People are frightened of what they do not understand which is the reason so many women fear me, yet allow that fear to come out as hate. The stigma and the misunderstandings of mental illness is causing so many women like me, to be judged, and targeted, be that in real life or online.
I have been subjected to some rather callous and evil hate campaigns; I have received hate mail to my Facebook inbox, to my email
Facebook pages have been made against me, calling me “sick in the head”, “fked up” because I talk openly about my mental illness, how can a mother with a mental illness care for her children?
Threats to abuse my children have been made, images of my children stolen and explicit text written alongside them. I have had to involve the police.
Grown women quiz my existence. I featured in the Fabulous Magazine last weekend and the same day a group of well-known and established bloggers questioned whether “agony aunt” was a title I should be using. The question debates around why these grown women and members of an online supportive community were talking about me on a Facebook group to begin with?
The article heading read “ Online Agony Aunt”, I assume they are not aware of the Facebook mums group I run, yes I am “called” an agony aunt, a friend, a life saver and Supermum by hundreds of women, but why would this be a worry to a group of mummy bloggers?
Is it that my feature brought attention to my own blog? That I stood out from the crowd? Why can they not TWEET – Bloody well done you!
Why do I not play by their blogging rules? Simply because life is no game to me, you live and you die and anything in between is a bonus.
I am not here to make friends, I am not here to read and listen to your rule book nor be told what I can and cannot do. I do not want to steal your blog award, I want to help other mothers and show that mental illness is not something to fear.
My blog is my place, an area where I can express the real me, warts and all, knowing that it helps so many other mothers.
I offer a safe and confidential space for others to share their own experiences, away from judgement.
I have been called every name you can imagine, my mental illness discussed around the social network sites, my blogging theory splashed across pages that are not visible to me.
While I agree everyone has an opinion, what are they basing this judgement upon? What they believe is the right way?
I am fed up of hearing the little bloggers voicing that I steal their blog posts? What part of your blog even reflects any part of mine? Unless you are hard of seeing or unable to read, the blogs not exactly full of “everyday mummy chat”, but it is you see, as this is my life.
Depression, self-harm, abuse and every other taboo topic you see here is what I do and what I help mothers face.
If I stole your idea for a blog post then sue me! Or did we both just happen to write about an everyday issue or topic yet I wrote it better? Therefore your jealous, rather than feel homoured?
That is where the problem lies, I am not you and you are not me. We do not think alike and if that phases you or I frighten you in some way then you have much to learn about the real world. Stop reading my blog, stop stalking me on Facebook, stop tweeting about me and stop speaking my name, as it tastes bitter in your mouth.
Women hate me, it’s true
What is it about a bipolar mum to 6 who strives to do better for herself, for her family that annoys people? Why does knowing that I help so many other women out there scare you?
If you spend less time hating on me and spend that time helping others, be that with friends, family, on Facebook, on Twitter or on your own blog, then the world would be a happier place.
If you’re going to judge me, at least spend a day walking in my shoes. If you don’t understand me then at least try to get to know me, rather than slating me.
