Teenagers With Experience - Mel's Articles

Teenagers With Experience

What makes college different to school

30/12/2018

School days are all about being in smart uniform with natural hair colours and a minimal amount of makeup. School doesn’t really give you the chance to express who you really are. On the other hand, when it’s time for you to head to college it’s a completely different story.

When I started high school I wore no makeup and I always had my hair tied up. I considered myself as a tomboy, I always loved to play sports, unlike most girls in my year. In school there were friendship groups, they had their own group of friends that were interested in the same things, for example; makeup, hair, comics and many other topics . Since I was a girl everyone treated me weirdly because in my school there was this image of a ‘girl’ being into makeup and all things that are stereo typically classed as girly but just because I wasn’t interested in dolling myself up and seeing how pretty I could get, everybody treated me like I was a nobody. I’ll tell you the truth, I felt so ashamed of myself and I didn’t have a reason to be.

When I started college it was a whole different experience from high school. I wasn’t seen as an outcast. Everybody had their own style that they loved to show off and share with other people. That’s what made college such a fun and exciting experience for everyone. I thought that people were just talking rubbish but it turns out they were right about how different it is.

I was able to be my own person without being judged and I absolutely adored that! I met people with the same interests as me and they became lifelong friends of mine. Meeting people who won’t judge you on things you like to do is an amazing feeling!

Another reason why college is different from high school is with the subjects you study of course. So in high school you have to study multiple subjects to get your final results at the end of high school known as GCSE’s. These subjects can range from English, Maths, Science and History. But with college you get to choose what you would like to study and focus your future on.

Mel

Young love isn't always as it seems

30/12/2018

Relationships these days are pictured as a fairy tale. The one you meet will be your soulmate and the one you’ll be with forever. But, that’s not always the case. We all have our crushes in high school, well I did anyway. I remember seeing him walk down the hallway and I was just in a world of my own, I felt like an angel just watched past me.. Sounds stupid right? But that’s how I felt. Some people don’t like admitting to liking others, they are scared of rejection and what the person’s reaction would be.

I remember my first relationship being with a boy I met online. ( seems dumb right? ) but, there was something about him that I just thought, wow I can really relate to this guy on so many levels and I’ve never met him before. Little did I know he went to the same high school as my friend who lived about 45 minutes away from me. So, when I told her I was talking to this guy and told her what his name was she was so surprised. I was like “Wait what’s going on, is everything okay?” She just replied with “This guy, he goes to the same school as me and he’s in most of my classes”. My heart stopped. All of a sudden all these negative thoughts started entering my head telling me that I was worthless and that the guy I was talking to wouldn’t like me. My friend would think I’m dumb for assuming this guy liked me back.

Little did I know the actions my friend would make next would be the opposite of what the thoughts were telling me. She went straight onto social media ( Facebook ) and she messaged him saying “Hey, I know the girl you’re talking to. Would you like to meet her?” Next thing, I was going on an arranged date made by my friend. It was like a fantasy.. Was this going to be my Cinderella moment? Let’s find out!

The day came that I was finally going to meet this guy I had been talking to for almost 2 months. My friend joined me on this date because I’m terrible with meeting new people and my anxiety would hit the roof, especially with the guy I liked! Me and my friend sat down in Leon’s, ( it’s a restaurant that serves vegan food ). Then all of a sudden he walked in. My heart was beating like there was no tomorrow! I finally got to meet the guy I ‘fell in love with’.

After our date we planned to meet up again during summer at a holiday camp. We did start dating but after 2 years it got a bit difficult due to the distance between us.. But I guess 2 years isn’t that bad, right?

We still talk now, as friend though. But I am very grateful that my first love was him. He’s so sweet and has never done wrong by me. I can trust him with my life and I’m glad we are still friends!

Several years on I turned 17. I met this guy who was taller than me, blue eyes and blonde hair. We exchanged numbers and next thing we started dating. It did go pretty fast if you ask me.
At first, everything was perfect, he made me smile and he treated me with respect. I got to meet his family and his little sister was a ray of sunshine. It was like I met a mini-me. As the months past, the relationship started to crumble. I believe that the reason why the relationship taken a wrong turn is because of my mental health. I suffer with Bulimia Nervosa so it was very hard for me to go out for meals etc. But, I will give it to this guy, he helped me overcome this and now I can eat out in public.
Back to the story; he was a very supportive guy when it came to my bulimia. But, it got too much for him and to be honest, I don’t blame him! If I was in his position I would probably be panicking on what to do.

But, the guy I fell in love with wasn’t there anymore. He started treating me like I was worthless and had no meaning in the world. He went from making me feel like the most important person and someone who appreciated me to someone who just knew me as a stranger.. A hater if you like.

It’s just so surprising how a person can just change in a flicker of an eye.. It really changed my opinion on people. Shortly after we broke up i found out that he was cheating on me for the last few months of our relationship with none other than my best friend ( at the time ). This torn me apart in two ways. One being that the guy I fell in love with was just throwing all that away for a person I thought I could trust with my whole life, turns out I can’t..
And the second reason being that in my mind the friendship meant more to me than it ever did to her. I can’t understand how you can break that bond of trust in the friendship just for a guy. I think the second reason torn my heart apart more because I knew this girl for such a long time, growing up with her. Sharing memories together, it was just like she threw them all in the trash to be forgotten.

So, young love isn’t always what it seems. But that doesn’t mean it’s always going to turn out bad. It can lead on to greater things! For example, when this whole situation happened to me, I planned on moving to Scotland for a new job and that went ahead. I couldn’t be more proud of myself for taking that chance and putting myself first for once. It’s healthy to put yourself first, don’t hold back! That’s what I did for so long and then I finally broken the cycle. Take that chance now! - Mel.

Reconnecting to an old hobby

29/11/2018

When I was around nine years old, just turning ten my favourite hobby was hockey. I was on the school hockey team, I went to tournaments and I just genuinely enjoyed being outdoors with my friends. I even remember one time I was at a hockey match and I was running with the ball and I was aiming for the goal but instead of pushing the ball into the goal with my hockey stick I ran into the metal post instead and knocked myself out. But, the ball did go in! GOAL!

Now I’m nineteen and left school behind I wanted to reconnect with my old love for hockey. Because that’s what once made me happy and I don’t want to be inside all the time watching TV or on my laptop. It’s nice to do something different plus you get to meet new people who have the same love in sport as you. It’s the end of Summer now whilst I’m writing this but it’s never too late to try something new! I’ve been looking for ways to try and reconnect with my old love for hockey and I found these tips quite handy;

Relearn your hobby like it’s something you’ve never done before.
So, when I tried this I started from scratch one. Which was actually getting a hockey stick and ball and protection needed whilst playing, ( taking my past experience as a lesson! ) The moment I really enjoyed the most was just reliving my childhood. For example; there is a period of excitement when you finally connect the dots and remember why you need to cut along the grain of the fabric. And before long, you will reclaim that familiar foot position on the pedal to control the needle speed.

2. You’ll always discover something new about the hobby and yourself. So, whilst I was relearning my hobby I discovered so many new things that I never thought I was capable of. I learned new tricks with my hockey stick and how to defend properly. It was a tough challenge don’t get me wrong, but it was worth it!

3.The beauty of me reconnecting to my old love for hockey was that I made new friends. I could share my love for a sport that helped me through tough times in my childhood, it was like my place to go if I needed a break. The friends I had made through hockey I now count as my life-long friends.

They are just some of the reasons why I reconnected with hockey and I would never look back. I take lessons each week just to reboot my knowledge of hockey and for the fun obviously!
I also introduced my hobby to my brother and he started to come to sessions with me and now he’s a hockey player. He is now 25 so a lot older than me but now he spends his spare time playing hockey for his local team. He’s gone all over the UK to compete in matches and I’ve been to every single one to cheer him on and support him.
This is what made me want to reconnect with my old hobby. I adore traveling so to be able to travel and play my old hobby together made me realise this is what I needed to make me happy.

Mel

Don't blame yourself

29/11/2018

Going through your teenage years will be challenging; studying for your exams and making new friends, balancing work with your family and just generally learning about who you are. Sometimes you need to find a getaway or what I like to call it, Wonderland. (Yes, I am an Alice in Wonderland fan).

So, how did this whole ‘Wonderland’ come about? Well, when I was in school I used to get bullied for my hair. Being ginger was tough even though it was just a hair colour. The kids used to say to me my hair was on fire or call me “Ginger - Ninja”. It got so tiring let me tell you! But however, it later got more serious, physical. They would start pushing and tripping me. I attempted to tell one of the teachers but nothing was done about it. I felt like I didn’t matter like I was a nobody. So, after a few years of dealing with bullying I didn’t know what else to do but turn to self-harm to release all the pain, I was, incorrectly, blaming myself.

If you don’t know what self-harm is, it can range from physically hurting yourself with a sharp object, for example, a razor blade, scratching yourself to burning yourself to seemingly minor behaviours such as nail digging or hair pulling Self-harm can occur for a wide variety of reasons, all unique to the individual. it may occur when the person who is harming oneself is going through a traumatic time in their life or are dealing with depressive episodes like bullying etc. However, the intention is rarely suicide. Instead, it can be to punish themselves, express their distress, relieve unbearable tension, take control or simply be a cry for help. Sometimes the reason is a mix and cannot be identified. That is also okay.

As I mentioned previously, self-harm can also be a cry for help.

Some people will say “Why not just get help?” It’s not as simple as that for some people and I am one of them. I started after a few years of being bullied because, as I said, I didn’t know where else to turn. I would come home from school and I would lock myself in my room and start harming myself. Unfortunately, wI looks back on it now and to be honest with you I wish I never turned to self-harm.

Engaging in these behaviours daily meant they became a part of my routine. Until someone found out. It was one of my friends who later decided to tell my parents. It was just so frightening to hear. Thankfully, I reflect on it now and I couldn’t be more grateful for her decision because she was just looking out for me and she meant well!

My parents sat me down that same day and asked me why, why didn’t I tell them how I was feeling. So my reply was, “Because I was afraid that you didn’t care and would get angry with me”. I don’t know why I thought that and to this day I still don’t have a reason why.
They referred me to a specialist, a therapist who had experience in helping and supporting teenagers who go through stuff like this. The therapist I went to see was called Dr Lanzo and he was so funny I really got on well with him and the main thing was I felt comfortable with him.

The sessions I had with him were so helpful! He didn’t ask me straight away why I was self-harming, he got to know me and find out my background first. I think that is really important for the therapist to do, it makes the patient feel comfortable.
So after getting to know me, he delved into what the problem was and how he and I should resolve it. We started doing exercises that would help prevent me from turning to self-harm when I got in a depressive episode. These exercises were ones I could do at home, allowing me to extend my sessions beyond the therapy room. One of these exercises I really used regularly was journaling. I would have my own journal and I would do little tasks in it that would be helpful to me.

Later I looked on Pinterest for more activities for me to do and there was so many that I never thought of. Here’s the link to what I found; https://www.pinterest.co.uk/search/pins/?q=journal%20inspiration&rs=rs&eq=&etslf=2358&term_meta[]=journal%7Crecentsearch%7C1&term_meta[]=inspiration%7Crecentsearch%7C1

I still use these exercises to this day because I love and enjoy doing them. It also motivates me each day! Some of my favourite ones though have to be; planning out my daily routine, things that make me happy and things that inspire me.
Simple things like this can help you in your day-to-day life and make it much happier. My mood swings have changed dramatically since I’ve started this activity scheme. I surprise myself each day and it’s actually fun in some ways to learn something new about myself.

I started YouTube back in 2012 because of the learning scheme I started to use. My Youtube has become a big part of my life now and I would never look back! My Youtube is like a personal journal to me and also a thing to look back on old memories.
I never knew starting my own channel would become such an important part of my life, it’s like I’m showing people my life in a movie. I think I’ll do a separate article on how my Youtube entered my life and how it’s going right now. So, make sure you keep an eye out for that one! If you’re interested in what I have said and would like to visit my channel here is a direct link; https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGFmBAacICpZ4iZtNp3PKXA?view_as=subscriber -Mel <3

Milk and honey

17/10/2018

What is the book about?
Rupi Kaur wrote this wonderful yet curious book about short poems that to me describe a hurt past she once had. It may not be about her past but maybe a loved one of hers or even a friend, but there are four chapters that show a tragic past and that it takes time to heal. Them four chapters are ‘The hurting’, ‘the loving’, ‘the breaking’ and ‘the healing’. Here are a few of my favourite poems from the book;

“You plough into me with two fingers and I mostly shocked. It feels like rubber against an open wound. I do not like it. You begin pushing faster and faster. But I feel nothing. You search my face for a reaction so I begin acting like the naked woman in the videos you watch when you think no one’s looking. I imitate their moans. Hollow so quickly it sounds rehearsed but the acting. You do not notice”. So, this poem I chosen is from the first chapter ‘The hurting’. The reason I like this poem is because it explains how love can be shown in many different ways and tells us that this so called ‘love’ is not always happy love. There are people out there struggling with relationships because they don’t know how to tell their partner how they really feel because they are scared of their partner’s response.

“He says I am sorry I am not an easy person to want. I look at him surprised. Who said I wanted easy? I don’t crave easy, I crave goddamn difficult”. This poem is from the second chapter ‘The loving’. I chosen this poem because it shows that not every girl is the same, she wants a challenge, a reason to fight for her love. Not just to be handed on a plate to her. That’s easy love, not a love worth fighting for! I believe that’s the adventure and pure in a relationship, where you get through the hard times together and it makes you both stronger each day.
“You were temptingly beautiful but stung when I got close”. This poem is from the third chapter ‘The breaking’. This poem tells me that beauty can hide a lot of lies. You got to get to know the person before you make a decision if you like them or not. Just because the person you seen looks pretty or handsome, don’t mean they have a heart of gold. Many people have stories and hide their past and you never know they might drag you down with them. Make your life harder because theirs is too. Just take my advice; get to know the person before making a move.

“There is a difference between someone telling you they love you and them actually loving you”. And lastly, this poem is from the last chapter ‘The healing’. I really connect to this short poem as my last relationship I was in felt like it was just all an act. The person I was seeing at first was so sweet and thoughtful but a couple of months into the relationship I could see the ‘love’ slipping away like it never existed. I found out that they were cheating behind my back but this wasn’t to be known until the end of the relationship after we had an argument. This person would tell me straight to my face that they loved me. Now I know that wasn’t true, but was it ever?

I would highly recommend this book to people who are going through a hard time in life, not just love life but any tragic moment they have experience. It makes you think about life and when I read it, it made me feel like I have to look after myself and put myself first for once. Stop letting people into my life so they can just use me like a pen then just drop me to the floor and not bothering to pick it back up again. This is your life, live it!
I wanted to read this book because many of my friends recommended it, at first I was a bit sceptical about it but once I got into reading it I became hooked! Just seeing how an author can create and put together such a unique book still inspires me to not just hide my creativity but to share it with the world.
-Mel.

A sad goodbye for a new hello

20/9/2018

Do you ever catch yourself smiling while playing with or watching your pets? They’re just creatures, but also your little goof balls. Your protectors. Your emotional support. Your comfort. They make you happy and you don’t really think about how much so until you catch yourself smiling while they’re just being themselves.
We wonder sometimes ‘What do we do to deserve such understanding animals’? Yes, they may not be able to give you a straight, simple answer to why you are having depressive episodes but they are there to be your shoulder to cry on.

Two years ago, I got my first pet which was a dog called Ralphy and he was everything to me. I adopted him off this couple that was having a baby and needed a new home for him. I began to get to know Ralphy before I adopted him, so I took him for walks so the couple didn’t have to worry about looking after him whilst they had stuff going on. Then, the day came for Ralphy to come home, little did I know he’d be going back there in the next couple of days.. Why you may ask? Well, my mother didn’t like the ‘mess’ he was leaving and I explained to her surely you can’t just take him away from me just like that? The mess he was leaving wasn’t even bad, it was just simple dog hair. So, after all that happened I was torn apart. I always wanted a dog and I finally got one then it was taken away from me.
But then, my parents decided I could adopt a cat. So I decided I wanted to rescue one, so I went to my local cat rescue to see what they had to offer. When I got to the cat rescue, I met some of the cats and the one that came up to me was a black and white male cat. I fell in love with him and decided he was the one! I named him Baloo ( like Baloo the bear out of The Jungle Book ). When I got him home it was like he’s been living there for ages he just settled in so well. It was unbelievable how well he settled, he loved the area we lived in.
A couple of months past and one day something just seemed odd to me. Something didn’t seem right, Baloo didn’t come home for two nights. I was worried, so the next day my parents went out looking for him and I stayed at home just in case he came back. Then, I seen my mom with a black bin bag walking across the road from our neighbours.. I just knew then, he was gone. My mom walked in and explained that the neighbour said he found Baloo dead in his garden and he thinks it’s due to poisoning. I just broken down and it felt like a part of my heart was torn out. Straight away I wanted to bury him in my back garden, so we did.

Months past, my parents sat me down and told me I could adopt another cat from the rescue center. Thoughts were going through my head like ‘Isn’t it a bit too soon’? ‘Surely, I can’t replace Baloo’? I had to think about it for a while till I came to the decision that I was ready to adopt a new cat. So, I went back to the rescue center and I came back out with a ginger male cat called Alfie. It took me a while to get used to the fact that we had a new member to the family and it wasn’t Baloo. Even mom was calling him Baloo.
My mental health began to get bad again, I suffer bad with Bulimia Nervosa and depression and this time my bulimia was happening every night after my parents went to bed. I had no control over what was happening, I would make myself sick then that would lead into my depression getting worse etc. But, then Alfie came into my room one night and just curled up beside me and started purring against me. For the first time in a long while, I felt like someone cared and that someone was an animal. Animals are good therapists even though they can’t answer you it doesn’t mean they cannot help you. I surely learnt that from Alfie and now I couldn’t imagine my life without Alfie we’ve just grown so close and I’m so thankful he came into my life when I needed him.
This one’s for you Baloo and Alfie!

-Mel

Be proud of your pride

31/8/2018

OWN EXPERIENCE
You need to be very comfortable with your sexuality, and open about it. Personally, as a bisexual, I tell people a lot, because it helps others to feel secure about expressing their own sexualities. Particularly bisexuals are seen as inferior, or just ‘in a phase’ so it’s good to talk about it a lot, to involve yourself in LGBT+ events and clubs, go to Pride, make sure you are visible and there for the community.

As soon as people are aware of you, and your openness, the gays will flock to you. Whether it’s for friendship or something more, the LGBT+ community is a group of minorities, and there’s solace in finding others like you. So, be proud of yourself, be open about your attraction to girls and boys, let other people hear you speak about it, and the ones that feel the same will bond with you.
That’s the best advice I can give you for finding girls that like girls. Then, if someone in particular catches your eye, tell them! It’s a lonely thing, being gay and not knowing how to relate it to others. People will want companionship, or relationships as much as you! Be brave, sweetheart. You can be the very thing that helps someone in the same situation, simply by being yourself.

STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF
Circle of positive energy gets created when you think of positive thoughts. Thoughts will manifest as positive actions. Those actions will make you feel good and think of good thoughts. So the circle continued to spin itself.

Take being scared, take being anxious and not knowing what the hell is going on. Take that to motivate yourself. It’s hard, I am learning how to do it myself too. But it’s all a learning experience. You learn along the way; you don’t learn right away. Just understand that it is okay to be sad. It’s up to you to get better with yourself, because if you’re not good with yourself you can’t be with other people. But still, we are here to help each other, to teach each other, to grow with each other.

Everybody is comparing, they’re so judgemental, they’re so scared to be themselves, they’re so scared to share experiences. Everyone is so fake, and when some people are being themselves, they just criticise them to the point where they don’t even know to be themselves anymore.

- Mel

Dealing with a friend's death

23/8/2018

This is a subject we all don’t want to experience but sometime in our lives we’ll have to. It can be a tough situation to go through alone and if that person was very close to you. Lucky, for me I had my friends to support me through this experience.

Several years ago in 2015, my friend Chelsey Sharp passed away from a blood clot. At the time I didn’t know what a blood clot was. So I done some research. I had more of an understanding of what one was and how difficult it must of been for Chelsey and her family. My research consisted of visiting these sites; https://www.healthline.com/health/blood-clot-in-arm
https://www.belmarrahealth.com/blood-clot-arm-symptoms-causes-home-treatment/
https://www.stoptheclot.org/learn_more/blood_clot_symptoms__dvt.htm

So the information I came across explained that a blood clot forms normally from an open cut or womb. When you get this cut or womb the blood normally forms a clot that stops the bleeding. But for this to form a blood clot that is damaging your veins or arteries form a semi-solid lump. And if this continues deep into your body this is known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT). This is what my friend. Chelsey had.
There are many other kinds of blood clots and you can find that information on the links provided above.

Dealing with the news that Chelsey’s mom told me didn’t sink in at first. It felt like my heart had just been torn out of my own body. It was damaging and it was just hard to take in I guess. But after this blown over, I finally came to terms that my friend had died. Dealing with this over the next couple of weeks was tough. I hardly ate or drank. Didn’t leave the house or see any of my friends. I just felt like I had to punish myself because I was blaming myself for her death, when it wasn’t my fault. But at the time, that’s how I felt. I felt like I could of helped her more, been there more for her. As she lived in Scotland and I live in Wales, it was pretty hard to see her at times. Before she died, I got a job up near where she lived as soon as I was told she became sick and had to stay in hospital. The last time I visited her, I didn’t know that was the last time I would see her. I still think about her smile, how she stayed so strong during this hard situation she was in. Chelsey was the one I looked up to most. Even though she was a year older than me. The adventures we had, the places we explored. It was the memories that made me feel close to her.

After these couple of weeks past, my friends helped me get back on track. They explained to me that this wasn’t my fault, her death was a natural cause. There was nothing I could do but support and love her. They said that Chesley would of been so grateful for me to travel up to Scotland to just see her in hospital as not many people would of done that for a friend.
They also said that Chelsey would of wanted you to be happy and healthy. Not to be punishing myself for what happened. Chelsey was so outgoing and down to earth, she would never give up .So, that’s what I did, I kept her memory alive. I got up each morning, thinking right today is a new day and I got to make the most of it because that’s what Chels would of wanted.

When the funeral took place I attended with her mom to support her. Seeing her coffin go down into the ground was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to deal with. But I knew deep down, Chels was at peace and not in pain anymore. Seeing her mom do the speech was so inspiring because she stayed so so strong. It was a beautiful send off that Chels deserved.

So now, writing this article. It is hard to just go back to what happened, but Chels would of wanted me to tell her story and to keep her memory wide open and known. I’m so thankful I got to know her because she became a huge part of my life.
What I didn’t know would happen is I would lose a friend but then get introduced to a new friend that became such an important part of my life. So I believe Chels done this to help me, so we could support each other with our loss.
So, for you reading this, I would say make the most of what you got in life. You never know what’s around the corner. Appreciate everyone who walks into your life. One day they might not be there. -Mel

facing the truth of bulimia nervosa

23/8/2018

Why have I chosen ‘bulimia nervosa’ as the subject of today’s article you may ask. Well, I thought it would be a suitable yet a helpful article for the TWE site. I’ve been experiencing bulimia for most of my teenage years. My ‘problems’ started in high school, where everyone sees this certain image you have to be, to be accepted by. That’s when the restricting started. I would hold back from food, I would make up excuses like “I’ve already ate” or “I’m not hungry”. Back then I had no clue what damage I was doing but nearly half a year later my body finally let me know. I collapsed. I was rushed to my local hospital. I went for tests to check my sugar levels and all the other ordinary tests. When I had woken back up, I had my family to answer to. I was so scared about telling them what I was doing.

tried and tried to hold the truth in, but, it just came out when the doctors said that I was underweight.
After this I explained to my family why I was restricting myself. I talked about how I didn’t want to set foot back into that school because of the bullying so, in turn, my parents moved me schools and forced me to start therapy. At this point, I didn’t believe in recovery. I didn’t believe I deserved to recover or to be happy again. Reading up on these websites that had been especially designed for people like me to find and be tricked into thinking this was the way forward. Let me tell you now, it wasn’t and should never be! Society today is more accepting but, there is still bullying going on! Just because of weight, size, sexuality and even hair colour. That’s where it needs to change!

So as my therapy started, a few months down the line I seen a change in my health. I did get healthier and yes I was eating. But there was still that thought in the back of my head that kept screaming that I needed to lose more weight. That’s when I met bulimia nervosa. I would binge on food that I hadn’t ate for years due to the whole restricting myself. Then I would go to the bathroom to make myself purge. It was not a pretty sight let me tell you that, but at the current moment in time it felt that I had to do it.

Then, it became a habit and soon led to an addiction.

I would stop socialising, stop going out to places with my parents and overall just kept myself to myself! I always stayed in the house, my mood went up and down. Also, I started to bunk off school which later affected my grades. If you asked me now do I regret skipping school then my answer is a strong yes! But I can’t change what happened in the past but what I can do is work on my future!
So, as this began to happen I didn’t realise what I was doing to my physical health and wellbeing. I just want to advise anyone who is going through this or reading this right now, it’s not worth it. It’s not worth putting your body through this physical harm. So I really recommend going to see a specialist or even just opening up to someone like a family member or trusted friend. Also, the team here at Teenagers with Experience are more than happy to help you out and give you advice on your current situation. We are here to help you through the tough times, we just want to see you smiling again. That’s a wrap from me! -Mel.

Here are a few links for you to check out for further information;

Article by Rebecca who is apart of the TWE team about eating disorders and how they are not gender based - https://teenagerswithexperience.weebly.com/rebeccas-articles/eating-disorders-are-not-gender-based
Rehab treatment - https://www.rehab4addiction.co.uk/bulimia-signs-symptoms-treatments?gclid=CjwKCAjwjZjZBRAZEiwAPeLSK-840tGTeQehpAjTWeNzP_1xF46iQd_yGiWUsJ-gqkmU6jv9Z7R0DhoCZvcQAvD_BwE
More information about the mental illness and helplines - http://www.priorygroup.com/eating-disorders/bulimia-nervosa

Mel in Wonderland

23/8/2018

If you all know me personally, you’ll know that I adore Alice in Wonderland and her adventures. The reason I connect to Alice so much is because the way Lewis Carroll has written these stories are so relatable to my life and it feels like Lewis has just taken my life and put it into a book.

Lewis Carroll told this story about a little girl called Alice who he related to one of the sisters he told this story to. These sisters were known as the Liddell sisters and when they were told this story they were on a boat trip with Lewis. Ten-year-old Alice Liddell, delighted by the tale, asked him for a written copy of the story.

So, how did Lewis come up with all these odd characters in the book like my favourite, the mad hatter. Well, the little girl that Lewis was looking after told him about people in her life that gave him ideas for these fascinating characters.
In one Wonderland scene, Alice runs a race in circles with a dodo and a flock of other birds and animals. The dodo is supposed to be Carroll, whom everyone knew as Mr. Dodgson. He had a stammer, and sometimes haltingly introduced himself as "Dodo-Dodgson,"

My personal favourite scene in the book is when Alice meets the mad hatter and the marched-heir at a tea party they are having. The table they are sitting is so long a whole class of children could sit around it and enjoy a cup of tea!
Oddly, Adlice joins them for a cup of tea but then she doesn’t know what kind of party she is in for. The mad hatter and marched-heir begin to sing a song to Alice about her ‘Unbirthday’. An unbirthday is the days your birthday isn’t on. So the mad hatter and marched-heir have a unbirthday party everyday mostly.

Wonderland may be an absurd place, but it's surprisingly logical at times. Perhaps that's because Carroll, who taught mathematics for 26 years at Christ Church at the University of Oxford, infused logic into his writing and games.

In "Syzygies," a game Carroll created, players change letters in one word to make another. For example, walrus; peruse; harper; carpenter. The story Lewis came up with was so unique because many children's books in the 1800s taught morals or lessons. Not Alice.