Abby Lafferty's Poem "David"

During the final day of Contemporary Approaches to Mental Health students viewed a video entitled 'David's Story: In his own words.' In response to this Abby wrote the following poem.

DAVID

I watched you from the other side

Nurtured you until you could fly

Day after day I watched you grow

Piece by piece a new feather arose

It was magical, beautiful, like nothing I’d ever seen before

Like a sunrise after a storm

A kiss after the sting of a thorn

And you were the one that kept me strong

Maybe when we die we all become birds I thought

As I felt my heart miss a beat

As I watched them tear into his battered beak

Don’t worry I’ll help you eat

I rolled up the bread piece by piece

Day after day a perfect streak

Now he was strong and I watched him leave.

Now back to my side

I doubt I’ll ever be able to fly

There’s no genuine hand reaching to me

There goes another sigh.

I'm lonely in here,

Can you die of loneliness?

I think I might,

Because there’s nothing in sight

This future, my future seems anything but bright.

There was a time I believed I could move mountains,

Clap my hands and the clouds would stop raining

There was a time where I felt so low I could have stopped breathing

and would not have cared you know

I’d take a handful of whatever washed down with some lager

And go into a sleep that id wish would be forever

There was a time where I was happy I was in love and she was on my side

I felt giddy, excited and hopeful again

And now I'm back in here on the other side

They’re spouting words at me,

I think it’s called recovery

Something about a journey

I can’t remember it all seems so empty

I wonder if anyone would nurture me

Take me under their wing,

Piece by piece Step by step

Maybe I could sort this thing I think they call bi-polar disorder

Higher than high, lower than low

I prefer to call it feeling shit, and that’s all I think you need to know

Maybe recovery should be reality

Speak to me when I ask them tae 

Just now I feel

I am only existing

And couldn’t be further from truly living

This fairy tale ending

they like to call my well-being

And I when I refuse just about everything,

And Bite the hand that’s trying to feed me

Please don’t give up on me

Even if I ask ye tae.

Ist Year, Ist Workshop

Third Years Final Day (Class of 2010) Advice to new Fresher Mental Health Nursing Students

Student Poster Presented at 2nd Scottish Mental Health Nursing Research Conference

We are delighted that GCU Mental Health students Lizzie Burns and Hazel Thomson represented students at the recent Mental Health Nursing Research Conference at Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen. Members of the Mental Health Nursing teaching team supported the students and attended the conference. The students presented their poster / paper  titled: Recovery Rollercoaster.

GCU MH Students win poster prize at ENTER CONFERENCE

Hazel & Lizzie pictured with Royal College of Nursing (RCN) Scotland Associate Director Ellen Hudson.

GCU Mental Health Nursing students represented by Lizzie Burns & Hazel Thompson were rewarded with First Prize today at the ENTER Conference at Stirling University. The conference Showcased the range of nursing educational developments and research being conducted across Scotland and discussed how educators and practitioners could best integrate educational developments and research into practice.

Well done Lizzie and Hazel!

We want you to write your own blog

A blog, short for web log, is a place for you to write about your experiences or views and can be used as a place to present ideas and thoughts.

Your Blog entry could be about a variety of topics, for example:

• applying for jobs
• 'survival tips' for other students
• mental health issues
• medication and treatments
• learning hints

We can publish your blog here after a brief approval process.

Writing a blog for us

 Before you get in touch please check you have included the following:

• A draft blog entry, which should be a personal story / view.
• No more than 500 words that has been checked for spelling and grammar.
• Your author profile - a few lines about you plus your photo if you would like one to be shown or photos relating to the blog topic.
• Please protect the anonymity of other people.
• We may edit your blog posts, subject to your approval.
• Check out Stuart's Danish blog for an example

Go on get involved.

If you would like to write a blog for us please email: alow@gcu.ac.uk

21/06/12 Student Poster Exhibition

Recovery Posters Designed by students in Restoring Mental Health Module (May-June 2012)

Pamela Foye, Jennifer Rushe, Diane Mclaughlin, Rachel Griffin and Shirley Macleod poster.

Kathleen McAleer

Sinead Allan, Elizabeth Braidwood, Natasha Burrows, Stuart Clark, Edward Mutondoro & Lynn Thornton

(below)