Mental health recovery and what that means is determined by you not by other people. And you can find things that’ll help you in so many places. Thread⬇️
Ray’s parents split up when she was very young, her dad was in and out of prison and was absent from her life which affected her more than she realised. She fought with her mum a lot and ended up estranged from her, and living with her grandparents. (2/8)
But her grandfather had struggles of his own, with alcohol and mental health, so Ray ended up in care. (3/8)
Her school supported her – giving her the space to breathe and teachers that understood what she was going through. (4/8)
She also was living in temporary accommodation for a period of months which was so destabilising but found a space with @RichmondFellowship’s Castle project too. (5/8)
But the thing that really made a difference to Ray was her love and involvement with #Judo - finding a lifeline in the most unexpected of places.
We know that finding routes to mental health support is not easy, but there are still ways, different places, different kinds of support than first expected. (7/8)
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I see my tweets about the effects of Wes Streeting's ban on puberty blockers on younger trans people have been criticised by the DHSC’s adviser on suicides. 🧵
1. What is undoubtedly true is that Victoria Atkins was warned by her own civil servants about the ban on puberty blockers posing “a high risk of self-harm and suicide” and Wes Streeting followed his predecessor in ignoring that advice.
2. Before publishing my thread (below) we went to the Tavistock and Portman with these numbers for a response. Other journalists went to NHS England for a response. Neither denied the numbers and both declined to comment.
Medically, not much will change. The NHS has not prescribed PBs for years. And now families will travel abroad to collect the drugs they know their children need. Streeting can make it less safe for everyone, and impose huge sacrifices on poorer families, but he cannot stop this.
Politically, I can't recall ever feeling this depressed. When the Tories did this cruel ideological act there was hope, for they would soon be out. Now Streeting is doing worse and it feels like there is none. Personally I am finding it *very* hard to assimilate this.
There are widespread rumours (and some evidence) of more to come and inferentially what Streeting is saying is that he will not engage with the trans community or listen to warnings from civil servants or the NHS and he will not engage with suicide data.
Second, given that the structure of the ban recognises the risks to of cutting off puberty blockers for those already prescribed them by the NHS, what steps have you taken to ensure those prescribed puberty blockers privately can continue to access them?
News on Victoria Atkins' emergency puberty blockers ban. Wes Streeting's position is that, subject to the outcome of the court proceedings and consultation, he will renew it and convert it into a permanent ban.
I congratulate the women in Labour's team who have, at least so far, brought thoughtfulness and sensitivity to the 'debate' about trans women. My feelings about Wes Streeting are unprintable: these measures will kill trans children.
These tweets are my own personal position and not that of @GoodLawProject.
Don't forget: how they weaponised hate, what they've done to the National Health Service, how they raised your mortgage and how they trashed the economy.
Don't forget: the money they stole under cover of Covid, the Parties they held while your parents were dying, the science they ignored, the bets they placed and the Veterans they dishonoured.
Don't forget: the children going to bed and to school hungry, the state of your beaches and rivers, whose taxes they cut and whose benefits they wouldn't and their sweetheart deals.