like to be well. Every single day is an exhausting struggle. To be free of mental illness is to have a real opportunity to do everything you can dream of, to be everything you want to be. Now, I'm not saying that being mentally ill stops you from achieving. But, it undeniably takes a lot more effort.

A mentally well person can wake up in the morning, get dressed and go to work without a second thought. For me, it takes a lot of preparation. The night before I have to write a to do list for things before work including showering and eating. If I don't write everything down, I will forget to do these things that seem perfectly natural to a lot of people.

This has become a constant frustration for me. How can it be that some people find it so easy to socialise and exist in this society? Then there's the rest of us who need therapy, meditation, medication, mindfulness practice and whatever else to be able to function. When people talk about mental illness in a negative way, I do not think they really understand the sheer effort it takes for some mentally ill people to keep living.

I've had people tell me I'm lazy because I lie around for a day doing nothing. Why do I do this? Because I literally cannot do anything else! The society we live in is not built for the mentally ill or disabled. Human worth is based on how productive we can be, how much money we can, how busy we can stay. When very unwell, I cannot earn money or be busy because all I can do is stop myself from dying. In those periods, society sees me as worthless. Capitalism views anyone in this position as worthless.

I have to work on functioning in society every single day. I have to do this for survival. While it may be easy for you to exist in this society and constantly productive, others cannot. This does not make them lazy or worthless, they are just unwell.

Something else that has been bothering me is this constant need to be doing stuff. People go to work, socialise, take care of children, volunteer etc. There are so many people I know who are constantly in action because they feel like they have to be productive all the time. This puts pressure on everyone that is unnecessary. Taking a break does not make you weak, doing nothing does not make you lazy. You do not need to be busy all the time. It seems to me that this persistent desire to be doing is actually detrimental to mental well being. While it might seem good and useful to be doing things all the time, we need to stop for our own health. Nobody can be in action mode all the time without eventually burning out.

Seeing others being productive and on the go all the time makes me feel so much pressure. I feel like if I stop and rest then I am failing, I am lazy. But, I cannot keep going and when I do push myself to keep going, I become very unwell. We need to stop seeing human worth in terms of productivity. Everyone has intrinsic value regardless of how many hours they work or how much money they earn.

Revolution - Russell Brand (review)

I finally got round to reading Russell Brand's 'Revolution' recently. I had heard mixed reviews and had my doubts because of this. A lot of people were sceptical about Brand's seemingly sudden interest in politics and the associated activism. I completely understand where this comes from but ultimately, Brand's messages about politics are well thought out and interesting.

The book looks at our current political system, its flaws and the possibility of revolution. I have been full of anger against the current political system for a long time. But, I have also been left feeling like nothing will ever change. Reading this gave me a little bit of hope for the future. Brand acknowledges the difficulties, the chaos that may come from a revolution. However, it appears that it would all be worth it in the long run.

"Do we ditch capitalism or the planet? We can't have both."

Primarily, 'Revolution' looks at possible alternatives for the current systems in place. As Brand repeats, the system wants everyone to think that there are no alternatives that could possibly work. This benefits them, they stay in power and remain stupidly wealthy. Brand highlights several alternatives in a fair amount of detail. For example, there are millions of people living in poverty whilst there are people with excess resources. In a fair society, we would not leave people in poverty knowing that the rescources were available for them. If we were to put more limits on big businesses then the rich/poor divide would stop expanding so quickly. Brand also discusses the importance of making food and farming more localised again. It would be perfectly possible for the world to be fed if this were the case, the food industry as it stands is unecessary.

At times, his writing is extremely verbose and therefore, difficult to understand. Thankfully though, Brand does take time to explain some things in more simple terms. I like this in books about politics. One of the reasons so many people avoid politics talk is because they feel like they do not understand enough, it feels beyond them. Unlike many political commentaries, 'Revolution' feels more accessible to the everyday person. You do not need to be incredibly well read to understand the basics that Brand is talking about.

There is a lot of focus on the wealthy. Brand discusses the clear ridiculousness of all these billion and millionaires existing when there are so many people living in poverty. It is obviously unfair. Brand explains that "the richest 1 per cent of British people have as much as the poorest 55 per cent." Knowing facts like this makes me incredibly angry and it should make you angry too. All of this also gives a very good reason for those in power to keep things as they are. They get to stay rich and powerful so fuck the rest of us. You might be thinking that Brand cannot comment when it comes to money because of his status, he acknowledges this. He is one of few rich people who would be willing to give up some of his obscene amount of money if it led to a more equal society. Brand recognises his privileged position.

For me, there was a bit too much rambling about spirituality but I can see where Brand is coming from with his writing on this. It also really made me want to try meditation! Brand also relates a lot of issues to his drug addiction. On the surface, this might seem to be a load of drivel but it is actually really interesting and makes a lot of sense. He explains that his recovery would not have been possible without other compassionate people around helping and encouraging him to keep going. We need this in society, compassion and community.

"government, transnational corporations and the media cooperate to advance and maintain an agenda that is detrimental to the majority of us and the planet."

Essentially, Russell Brand might seem like a bit of a twat but he knows what he is talking about. He is clearly well read on the subject and unlike many academics, he makes his writings accessible to people outside of the Oxford educated. If you have any interest in politics and more importantly, changing the current system, I would recommend reading this. If anything, it has a lot of information from other economists, sociologists and such which can lead to further reading.

"The system that exploits us cannot function without us - without our labour, without our compliance, without our consent."

Wolf Alice - My Love Is Cool

Wolf Alice came onto my radar at Reading Festival last year. As a live band, they were great. They seemed edgy and different to a lot of stuff that was floating around at the time. It helped that their lead vocalist was Ellie, amazing on stage and another female musician I now wanted to be.

They have been slowly building up a fan base over the past couple of years with releasing EP's. But, everyone was waiting for the debut album and it was finally released at the end of June. Reviews for 'My Love is Cool' have been almost unanimously positive.

The album is great, I just love the whole atmosphere that Wolf Alice manage to create with their music. There are aspects of grunge and rock and pop in there which create a sound which is perfect for a festival. Wolf Alice are playing various festivals over summer and if you happen to be at one, I would definitely recommend seeing them live.

Personally, I prefer the old recordings of Bros and Fluffy. The new recordings on the album do not feel the same. They aren't as rough around the edges and that, for me, was part of their appeal before. I think that the old recordings might actually have fitted into the album a little better.

The fantastic thing about this album is that it dips in and out of grunge guitars as well as sweet pop melodies. Some people might find the unsettling, perhaps thinking it sounds unfinished and a bit mish mash. For me, it is what draws me to Wolf Alice. They haven't tried too hard to be consistent, instead the album gives a sense of a journey which has ups and downs.

Something else which sets 'My Love is Cool' apart from other albums around right now is the glimmers of positivity. There is very little of the usual 'cool' misery found in lyrics from indie bands. Instead, there are lyrics about friendship and having fun and things actually being good. It is refreshing to hear a band using music to remind us that things can be quite fun sometimes.

'My Love is Cool' is a brilliant debut album that you really can get lost in.

Best tracks: "You're a Germ," "Your Loves Whore" and (despite the re-recording) "Bros"

Budget 2015 says "people who are unable to work deserve nothing"

You have probably all heard a lot about the budget from the government which was revealed yesterday. Perhaps you think that it all sounds promising. Maybe you will be better off because of the changes being made. However, there are millions of people who will not.

A “budget for working people” is certainly what the government want to highlight. They want everyone to think they are being fair by rewarding hard work. They are not being fair, they are dividing society more and more.

All the GDP figures that are thrown around, all the numbers and predicted results of the changes mean nothing. GDP is all about corporate profits. These numbers they keep spewing fail to take into account that there are things more important than money – people’s lives. The predicted GDP ignores the increase in people having to use food banks, the increase in homelessness and the suicides caused by austerity measures.

Will this budget benefit you? Well, if you are wealthy then yes. If not wealthy, then either things will not change for you personally or they will get a whole lot worse. Let’s stop just thinking selfishly about the impact on ourselves and look at the bigger picture.

The government is certainly continuing with their spiel about giving back to hard working people. I mean, obviously those who have more money work harder, right? Corporation tax is set to be cut because those poor huge businesses need that money so desperately. The threshold for inheritance tax has risen which is great if your mummy and daddy are planning to leave you their half a million pound house.

They want people to think that they are not favouring the rich over the poor. They do aim to save£5bn from tax avoidance after all. Tax avoidance is often a crime of the very wealthy. But, when it comes to welfare, the number increases to £12bn. The priorities here seem a bit off to me. It is estimated that there is way over £12bn in unpaid and avoided tax yet the government are choosing to cut money for those who really need it instead of telling their buddies to pay up. Quite frankly, it is a joke.

If you are disabled, mentally ill, and unable to work for any number of reasons then you will be affected in a bad way. The threshold for tax credits, for example, is set to drop meaning less people will be eligible to claim and if they do, they can only receive it for their first two children. There are families who rely heavily on money like this. Single parent families, parents with mental illnesses or any other disability that means they are unable to work for their income.

There are plans to reduce the benefits cap to £20,000 per year outside of London. Now, this might sound like enough money to live on. But when you factor in children, bills and numerous other expenses, this money will go pretty quickly.

Again, hitting those who cannot work, ESA is set to be reduced to the level of JSA. If someone has never been able to work, they might have no savings. Whereas, someone claiming JSA with the ability to work might have money put aside for periods of unemployment. Do you see where I’m going here? The government is essentially shitting on disabled/mentally ill people.

After the increase in tuition fees from the coalition, young people might have hoped to get through this budget relatively safe. No. Higher maintenance grants for poorer students? Fantastic! But, now they won’t be grants, they will be loans which you will be expected to pay back. Personally, I would have been unable to go to university if this was the situation when I applied a few years ago. Plus, 18-21 year olds could lose out on housing benefit entitlement. So many people come out of education and rely on housing benefit to keep a roof over their head whilst they look for work. The government doesn’t seem to like this which could easily lead to increasing numbers of homeless young people.

The government plan to increase the national living wage. In theory, this sounds like a great idea. But, think about it a bit more and cracks appear. If you’re under 25 then this will not apply to you so young people are being screwed over again. If you run a small business then you might struggle to increase wages and have to lose staff leading to increasing unemployment. Who will this benefit then? Why, surprise, the big business that the government is so fond of will be happy! They can afford to pay staff more, they currently choose not to. It will probably be nothing to them and they can continue with making lots of profit.

Whether or not this budget is going to be detrimental to you, please do not be fooled into thinking that this government cares about its people. This budget just highlights the unfair and widening inequality that is present throughout society. Surely you can’t be okay with that?

Dangers of Austerity

According to Wikipedia austerity is the policy of reducing government budget deficits. Austerity policies may include spending cuts, tax increases, or a mixture of both.

Recently, thousands of people took to the streets in protests against austerity. I’ve heard a lot of people asking why. If you are a person who will only care when a situation directly affects you then you may well not give a damn about austerity. However, for less selfish people, austerity is increasing inequality and plunging families into poverty.

In July, the government is expected to set out a plan which will see huge amounts of money cut from welfare. The conservatives are claiming that huge cuts in spending are the only way to reduce the deficit and get the country back on track. Austerity benefits the rich in society.

Where are the cuts going to happen?

Housing

There have been plans to stop housing benefit for theunder 25s. This means that if you graduate university and are yet to secure a job, you will probably have to move back home with your parents are relinquish the independence you love. Housing benefit has enabled several people I know to stay in their university towns, live with friends and remain independent whilst looking for a job.

Remember the case of the woman who committed suicide because of the bedroom tax? It seems likely that the welfare cuts could lead to many more cases like this. There is already huge strain on the mental health services. With people having increasing financial worries, the strain could increase further.

My mother is on benefits. She cannot work for various reasons. The bedroom tax is yet to be scrapped in her area. She gets £70 per week to live off. From this, she pays for gas, electricity and food. But before this, the council takes £20 because she has a spare room. That leaves her £50 per week to live off. Could you live off that? Do not even get me started on the fact that her local council messed up her housing benefit and are holding her responsible for a £1400 overpayment. My mother is stressed, fearing that she will be evicted and unable to feed herself some days. The help for her is not out there and there are so many people around the country in situations like this. It is, quite frankly, disgusting.

Councils are under increasing pressure to move all housing to the private sectors. Many local councils have already had their housing put under private housing associations. This often leads to increasing rents. Once again, the rich go untouched and the working class are faced with more problems. There needs to be more control over the increasing rents that private landlords are charging. Homelessness is at an all-time high and the government does not seem to care. The use of food banks has dramatically increased. People cannot even afford to put food on their tables because of austerity. If that doesn’t make you angry then I do not know what will.

Benefits

Please do not believe what the media is saying about people on benefits. Not everyone on benefits is lazy and just making up excuses to avoid working. Benefit fraud is much less common than tax evasion. But the government continues to try and shame people who live off benefits; they continue to paint a picture of those in receipt of benefits as lazy junkies. It is not true. Do you know how complicated the process has become to be allowed benefits? A few years ago, it was probably fairly straight forward to falsely claim benefits. Now, it’s pretty much impossible. There are crazy amounts of forms required, GP evidence and face to face assessments. Available here are the government statistics re: benefit fraud.

Atos healthcare is in charge of the assessments for PIP (Personal Independence Payment) for people with disabilities. MPs have recently called for data to be released about how many people have died following being told they are fit to work (see here). There have been so many stories about severely disabled people being told they are fit to work after their Atos assessment. Thankfully, this decision is often overturned by DWP. But, the stress this puts on vulnerable people is completely unnecessary and so damaging. Something here needs to urgently change.

Why would the government do this?

Surely the government is only making these cuts because it is absolutely necessary? You’d like to think so but it just is not true, there are available alternatives. For one, the richest 10% of people in the country owe billions in tax. The payment of said tax has been evaded, avoided and sometimes just left unpaid. Whether you look at figures from HMRC or elsewhere, there is still a huge amount of tax remaining unpaid. Figures from Tax Research UK and the government are available to view online.

The government could focus on getting this paid by putting laws in place to stop tax evasion. Instead, they are choosing to focus on cutting welfare costs. Why? Political parties have backing from a lot of big corporations and they look to benefit their supporters who are willing to place a lot of money into the party. Simply put, the government is corrupt and this is not a democracy like we are led to believe.

The elite have one goal: profit. That is why so many big business export goods and labour from abroad. They can get cheaper labour and lower taxes meaning more profit. These companies are taking jobs from people in Britain because they know they can pay people less if they send the work overseas. Having to pay less tax is just another bonus they look for.

In recent years, the amount of people going into unpaid work has grown. We are told that to get a job we need experience. To get experience, we need experience. In come the companies who say ‘hey come and work for us, the experience will be so useful but we won’t be paying you.’ People are desperate to get jobs so they work for free. In huge businesses that make millions, unpaid internships are exploitation. They can afford to pay you for a few weeks but they know that someone will do it for free so they’ll stick with that. There are people who are pushed to work part time or on zero hour contracts which can barely pay the bills. But as long as the elite remain untouched then the government turns a blind eye.

Essentially, inequality benefits the government. The increasing divide between the rich and the poor is being exacerbated by austerity. The demonization of people on benefits helps the government get away with welfare cuts. The constant talk of wanting to help ‘hard working families’ enforces the idea that only people capable of working hard deserve to be supported. That leaves a lot of disabled people or people caring for relatives with no help from the state.

"Austerity does not hurt me"

Maybe you think that you do work hard so deserve more than those who do not. Yet some people cannot work for various reasons. Do they deserve to be left in poverty to die? Maybe you think that you earn a lot of money because you have worked hard for it? So those people who work long shifts at multiple jobs are not working hard? Contrary to what this government wants you to believe, ability to work hard in a specific area does not entitle you to have a better quality of life than anyone else. Providing benefits to those who need them should not be viewed as a burden on the economy, rather a step towards a more equal society.

There are so many ways in which the government can save money that will not see the deaths of people, increased homelessness and poverty. There are alternatives to austerity that the government continue to ignore because they would lose the support of all those that austerity benefits.

Do not believe that there is no other way. Remember that the government benefits off your prejudices towards those in receipt of benefits. Remember that one day, you might lose everything or someone you love might. If you were suddenly disabled and unable to work, how would you feel about the measures that the government is taking? The dangers of austerity are real; the government is literally causing death to people in Britain because of money.

You can find out more about all of this (in a much more articulate way) at www.thepeoplesassembly.org.uk

So your friend/partner/family member has BPD...

One thing that consistently comes up with Borderline Personality Disorder is relationships. That is, people with BPD are so difficult to be friends with. Or it’s really hard on a family when someone has BPD. Or people with BPD can never have meaningful relationships. I’m here to tell you that although relationships can sometimes be hard, it is possible to have good relationships when diagnosed with BPD!

Why are relationships difficult when BPD is involved?

BPD sufferers often have a deep fear of abandonment. This means that they are likely to be very clingy until they sense that you are going to leave. When they think you will leave, they will start to withdraw and leave first to avoid abandonment. I’ve seen it in movies a lot – girl hears that guy is going to dump her so dumps him first. It is a way to gain back some control, to avoid getting hurt. But, sometimes the sense of someone leaving is wrong. They were never going to dump her and now she’s lost the relationship just to avoid being left.

Certain behaviours can make you think that that those with BPD are horrible people. This includes things like manipulation and attention seeking. With BPD, manipulation is often used to get a need met. People remain unaware that there better ways to get a need met so resort to manipulation, often not realising that they are doing it. Attention seeking is common; it is often a cry for help or a desperate attempt to get someone to pay attention. For me, I often look for attention when I feel unloved or unheard. Making me feel loved and heard counters the need for destructive, attention seeking behaviour.

There are people who really love the intensity of emotions from people with BPD. My partner loves how passionate I get and how much I care about other people. However, it is understandable that this intensity is not comfortable for everyone. If I am your friend, I will constantly tell you I love you and I will worry about you and want to spend a lot of time with you. This is common with BPD. Therefore, if you feel like this would be too much for you and you like your friends more aloof and less emotional then BPD friendships probably aren’t going to be suited to you.

If you are finding it difficult to be in any sort of relationship with someone who has BPD then here’s some advice:

• Reassure them. Tell them that you are not going to leave them even if things get difficult.
• Do not make false promises. Never ever do this. Breaking a promise is never a good thing but when someone is particularly insecure then it can be very damaging.
• Talk to them. It is common for people with mental illnesses to isolate themselves; sometimes just a text letting someone know you are thinking of them will make so much difference.
• Do not make plans with all your friends and exclude someone, even if it unintentional, it is still hurtful. When you have BPD and you feel excluded, your mind enters the ‘everyone hates me, no one wants me around, I might as well be dead’ state which is never fun. Invite them to events, even if you think they’ll say no. Being invited to things is nice and reinstates the thought that you want someone around.
• Do not let them push you away. “I hate you, please don’t leave” is a common BPD trait. This means that I will probably tell you that I hate you and I’m doing it to test our relationship. If you stay despite me being awful then all is well but if you leave then you were just like everybody else who left before. I am not excusing being mean to people/testing people’s patience in this way however, if you understand the thinking behind it then it softens the blow.
• Be open and honest. Lying does not sit well with BPD. Finding out you have lied is horrible and for me, it makes me start questioning everything about you.
• Learn all you can about BPD, ask questions about it, try to understand it as much as possible. This means a lot with any mental illness. Showing that you care enough to go and find out about it is important and it will be useful for you.
• I have already mentioned this but again, reassurance is so helpful. Tell them you love them and that you care about them, that you are here to stay. It is all nice for anyone to hear but more so when you feel like you are inherently unlovable.
• If you believe that you cannot deal with the intensity of a person with BPD among other things, then do not enter a relationship with them. Do not become their friend or partner if you know that you will find it difficult. It will be much easier to have someone walk away early on. Going into a relationship knowing you will eventually leave is unfair.

A lot of this might seem obvious. However, they are all things that are commonly forgotten about in relationships and make a huge difference if someone has BPD. It can take more work when BPD is involved, but all relationships require some effort from those involved. If you are willing to do small things like offer reassurance and send a message every other day then a relationship involving BPD can be just as wonderful as any other.

Everyone is different, these things help me but ask the person with BPD what specifically helps them. Communicate your worries, be open.

What does 'Recovery' mean to you?

TW Eating Disorders

Recovery: Noun - a return to a normal state of health, mind, or strength

Recovery is a word that is widely used amongst mental health professionals and those who are mentally unwell. It is often seen us the goal which anyone who is unwell should hold. It is the process which they say we are in once we start to seek treatment.

On the surface, this seems fine. Of course we want to be ‘normal’ and lead functioning lives. When I initially began fighting against my eating disorder, the word recovery was my focus. I longed for a day when I would be free from the constant stream of thoughts surrounding calories, weight, food. I felt that I would one day be able to say that I had recovered from my eating disorder.

However, 4 years on and I still cannot claim to be recovered in that sense. My health and mind are not at a normal state. I continue to think about food the second I wake up, I still count calories and weigh myself every day. In many ways, I think that I will always be this way. I accept this. I accept that sometimes a full recovery is unrealistic, especially in terms of mental health.

I think the focus on recovery can be detrimental. It leaves people unaware of the achievements they have made simply because they cannot state that they have recovered completely. Yes, my eating disorder is still very much a part of me. But, I am physically healthy, I eat something every day, I no longer abuse laxatives. While I am not recovered, and maybe never will be, I am living and functioning anyway.

Personally, I believe that the goal of treatment should primarily be about learning to live with your mental illness. Of course, full recovery would be amazing and is possible for some people. This may not be a possibility for everyone. Schizophrenia, for example, is often a life long illness. Rather than focusing on getting rid of this illness, surely it makes more sense to learn how to live the best life possible with it.

This would be a more beneficial goal in terms of relapsing too. Instead of relapsing and thinking that you had ruined your chance of recovery, the important thing would be carrying on because you can still live with a mental illness. For me, whenever I had a day without eating I felt like I had gone 10 steps back away from recovery. But understanding that it is perfectly normal for people to be busy and skip meals reminds me that very few people have a completely healthy relationship with food. Most people I know have reported skipping meals because they’ve been busy or eating loads of food because they felt sad. So if I do things like this, I cannot consider myself recovered because they are disordered eating behaviours yet any ‘normal’ person can do this and it is considered to be okay. This seems unfair and confusing!

It seems to me that whoever started putting the spotlight on recovery failed to understand that some people do not wish to get rid of their illness. Many people find certain aspects of their illness comforting. As someone with a BPD diagnosis, there are tonnes of things I hate about my illness. However, I actually like how passionate and intense it causes me to be. I might have a constant fear of abandonment but that causes me to be kind and fiercely loyal to all of my friends. That is not something I wish to change. I would simply like to learn how to manage the intensity of things. In this case, my focus is not on recovery but on learning to function in society despite being mentally unwell.

Recovery appears to be a way to rid the world of as much mental illness as possible. What I mean by this is that recovery looks at people returning to a ‘normal’ mental state. But, who gets to say what is normal? Who gets to say that recovery means a mind that is mostly free of worry and experiences emotions within a certain range? Just because someone’s mind does not work in the same way as someone else’s does not mean that they are required to change it.

There are people who can function in society with a mental illness. There are people who do everyday tasks and hold down a job and would be considered mentally ill. It is not for anyone else to decide that they should be getting treatment so they can be mentally well. If that person is content in managing their symptoms then they should have the option to do this.

Recovery, in the mental health field, often requires people to set life goals. This can be so difficult for people with mental illnesses, particularly those who remain suicidal. Of course, some people find setting goals very useful and they can be. But thinking of what you want to achieve when all you want to do is die is not easy. In some cases, surely the only goal is to keep going and it should be accepted that for some people, this is their only goal if they have any.

Essentially, the issues surrounding mental health focus too much on ‘curing’ people’s minds and making them like everyone else. It could potentially work better for a lot of people to look at providing tools to manage their mind as it is. Maybe you use the word ‘recovery’ to mean living the best life possible. Maybe it is just the wrong word to use in relation to mental health. My main issue with it is that it suggests that one cannot be living a satisfactory life if they are mentally unwell and not following societal norms.

BPD & Stigma

I’ve decided to explore the stigma attached to it here and why this is so damaging and often unfair.

Adding to the long list of symptoms that come with BPD is a deep stigma attached to BPD. Not only by the general population but specifically by mental health professionals. I personally work in the mental health field and the amount of negative comments I have heard from people is sickening. I have heard that:

“BPD can’t be diagnosed properly because they’re (those suspected to have it) all liars and attention seekers.”

“Ugh people with PD’s are so fucking difficult.”

“People with personality disorders are usually the ones who end up as criminals; real psychos.”

“I reckon my old boss had BPD, she was so manipulative all the time.”

These are completely unfair and unfounded accusations. Like people with mental illnesses do not have it hard enough, putting these negative labels on them further increases belief that being around us is impossible. Treating those with BPD badly like people often do only furthers our self-destructive behaviour. If you tell me that I must be an attention seeker and liar because of my diagnosis, I will believe you and I will hate myself even more. That is why it is so vital to spread understanding of mental illness; the stigma is so harmful to those with mental illnesses who are already vulnerable.

There is such a strong negative attitude towards those with BPD and is often because it is so difficult to treat. Do you know what will make it more difficult to treat? Making assumptions about the people who are being treated. This is a crass analogy but if someone assumed that a car worked in a certain way because they had been told this, they would then struggle to fix the car if it in fact did not work in this way. Someone who attempts to treat a person with BPD while believing that they must be manipulating you is completely irresponsible.

If you know someone with BPD then you will know that while they experience negative emotions intensely, they experience positive ones like this too. A person with BPD is not always in a state of anger/depression/anxiety and difficult to be around. They can also be fiercely loving, loyal and friendly. Please refrain from judging someone because you are scared that you will be unable to deal with their feelings. That is horribly selfish. You do not have to experience life like this, the least you can do is understand and show some empathy rather than passing judgment based on what you have read/been told.

People with BPD can be manipulative. This does not mean that everyone who is manipulative has BPD or vice versa. Being manipulative is often the only way that borderlines understand that will help them get something they need. It is unfair to think of manipulation in a wholly bad way. Manipulation does not make someone a horrible person.

Further to this, it is widely believed that everyone with BPD is violent. This is due to the knowledge of anger management being a common difficulty with the diagnosis. True, some people with BPD can have violent tendencies. However, it is much more common for someone with BPD to physically hurt themselves rather than others. Again, the strong belief in this from so many people leaves those diagnosed with BPD being feared. This would be detrimental to anyone’s well-being, more so when that person has a mental health issue.

Now comes the worst thing I have heard about Borderline Personality Disorder is something which I get angry just writing about. There are some psychologists out there who felt it would be beneficial to diagnose Hitler with BPD. Getting a mental illness diagnosed is hard enough but finding out that someone who was so beyond evil is suspected to have the same mental illness makes it terrifying. However, diagnosing historical figures is often highly inaccurate so please remember that. To any professionals, please stop adding to the already existing stigma surrounding this condition.

The important thing to remember is that Borderline Personality Disorder can be treated. We are often led to believe that having a mental illness is something that is awful and long lasting and impossible to overcome. This simply is not the case. There are medication options, therapy options such as DBT and mentalisation and lots of other things out there to help. I wish that access to these services was easier because I know how hard it is to live with this. However, it is possible to live with it and have healthy relationships and function despite what people might have told you. You do not and should not feel ashamed if you have BPD. The stigma is based on ignorance and misunderstanding.

Living with BPD; the highs, lows and madness

Trigger warnings: self harm, suicide

I was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder last year. For me, the diagnosis was extremely helpful. The word ‘borderline’ with this does not mean almost a personality disorder as many assume. I wanted to share some thoughts on living with BPD and hopefully help some people feel less alone and offer a little bit of hope.

First and foremost, BPD leads to people feeling extremely intense emotions. Here’s a recent example of this from me: I got upset because I was unable to go out with friends and did not want to miss out on anything. It is natural to be upset. But, this quickly became an intense sadness that completely took over and resulted in self-harm. Rationally, I know that this was not helpful and frankly, an overreaction. At the time, I could not contain the sadness that turned into anger and self-harming was my way of relieving some of this intense emotion. 

To someone without BPD, emotions come and go and intense emotions are often a result of an intense situation. For those with BPD, emotions are often intense and lasting. While this means anger and sadness can be dangerous emotions with BPD, it also means that people with BPD tend to be very enthusiastic and friendly and fun to be around when emotions allow it. This shows that BPD does not have to be all negative all the time and it is possible to enjoy the company of someone with BPD.

Due to experiencing such intense emotions, it is very common for people with BPD to shut down. It is like a huge build-up of pressure in a container and we know it will soon explode so we just turn it off. We have difficulty regulating our emotions and so feeling nothing is better.

On top of all of this, people with BPD also experience mood swings very often. These often involve depression, anxiety and anger. There can be no obvious trigger to these mood swings and take it from me, they can be exhausting!

Another thing I would like to mention is feelings of shame. Before my diagnosis, I had noticed that feeling embarrassed or humiliated had a profound effect on me. If I was embarrassed by something, I would still be playing it over in my head and hating myself for it years later. Turns out that this is common with BPD.

Borderline Personality Disorder is often accompanied by substance abuse. For me, it was alcohol. At the time, I was unaware of BPD but I did know that alcohol numbed emotions for me. When sober, I felt everything all the time and it was draining. Having a drink would stop me thinking and feeling anything deeply. Obviously, alcohol is a depressant so in the long run is very damaging for someone with a mental illness.

BPD is also commonly joined by eating disorders and self-harm. These are other things which I have personally experienced. For self-harm in particular, I have always used it to relieve emotions. I get really really angry so I cut myself and feel better. Feeling better is fleeting though because then comes along the guilt and shame. In the moment, it feels as though nothing else will help but in the long run, it harms more. A pretty vicious cycle, right? While harming oneself might seem counter intuitive to mentally well people, it is very common among those with BPD. It provides relief from intense emotions that we have no other way of dealing with.

On to a topic that anyone close to me understands well, relationships with others. Before my diagnosis, I was very aware that I was clingy and insecure in friendships and romantic relationships. No matter how hard I tried to stop this and change the way I was around people, I could not do it. I still have not managed to do it but knowing it is part of BPD eases the self-hatred relating to it.

I have always been sensitive to rejection. Any of my friends will tell you that if I ask them to hang out and they say no, I will not react well. I will either believe that they hate me or will isolate myself from them so they cannot leave me. I am insecure and people often find it annoying that I need constant reassurance. Luckily, I have found friends who are willing to give that reassurance. It does not stop the insecurity but makes it more manageable. It is very easy for me to think that everyone I know hates me and will leave me because I hate me so much.

It might seem that being friends or in any relationship with someone with BPD is difficult. It can be at times, yes. But, if you take the time to understand the illness then it gets easier. If you know to offer reassurance and not be dismissive etc. then it will be possible to have a good relationship. This idea that people with BPD cannot have healthy relationships is bullshit. It is more difficult but it is not impossible. See here for an old post about my relationship before I knew we both had BPD!

One of the symptoms of BPD that is often misunderstood and unfairly focused on is manipulation. I hold my hands up and admit that I can be manipulative. Until recently, I would beat myself up about it. That was until my therapist asked me why I was being manipulative. People manipulate in order to get a need met. I do not manipulate people to hurt them, I rarely do it consciously. It is often very subtle but I do it because there is a lack of something which I need. My way of getting it just happens to be manipulation because expressing that I need something from a person is difficult for me.

Self-harm and suicide attempts from those with BPD are often thought to be part of their manipulation. Sometimes they are but that is not to be quickly judged. Imagine what someone must be going through to think the only way they can get love or attention is to hurt themselves. When I first realised that I had self-harmed in order to get attention from a friend who had been ignoring me, I was horrified with myself. I was about 16 and upon realising what I had done, I immediately started thinking that I was the worst person in the world. 

We are constantly getting sent the message that anyone who hurts themselves for attention or validation is bad. This is not true. They are often hurting and scared and do not know what else to do, it is a desperate act. It is damaging to assume that any self-destructive behaviour is only used to manipulate others into responding in a certain way.  

BPD often leads to difficulties having a strong sense of self; people tend to have difficulty knowing what they like or value or struggle with setting any goals. This is something which leads to a lot of indecisiveness, something I have trouble with on a daily basis. I am also prone to adopting attributes of characters in film, tv and books. I do this because I often doubt myself and everything about me. By turning myself into someone else that obviously knows who they are, I then feel a stronger sense of who I am. Obviously, this is not the healthy way to develop knowledge of you but it stops the fear and empty feeling.

People with borderline personality disorder often struggle to concentrate. This is hardly surprising considering all the stuff going on in our heads on a daily basis. The lack of concentration can often lead to dissociation, a type of “zoning out.” It is often clear when someone is in this state as their face and voice might become expressionless. Dissociating is the mind’s way of avoiding intense emotions or painful memories. This can be helpful until it starts to happen with normal, every day emotions which everyone should be able to experience.

There you have it. I have, by no means, covered everything but this gives a bit of an overview of what it is like to live with Borderline Personality Disorder. Next blog post about it will focus on the stigma attached to the condition.

My life, my choice.

I am a woman and I do not want children.

This statement is frequently met with a gasp, a sad face or the worst – “oh don’t be silly, you’ll change your mind one day.”

How is it, that in the 21^st century, society is still set on the idea that all women must want children? I remember thinking when I was much younger, when other girls were discussing potential kids names and dreaming of weddings, that I did not want children. People told me then I would change my mind which is fine, I was only a child myself. But, I am now an adult and people continue to shame me because I do not want children. Not now, not ever. Imagine if you had a plan for your life and people constantly told you that you would change your mind or that it was ridiculous for you to have said plan.

There are so many reasons why I do not want children. However, I do not see why I should need to justify this very personal decision. I am made to feel like a bad person because of this and it is completely unfair.

Women are more than potential mothers. Having children does not determine a woman’s worth. We have come a long way in terms of women’s rights regarding sexuality and freedom. If I do not want children, society cannot force me into having them. Unfortunately, it seems that much of society will continue to shame me for this decision.

People will often say “how can you not want children?” It is pretty easy to not want them actually and this question makes it seem like an awful thing. I am not denying anyone their right to have children; I am just choosing not to have them myself. This does not impact on anyone but me and my partner. Keep your judgements to yourself or better yet, start to understand that not all women want children and that is okay. Some women long to be mothers, others dread the thought of it.

My lack of desire to bear a child does not make me a bad person. Do not react in horror at a woman expressing that they do not want to be a mother. They will have their reasons for this and your judgement is not wanted. Who are you to say that all women must want certain things for their lives?

Alternatively, it is generally better accepted for a man to say he does not want children. A perfect example of double standards and of the underlying belief instilled in people that women are meant for motherhood.

Some women want children and that is okay. Some do not and that is also okay. Either way, it is none of your business why or whether they will change their mind. Surely it is better for a woman to not have children than to have them because she is pressured into it by society’s expectations?

I am a woman and I do not want children. If you have a problem with that, I do not want to hear about it.

Berlin

I grew up in a family who constantly struggled with money. Mostly, I am grateful for how my parents managed to get by. One thing that, as a teenager, bothered me was that we had never been abroad on holiday. Every summer, kids would come in with stories of their travels to warmer climates and I would have to share my summer stories which were not quite so exciting. Upon arriving at university, the divide between those who had travelled and I became even more annoying. Everyone had amazing stories about trips they had been on with friends and family. But still, I could not afford to get a passport let alone pay for a holiday. Then adult life started and I got myself one of those job things which pay (very poorly) so I recently took my first trip abroad to Berlin.

I loved Berlin. As a graduate of History, it really was the best place for me to go. Berlin is a city that is very aware of its history and clearly wants to remain at peace. In my time there, I walked past 2 peace talks happening in the streets about Israel. I also saw a sign urging Putin to leave Ukraine alone. It seems that there are people in Berlin who are actively advocating peace which is amazing to see considering the amount of cities across the world full of hate and war.

Another wonderful thing about Berlin is how clean it is. Rarely did we come across rubbish in the streets. More importantly, recycling is a huge thing there. When you buy drinks in plastic bottles, you will often notice that they have already been recycled. People are encouraged to recycle and they get to see that recycling is actually happening. It left me wondering why we do not have that in Britain at all…

The Judisches Museum in Berlin was one of the highlights of the trip for me. It was so great to learn about Jewish history outside of the holocaust, to learn about positive Jewish messages and people. There was a part of the museum dedicated to 17th/18th century businesswomen Gluckel of Hamlen which was so interesting. On top of this, the architecture of the building by Daniel Libeskind was amazing. It seems to have been designed to be slightly unsettling and uncomfortable, perhaps to portray the feelings of many Jewish people living in Germany. The same can be said of the Holocaust Memorial. It felt strange to me to see people taking smiling selfies in the middle of it. The paths in between the 7,211 grey blocks are not straight to walk on giving you an unsettling feeling. Germany has made great efforts to remember their history.

I was in awe of the architecture in West Berlin – the Reichstag, the museums on Museum Island, Berliner Dom, and Brandenburg Gate. It was all incredible to see. There are also a lot of gorgeous water fountatins throughout the city. These make the city feel less like a city, along with the large green spaces throughout. The Lust Garten was my favourite of these, it has a view of the Berliner Dom and Altes Museum as well as a lovely water fountain. Sitting there and reading was absolute bliss!

The Berlin Wall was really interesting to see. I had learnt so much about it throughout education and particularly at university. It was something that I had always wanted to visit. The longest standing part of the Berlin Wall really gives a sense of the desperation and negativity that many Germans faced from its beginning to end. Walking along it and seeing how high it is and knowing about the struggles so many people faced was actually quite moving. Upon arriving at Checkpoint Charlie, I noticed a McDonalds built right next to it. It seemed rather apt considering the continuing American influence in the West. Even taking the train through East Berlin to West, the contrast is stark. The East still looks like part of a struggling country which feels damaged. Whereas, the West has made a much quicker recovery and looks more modern and generally better cared for.

There are decorated bears throughout Berlin which are so lovely to see. This began with an artistic event in 2001. The bears are all unique, often brightly coloured and attract lots of attention. There has also been the emergence of united buddy bears which are intended to promote peace and love around the world.

If I had to pick a few things for people to see/do in Berlin, it would be:

·         - Visit the Berlin Wall, walk along it, remember the history

·        -  If you are unaware of the history, visit the DDR museum. It’s interactive and not as dull as the German Historical Museum (which was a total yawn fest, I felt like I was just reading a book and having to walk around whilst doing it…)

·         - Eat currywurst (seriously, it might sound gross to you but it is a Berlin favourite. I absolutely loved it. Sausage in curry sauce, it does not get much better!)

·        -  Jewish Museum

·         - See the Reichstag Building, Brandenburg Gate and Holocaust memorial. They are all really close together and very impressive.

Next stop: well, I’m currently trying to decide between Copenhagen, Bruges and Budapest. Any other suggestions?

GE 2015: we have every right to be angry!

Over a week ago, the general election results came in and showed that the Conservative party would be in power for the next 5 years. It has taken me some time to get over initial rage/despair and be able to articulate my feelings about this and what it means for Britain. There are a lot of people who seem confused at the anger being shown. A common saying has been ‘the people who are upset should have voted.’ Well, we did vote and that is exactly why we are angry.

Britain is supposed to be a democracy. We have the right to vote and that is wonderful however, our votes are not used in a fair system:

This essentially shows that the proportions of voters do not match up to the representation of parties in parliament. So conservatives get 37% of the votes but 51% of the seats in parliament. This diagram shows exactly what is wrong with the voting system we have.

It is known as ‘First Past the Post’. Yet another political term which very few people understand, it’s almost as though they don’t want us to understand. Anyway, FPTP means that whichever party get the most votes wins the election. This leads to elections being a competition between two parties, Labour and Conservative in the UK.  

The current system often results in tactical voting which a lot of people will own up to. This is voting for a party to make sure another party does not get into power i.e. voting Labour to avoid a Conservative government. So there is something wrong here, isn’t there? People are not voting for the policies they agree with, they are simply voting against parties that they do not agree with because the system calls for this. 

This is where the talk about ‘wasted’ votes comes in, not wanting to vote for a smaller party because it will not make a difference. You’re probably right. In the current system, it will not make a difference so that is why people are calling for a complete change of the system. In the 2015 general election, it appears that more people voted for smaller parties and this took away votes from Labour leading to a Conservative victory.

It all just sounds a bit unjust, doesn’t it? Why should we continue with a system which benefits bigger parties but ignores smaller parties successes?

“This is how it works here, just deal with it.” I have heard this so many times in response to complaints about the UK voting system. And no, I will not just deal with it. I imagine that when women were fighting for the right to vote, they had similar responses. Do not let anyone make you think that change is not possible, that we will always be in an unfair system. This is what politicians and the media want you to think. It is much easier and nicer for everyone if we all sit back and accept the bullshit that they are forcing down our throats. Well, I would like to think that I would rather have a long and difficult process of making things better than sitting back and letting the country continue to decline.

So what are our options?

Proportional representation is one that many people are asking for. This would mean that a party which received 37% of the votes would then get 37% of the seats in parliament. Proportional representation seems like a good answer. It means that we would have a fairer system whereby parliament would more closely reflect the wishes of the voters. This system would be a lot more fair for smaller parties. Whatever your opinion on UKIP, for example, they received a lot of votes in this election and it is only right that they should therefore be represented in this proportion. The current system is only beneficial for the bigger parties. That is not okay!

The UK had an Alternative Vote referendum back in 2010. The voters rejected this way of voting which sees voters ranking candidates by preference. Again, people are pointing to this and saying “you had a chance to change it and nobody wanted it.” There was a chance to change it, yes. However, that was 5 years ago. There are now people eligible to vote who were not back then. There have been huge changes in the country and people’s lives. There are other options; it does not have to be AV. Having a complete overhaul of a political system takes a long time, a lot of work and one referendum 5 years ago cannot tell us that people do not want change now.

Why are people so fiercely anti-conservative?

A vote for the conservatives can be seen as a vote against women, the LGBTQ community, people of colour, anyone with a disability, the poor and the vulnerable. If you are rich, heterosexual, white British and have no disabilities then the conservative government probably will not damage your life much.

However, we live in a very diverse country. Here are some conservative policies which would have horrible consequences for so many members of the public:

•  Repeal of the Human Rights Act – this is to be replaced with a British bill of rights. There are several ways this could be done and we are waiting to see what the Tories go for. The impact will vary but overall, is set to be negative for Britain.
•  Welfare cuts - specifically £12bn worth of cuts. We are yet to find out where these will come from. You might not rely on welfare; you might think that those who do are just lazy. But, the majority of those on benefits need them to survive. The conservative government is fine for working people. Those who cannot due to mental illness, disabilities or any other reason are set to suffer a great deal in the next 5 years. This could lead to starving families, an increase in rates of depression/suicide and a whole lot of other problems. If you are wealthy then please think for a second. Is a reduction in your tax at the end of the 5 years really worth the suffering of millions who rely on our welfare system? (N.B. this is the austerity stuff you keep hearing about. Essentially, the government will be trying to better the economy by taking money from the poor and vulnerable.)

This all sounds awful, what can we do to change it?

Do not give up. Do not let anyone make you think that protests and petitions and campaigns are pointless and will never work. Yes, it will take time but change is inevitable. Stay passionate about changing things. Remember all the potential repercussions of conservative policies and a continuation of FPTP. Be as active in politics as you can. Show the politicians that they should be scared. They cannot stop the people from getting what they want/need/deserve – a fair and just system that represents the whole of society and not just the rich.

Check out facebook,twitter, tumblr, local groups and find ways to be active in politics.

(To those complaining about the protests based on one person spraying graffiti onto a war memorial – I understand that it is incredibly disrespectful. But, paint can be removed. The damage that this government and subsequent ones under FPTP cause could be irreparable.)