About The Blog
Jake's Story
Welcome to 'A Mind Alley', a blog dedicated to mental health.
WARNING: In these posts, the author(s) will be opening up about my day to day struggles with anxiety and depression.
For those of you who don't know me, my name is Jake. In terms of background, I was formally diagnosed with depression and anxiety in June 2017. Things came to a head and my mind was my biggest enemy. Looking back, there were a number of signs which make me think they've both been present since I was at least 16 years old. I've been taking it one step at a time since then. Some days are good, others not so much. That said, it's a work in progress and any step forward is one further than I was previously.
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In terms of what I do on a day to day basis, I work at a legal charity called The AIRE Centre. I've completed the Bar exams and will start pupillage at East Anglian Chambers in October 2022 to train as a Barrister. Alongside work, I am the Captain of Titans FC.
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'A Mind Alley' is a new project for me. I did an Instagram poll in June 2019; I found that not only did a surprisingly large number of my followers suffer from either anxiety and/or depression, but they found the prospect of a blog useful. Following that, a lightbulb in my mind switched on, resulting in this blog.
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Many of my posts will be about day to day battles and what works for me (they tend to be sport and music!). I also try to put some additional information out into the public sphere, which I hope that this information will help someone else out and will create an open discussion on mental health.
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Of course, the point of this blog is to highlight my struggles and to make people aware of what I personally go through. As you can appreciate, many people go through different things. This blog is not to be used as a replacement for treatment with the correctly qualified professionals. Please do seek professional help if you are having struggles.
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Remember: you are a beautiful human being. You are loved. You matter. You have so much good that you can offer this world.
