I'm a therapist in the UK, writing anonymously to share my experiences of growing up with mental health issues, my struggles in my teenage years, and feeling different from others. As a very late-diagnosed autistic, I now reflect on mental health from a different perspective.

A big part of my life has been the loss of my mother, and the solitude I felt during her long illness and then after her death. It has shaped my life, as well as my choice of career.

I also write about veganism, my ethics and animal advocacy, and the chronic pain of fibromyalgia and autoimmune disease. I try to offer quality, as my life challenges make frequent articles less likely.