Mental illness | Interview with Thrifty Vintage Fashion
17:00
Today is a different post to what I usually write because today I am interviewing Nicole from Thrifty Vintage Fashion. She is part of the TTATB chat but I read her blog before we were in the chat together. I asked her some questions and these are her replies!
Hi Nicole, can you give a brief description of your blog and what you write about?
Thrifty Vintage Fashion, is a blog that is full of honesty, support, advice and occasionally a bit a banter. My main aims of my current content are to support, encourage, inform, educate and hopefully make people laugh. I cover a wide range of topics on my blog; from mental health to feminism and photography/blogging advice to funny, nostalgic lists. What started as a place to express my love for fashion has now become a platform where I share and discuss a diverse range of topics.
When and how did you realise you wanted to change topics and then go about changing your niche?
It was probably summer last year, when I really spent time and focused on my blog. I enjoyed making fashion posts but I wanted to explore further. I wasn't enjoying producing the content that I was so I started to integrate more topics into my blog. It wasn't till February/ March though this year when I really started to change my content. However, because I cover such a diverse range of topics on my blog I wouldn't say I have a niche really
You write a lot about mental illnesses on your blog, what would be your advice to someone who thinks that they might have one?
Please please please talk to someone, anyone! If you don't feel like you can tell your friends, tell a parent, can't tell a parent? Have you got another family member you can talk to? If not, go to your doctor. They should understand what you are going through and will be able to support your through it. If you still can't talk to any of those people, please speak to a charity or organisation. I have contacted samaritans in the past, and they were so helpful. It felt so much better getting everything off my chest to someone who is non judgemental. You are not weak, you are not weird, your brains just going through a tough time right now but just like any other part of your body it needs love and attention, so please seek help.
Do you think you have to be diagnosed with a mental illness to write blog posts on the topic?
Definitely not! I choose to wait till I was diagnosed with OCD just because of the misperceptions around the disorder as lots of people claim to have it because they are Neat, orderly or fastidious. I thought everyone would take me more seriously if I had a formal diagnosis. Although OCD is an anxiety disorder I have never been diagnosed with GAD but I still do write about my experience with anxiety especially emetophobia on my blog. It's probably easier to get a diagnosis but it shouldn't stop you writing about it on your blog, if you don't want to seek help just yet.
To help raise awareness of a lot of topics you talk about on your blog (such as feminism and mental illnesses), you started up the #SpeakUp project For people who don't know what that is can you explain it?
Back in January I wanted to raise awareness of a diverse range of topics that affect young people's health and wellbeing. Although I have been through a lot I have not experienced everything by far, which is why I wanted to let other bloggers write a post for the project on my blog every week, to help support and inform others on topics that myself alone would never be able to cover. It's been a great success and we have covered some very important topics so far.
9 comments
Thank you lovely for interviewing me! I really enjoyed answering your questions xx
ReplyDeletehttp://thriftyvintagefashion.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/how-to-balance-life-and-blogging.html
Loved reading this, your questions were great as were Nicoles answers. x
ReplyDeleteKate// katerosexo1.blogspot.com
I loved reading this! Great post 😊
ReplyDeleteNikki O. | www.herdaringthoughts.blogspot.com
Oh very interesting interview darling!
ReplyDeletexx
www.sakuranko.com
V good questions! Fab post, both of you x
ReplyDeleteMorgan | www.justmorgs.com
very interesting & insightful post. Love reading it :)
ReplyDeleteBeth x
bethabigail.blogspot.co.uk
This is such a lovely post girls, I loved the questions and Nicole's answers are the epitome of perfection! Love your blog Laura x
ReplyDeleteFrances xx
www.royallyrouge.com
PS - Mind checking out my latest post? :D xx
What an interesting post! I've had clear Anxiety, even though I've never had a diagnosis. I agree... everybody, ask for help! You don't have to do this alone!
ReplyDeleteonmywayacqua.blogspot.com | Acqua xx
This was such a lovely interview! Anyone who doesn't know much of mental illness will learn lots in Nicholes blog xx
ReplyDeleteThankyou for commenting, it means so much! Love Laura x