MELANIE BALL

26, CHARITY WORKER

‘I spent my teens seeking language to describe the intense pain I felt. And for a long time, I thought I would find it in a psychiatric diagnosis. But at 18, told by my psychiatrist that I had ‘emotionally unstable personality disorder’ I felt more confused than relieved. Now, I choose not to use that stigma-laden label. It suggests someone who’s out of control, who can’t be managed. And that’s not fair.

I work for a mental health charity. I was discharged from out-patient mental health services last year and I’m no longer on medication. Instead, I look beyond Western medicine to understand and manage my emotions, seeking help from spiritual and Celtic shamanic traditions.

I rarely feel the need to define myself to others. When I do, I self-describe as someone who has experienced complex trauma. I had an extremely difficult childhood and reacted accordingly and I have no use for a diagnosis that appears to blame my “malfunctioning” brain.’ Mel delivers training for Rethink Mental Illness; rethink.org