Oct 22, 2020
In part five of a mini-series on wild swimming health and healing, I chat with Rachel Ashe the founder of mental health swims. A UK based organisation looking to encourage people to dive into the world of outdoor swimming, supporting people gain the benefits of cold water and community.
This episode is about the wonderful world of wild swimming and how you can get involved in a mental health swim near you by joining this thriving community, but it's also about the realities of living with mental illness. It's about the stigma that surrounds opening up about mental health, the stigma attached to certain conditions and the barriers to treatment and dignity that occur as a result. It's about learning to live around those complications in an empowered and autonomous way.
Speaking about mental health is historically difficult, more people are championing the need to speak up and speak out and in turn to be truly heard. Rachel is one of those people and in this episode you hear how she has done so but also that the responsibilities and expectations of this can be an added pressure.
Rachel and I discuss the issue of inclusion and how we both have battled with being on the outside. We talk over the possibilities of belonging in the not belonging.
You will hear how Rachel, despite having her own daily battles has formed a hugely popular community and why cold water swimming has been one way Rachel lives with her illness.
TRIGGER WARNING
It's important to note that in this podcast difficult issues come up; some are spoken about very briefly but others in more detail that may be triggering for some people. These include childhood sexual abuse, self states of borderline personality disorder, PTSD, anxiety and paranoia. As always please take care of yourself when listening.
If you're worried about your mental health or just need to reach out, there are always places you can do that.
Breathing Space: 0800 838587
Edinburgh Crisis Centre: 0808 801 0414
Samaritans: 116 123
Use the NHS 111 online service, or call 111.