Ealing Woman Shares Her Mental Health Struggles

Nia Modley has made a short film in a bid to break down barriers

 

 
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A young Ealing woman is sharing her personal struggles through her creative film and writing talents in Mental Health awareness week.

Nia Modley

Nia Modley's now 21 and is studying at University but having suffered difficulties throughout her teenage years has made it her mission to try and help others who may be facing similar problems.

She tells EalingToday.co.uk why she she believed it was important to #takethebaton and speak out, ''I was born and bred in Ealing and have lived there all my life. I went to Little Ealing Primary School and loved every minute of it. I started at the University of Exeter this September and am studying Psychology; I love university and my life here.   

"It’s taken me a while to get to a place of contentment. From about 13 years old a growing feeling of not being enough began to bubble inside of me and a lack of control manifested into a series of unhealthy coping mechanisms, landing me in treatment for a number of mental health illnesses at the age of 17. I was unable to communicate just how I felt and used my body as my way of explaining to the world I wasn’t ok.

"One day when everything just all felt too much I decided to put to pen to paper, and let my heart unfurl, I had nothing to lose. Poetry gave me words, allowed me to express myself when, I couldn’t find the words. It was healing and cathartic. I never shared it with anyone, however: ashamed, embarrassed and scared.

"Journeying further through recovery I began to find the strength to be more open about the struggles I was facing with the people around me and was truly amazed at the warm reception I was met with, coming across so many people who were too facing the same battle. This ultimately gave me the courage to share my poems online.

"I met Lottie (the videographer) through recovery, her story evolving through a slightly different path but leading to the same outcome. Lottie crashed during ski racing training , and what at first appeared to be post concussion syndrome and whiplash, resulted in being bed ridden for 3 months."

As she began to feel a lot better physically flashbacks, hallucinations and voices started. She was 15 years old when she was sectioned under the mental health act in hospital for her first admission. What followed was six years of battling mental illnesses, hospital admission after hospital admission.

While being bed bound her dad decided to buy her a camera to try and get her to go into the garden, and on a good day to the park. This was the start of her love for photography. She started with black and white documentary photograph and then went on to take more conceptual, fine art portraits.

Art in this form has been such big help in our recovery journeys, giving us both an outlet and something to feel proud of.''

Find out more about Mental Health and where you can get help @ MIND

14 May 2019

 

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