I LIVE IN IRELAND!

Another in our series of readers who live all around the world… this time, meet Caoimhe, who lives in Ireland!

Caoimhe says:
I live in Co Cork in the south west of Ireland, in the countryside. I live on a farm with my mum, dad, brother, two sisters and what seems like a gazillion cows! A lot of Irish people live in the countryside though there are big towns and cities too! We get a lot of rain in Ireland but last summer was a heatwave and so far this summer has been good! I help out on the farm, but I prefer fashion, music and art - I'd love to be a fashion designer some day!

We are big into sports here in Ireland - especially Gaelic Football, Hurling and Rugby. Many schools do a sports competition called Sciath Na Scoil for 5th, 6th and sometimes 4th year… that's the equivalent of the firts two years of secondary and the last of primary. The gilrs team from my school won the Sciath Na Scoil finals this year! The biggest festival in Ireland is definitely St Patrick's Day, which is now celebrated all over the world. We have a 'wear green' day at school, and decorate with St Patrick's Day decorations. Then, on the day, everyone goes to the local parade dressed in green, white and orange. The biggest parade is in Dublin, which is filmed live on national TV!

Ireland has some amazing landscapes and great wildlife, including swans, dolphins and whales. There is a famous wild bottle-nose dolphin, Funghi, who lives near Dingle, Kerry, and is a big tourist attraction - people come back to see him over and over! Ireland is mostly Roman Catholic, but we also have Church of Ireland, Orthodox and Islam. My dad is very religious and goes to church every Sunday. I go to mass on a Sunday night because it's shorter! Irish food is very traditional though we do have take-aways and pizza of course! Bacon, cabbage and spuds are popular, as are barm brack, cottage pie and black pudding. When my mum was younger she used to make it with her granny - it's made of pig's blood!

Boxty, potato pancake, is another staple. The most famous Irish food is the potato… during the Irish Famine of the 1840s the potatoes rotted and millions of people starved or emigrated. Some Irish history is very sad, but it's rich too… from legends of the Fionna to Viking raids, we've had it all!

The irish language is very old and people fly from all over the world to Ireland just to learn it. We have to learn it in school which isn't much fun as everything is said backwards (an example - hot = te, chocolate = seaclaid, hot chocolate = seaclaid te. Does that make sense to anyone?) Tá súil agam gur féidir leat teacht ar fad someday a fheiceáil ar an Oileán Emerald. Slán!


Cathy says:
Ireland is one of my very favourite places to visit, so I loved Caiomhe's feature - and now I can say 'hot chocolate' in Irish, too! COMMENT BELOW to share your views on Ireland or to let me know if you'd like to write about YOUR country for DREAMCATCHER!

I'M HAVING NIGHTMARES...

Another in our series of readers problems… as solved by one of the Chocolate Box Girls, with a little help from YOU! This time, it's SKYE'S turn to offer some advice…

Ari says:
I used to be able to sleep with no problem, but recently I've been having bad dreams and that makes me scared of going to sleep. I've been keeping the lights on but even so, most nights I'm so wound up I just can't get to sleep at all. I lie awake for hours and usually end up playing on my iPad or reading an e-book to take my mind of the nightmares. I seem to fall asleep about two or three and then I sleep in and end up exhausted at school… how can I break the pattern?

Skye says:
Dreams can be very unsettling, I know. A while ago, I had a series of very weird dreams which made me wary of falling asleep… not because they were bad dreams, but because they seemed more real than my actual life. The thing I learned from that is that dreams are just a reflection of your worries and thoughts, and nothing more. If you're having nightmares, it's probably that your subconscious is trying to make sense of something that's going on in your real life. Is there someone you can talk things through with so you can keep things in perspective?
Sleep-wise, try having a lazy bath before bed and relax with a book (not an e-book) or some relaxing music before trying to sleep. Make sure the room is dark, and banish iPads, laptops and mobile phones from the bedroom… they won't help you sleep, just the opposite. I honestly think that sorting out your daylight worries will put a stop to the nightmares, but if they continue, try taking control of them - change the script and take charge (in the dream!) to create a different outcome. Your mind is creating the dreams, so YOU are in charge - you can change everything if you choose to. Once the pattern is broken, your stress and fears about sleeping should fade away and everything should be better! Hope so!

Cathy says:
Do you agree with Skye? Have YOU got any extra advice for Ari? COMMENT BELOW to offer your own suggestions or share your own experiences of coping with sleepless nights!

CAN… YOU… HEAR… ME?!!

Reader Blue tells us what it's like to grow up deaf… 

Blue says:

I've been deaf since I was two; apparently the only case of deafness caused by chicken pox that any of my audiologists had ever come across. I got my hearing aids when I was five because people kept assuming I was ignoring them when actually it was just that I couldn't hear them. Growing up deaf wasn't too different from growing up hearing (I imagine!) except that my teachers had to be informed and instructed to speak up around me and to face me so that I could lipread. My hearing aids amplify speech, but also all background noises too, so I partially rely on lipreading as well. I also got taken out of class every few weeks to meet with a 'deaf teacher'. I think this was like speech therapy but my memory's a bit fuzzy! 

I got speech therapy outside school too, so my accent is a bit mixed up and perhaps because of this I got horrendously bullied for my voice throughout school. It made me very self-conscious when speaking in public. On the rare occasions I did speak, someone would repeat what I said with a deliberate lisp and I got cruel comments about how I spoke. In spite of this, I don't feel ashamed of being deaf - the bullies would have found something to pick on. Besides, as you can see from the picture, neither deafness nor bullying stopped me from being happy as a child… perhaps those things have actually made me who I am today, in a funny kind of a way.

My hearing aids are great, but I do worry about my batteries running out. The batteries died before my French listening prelim exam in S4 which, as you can imagine, was immensely problematic. I try and keep batteries on me at all times these days, for emergencies. I also can't wear my hearing aids near water, so swimming can be difficult. When I went swimming with my class in P7, the instructor kept leaning towards me saying: 'CAN… YOU… HEAR… ME?!!' Hmmm. I suppose she was doing her best but my mind works fine, it's my ears that don't work - I don't enjoy being treated like I'm stupid.

Sometimes I do wish I could hear just like everyone else, but those moments are fleeting. Everyone is different… being deaf is a part of who I am. Besides, my hearing aids are wicked! They're red with red and black patterned moulds. There's even a hole in the moulds to improve air circulation… they're practical and they look awesome. How can that be a bad thing?

Cathy says:

I love Blue's positive, can-do attitude - she's a great role model for anyone with a hearing impairment, because she's proof that it doesn't have to stop you from doing whatever you want to! COMMENT BELOW if you'd like to say something to Blue, or if you'd like to share YOUR own experience of living with a health issue.

READERS TALK ABOUT SWEET HONEY...

So what did YOU think of SWEET HONEY? Five readers share their views on the story - and discuss what FORTUNE COOKIE may be about…

Shannon says:
I'm eighteen years old and I'm a book blogger living in the west of Ireland. I love blogging as you connect with so many others who are passionate about books! Well, I loved SWEET HONEY. The book showed another side of Honey's character and I was totally gripped by her story. I was glued to the book and loved the descriptions of Australia and the new friends and boys she met there…

Charlotte says:
I'm twelve and I thought SWEET HONEY was THE best book of the CHOCOLATE BOX GIRLS series so far. I was fascinated to see what her dad was like and to see a side to Honey that isn't so obvious in the other books. I also really loved the character of Ash… I hope we hear much more about him!

Karine says: 
I'm twenty one and I'm a book blogger from France. I began to read the series Les Filles au Chocolat (Chocolate Box Girls) last year. I began with Coeur Sale (Bittersweet) and I was happy to see that you did not have to read the books in order - although it is of course better that way! I think COEUR VANILLE (SWEET HONEY) is a very good final book for the series - I liked the character of Honey and the way she evolved in the novel. I also liked the strong themes which were part of the story, like the dangers of the internet.


Jess says:
I'm fifteen, and from the moment I started reading SWEET HONEY I couldn't put it down… I love it! For me, it really had the element of surprise… expect the unexpected!

Laura says:
I'm twelve, almost thirteen. I thought SWEET HONEY was a much darker book than the rest of the series… in some ways I didn't like it as much as the others as it wasn't set at Tanglewood and I LOVE Tanglewood so I missed that! I don't really like Honey as a person but find her interesting as a character - and I liked that when she moved to Australia she wasn't completely squeaky clean. I also liked the character of her dad, and how bit by bit Honey was seeing through him and realising he wasn't the perfect dad she'd once believed.

Shannon says:
I agree to some extent, Laura, but I actually liked the change of scene and loved the descriptions of Australia. I think that the person Honey has become by the end of SWEET HONEY is someone I'd want to be friends with! I like her both as a person and a character as she has learned from her past and moved away from her mistakes.

Charlotte says:
I agree with Shannon. It was nice to see a more vulnerable side to Honey - as Dad and Emma did nothing to help and brushed off her attempts to tell them about the cyber-bullying. I found that part of the storyline quite chilling and dramatic. And Karine… I noticed that you say SWEET HONEY is the last book. The great news is that actually it isn't the end of the series… there will be one more, FORTUNE COOKIE, out in Summer 2015! I have never been to France before, so I imagine you haven't yet been told over there about the new book!


Karine says:
Oh… another book in the series? This is AMAZING! Yes, I am surprised, it is very good news! And the title is so mysterious… it makes me want to read the book!

Jess says: 
I love how SWEET HONEY ends on a cliffhanger… there is so much more to find out and still lots of loose ends to tie up. I can't wait for Fortune Cookie as I hope it will reveal some of the answers! I really want to find out what happens to the family… do they all get back together, have happy endings? There are some new characters - and some old ones - I'd like to see again, and it would be amazing if Cherry and Honey make up.

Laura says:
I am really looking forward to FORTUNE COOKIE. I THINK I have worked out which character it's about, but I won't say here… no spoilers! I don't know what to expect at all, but I want to find out!

Shannon says:
I'm so excited to read FORTUNE COOKIE too… I can't imagine what will happen but I know it will be great… and I think there will be lots of captivating twists and turns!

Charlotte says:
I know… I thought that SWEET HONEY was going to be the last book in the series and now I get to enjoy a whole new book. FORTUNE COOKIE is going to be great… maybe even better than SWEET HONEY. If that's possible!

Check out Shannon's book blog here:
http://adventuresofateenagebookworm.blogspot.ie/?m=1

And if your French is good, check out Karine's book blog here:
http://encre-reve.blogspot.fr/2014/07/les-filles-au-chocolat-tome-5-coeur.html?m=1

Cathy says:
It's great to get such amazing feedback on SWEET HONEY… lots of readers have declared it is their favourite, and there's such a buzz about the next book, FORTUNE COOKIE! What do you think? COMMENT BELOW if you want to join in the discussion… but no 'spoilers' please as some readers may not have read SWEET HONEY yet! (Why not? Are they crazy?!!)

CATHY'S VINTAGE AFTERNOON TEA!

When the lovely Manchester Children's Book Festival asked Cathy if she'd like to host a fab vintage afternoon tea with her lovely readers, she said yes… books, cake and vintage dresses… what's not to like? Find out how it went!

Luisa says:
I came to the Vintage Tea Party with my best friend Grace and the whole afternoon was Cathy and Cake-a-licious! Cathy was amazing and really inspiring and generous with her time, and I loved finding out about the DREAMCATCHER blog. The lasting message I will remember is when Cathy told us not to give up on our dreams, even if they don't happen right away…



Grace says:
It was a fabulous experience to meet such an amazing author - and in a very elegant and stylish place! Cathy Cassidy was very friendly and kindly generous with her time. Loved it!

Niamh says:
I loved meeting cathy at the Afternoon Tea - she sat next to me at one point! I loved meeting Cathy - she was really kind and funny, with a mild addiction to cakes… but hey, I have that addiction too! There were all kinds of cakes, they were so pretty, but the carrot cake was probably my favourite… it was VERY nice! The whole afternoon was a great experience and one I will never forget!

Isabella says:
I had a great time at the Vintage Afternoon Tea… it was a fantastic literary experience. Cathy talked to us about daydreaming, and told us she had some foolproof daydreaming tips… I am going to email to find out what they are, because I am in desperate need of them! We got to ask some questions and she said whoever was brave enough to put their hand up first got a small chocolate bunny! She then came round to each table to chat and sign books and get photos taken with her fans. The whole thing was extraordinary!  I had such a great day!

Daisy says:
It was amazing to meet Cathy at the Afternoon Tea… I asked her to sign my phone and she did, and said it was the first time she'd ever done that! I really enjoyed myself… so much fun!

Leah says:
I loved the Afternoon Tea and it was great to meet Cathy. I gave her a pencil with a loom band wrap around it and she really liked it!

Catherine says:
I was at the Vintage Tea Party in Manchester. Cathy gave a talk and then moved around from table to table meeting everyone personally and signing their books and answering questions. I was on the last table she came to, but I didn't mind as she spent the longest time with us! I told her my name was Catherine 'with a C and an E'… and she said her name was spelt just the same! She said she liked that I had taken the dust covers off the books, too…

Cathy says:
I loved the format of this event… talk, questions, and then a proper chat with readers and their families as I signed everyone's books! The Waterstones book stall sold out of books and had to nip back to the shop for more… which was pretty amazing! I was given some lovely gifts, from the loom-band decorated pencil to a gorgeous tin of cookies and several cards and letters… thank you all! My favourite story was of the family from Limerick in Ireland who flew to Manchester for the day as a special treat for one lucky girl… that was the coolest thing ever! And of course, readers all around the room were making friends with each other as they chatted and nibbled on those awesome cakes!

Have YOU ever been to a Cathy Cassidy event? What was it like? POST BELOW to comment on the Afternoon Tea Party or to share your own experience!

MEGAN-ROSE: I CAN TELL MY MUM ANYTHING...

In another of our occasional family features, mum and daughter team Cathie and Megan-Rose talk about what makes their relationship unique…

Cathie (mum) says:
I left a seventeen year gap between having my two daughters. The plan was that my first-born, Cassandra, would look after her little sister Megan-Rose as time passed. Having Megan-Rose when I was forty makes me older than some of her friend's grandmothers now that she is seventeen! Cassanadra takes her out clubbing and to gigs and festivals, which was not really what I had in mind, so I sometimes have to tag along to make sure they don't get up to mischief! So… no, not the usual mother/daughter relationship of baking cookies and braiding each others hair!

I am a writer and work from home a lot, and my paid job is with the Scottish Government, TOP SECRET stuff. I try to give Megan-Rose opportunities to travel and have new experiences; for example, she has a fabulous riding holiday in Cornwall living at an equestrian centre for a week and made new friends from all over the world. Megan-Rose has my sense of humour and positivity. She appreciates that I have boundaries and she sticks to them. I have no doubt that Megan-Rose will have a happy and successful life!

Megan-Rose (daughter) says:
My friends all love my mum. We argue about my room being a mess, but I'm a teenager, that's my job! I can tell Mum anything and she never gets angry but tells me honestly what she thinks and gives great advice. We have 'morsel' nights on Fridays when we just basically munch our way through snacks and treats instead of a proper dinner. Mum never pushes me but she does support me and through her I've experienced many things; theatre, dance, riding and having dinner up in the sky in Edinburgh with the cast of Fawlty Towers (honestly!). I have been to Gay pride in Manchester and the mosque in Glasgow.
Mum took me on a surprise trip to New York and we rode over Brooklyn Bridge with our heads sticking out of the window of a limo. We're not rich, but mum works hard and goes without things herself so I can enjoy growing up. I plan to go to uni and become a lawyer, and one day I will build Mum a cottage in the country, near a beach, with no signals for TV, phone or wi-fi, because that's her dream.

Cathy says:
I love the bond between this mum-and-daughter team… it's unshakeable! COMMENT BELOW to tell me what you think about Cathie and Megan-Rose's relationship, or to tell us about YOUR amazing mum!

A TRIP TO THE UK!!!

Reader Lucy from Czech Republic recently visited the UK with her boyfriend Tom as part of a school trip… she tells us all about it!

Lucy says:
First of all, we stopped off in Paris… I had visited before so it wasn't a surprise, but I love the Eiffel Tower, Sacre Coeur and the Champs Elysees… I am really into Paris! We slept overnight in Calais and took a ferry to Dover next morning. I had never been on a ship before, so this was a new experience for me! We spent the first few hours in England at Beachy Head, beautiful white cliffs on the edge of the ocean… but it was very windy, so then we moved on to Brighton and later Plymouth. I noticed at once that the people of Britain seem to be very proud of their houses and make them pretty in a way that is not so common in Czech Republic.

We arrived in Plymouth in the evening and met our host families… mine was so nice! We visited so many places in the next few days… Plymouth, Tintagel (the castle of King Arthur), Dartmoor, Minnack Theatre, Lands End, St Michael's Mount and many more places. I felt that the British shopkeepers were very friendly and patient with anyone browsing around - they didn't seem to get cross if you didn't buy things, which shopkeepers back home might have done! Even the red telephone boxes were different, and very cool. I spent my birthday in Plymouth and had the best time ever - I had always wanted to be by the sea on my birthday! My host family even sang me 'Happy Birthday' - we do not usually do this in Czech Republic, and it was great!

After three days we said goodbye to our host families and went to London, visiting Exeter and Glastonbury on the way. We met our new host family who were also lovely… I was surprised to see the family wearing shoes inside the house, as we never do this in Czech Republic! In London, we visited Covent Garden, Soho, Chelsea football stadium, Big Ben and the London Eye… what a day! After all that, we got on the bus ready to head for home, but I have to say that the UK really impressed me. I would love to come back again one day!

Cathy says:
Wow… how cool to see the UK through different eyes! I loved Lucy's account of her school trip… if you did too, COMMENT BELOW and share your views and experiences too!

CLASSICS YOU JUST HAVE TO READ...

Children's classics: dull and old-fashioned, or brilliant, gripping stories that have stood the test of time? We ask readers to tell us about their favourite classic books...

Lauren says:
Rudyard Kipling - best known for 'The Jungle Book', right? Well, I like 'Rewards and Fairies' better; the fairytales are sometimes amusing, sometimes tragic and sometimes rather creepy! Along with The People of The Hill (that's another name for the fairies, by the way) are historical characters like  Queen Elizabeth, so effortlessly woven into the story that it doesn't seem at all strange! These are not stories for the nursery - they are stories with darkness, like in 'The Knife and the Naked Chalk.' As Kipling himself once wrote, 'The tales had to be read by children, before people realised they were meant for adults.' Regardless of how old you are, I believe this book is well worth taking the time to read!

Isobel says:
The classic I love the most is Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery. When I was first given the book I thought it looked very old fashioned and a bit boring; then I turned to the first page and was sucked onto the world of Avonlea! The book tells the story of Anne Shirley, who is adopted by Matthew and Marilla, a brother and sister with a farm. It's happy and sad, filled with mistakes and friendship problems, boy problems too... and none of this is helped by Anne and her vivid imagination; she has her share of hair-raising adventures! I thoroughly recommend this book - I would read it over and over again!

Mina says:
My favourite classic is A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett. It transports you back to post Victorian England and makes you love Sara, the main character. When her father dies she faces the sorrow so bravely. Her clothes and the rich fabrics they are made from are described so beautifully you can almost feel them; then she is suddenly plunged into poverty and you can see how much she has lost. It is literally the opposite of rags to riches! It truly is a magical story, and one of my all-time favourites - I love it!

Grace says:
I would pick a book called The Children of the New Forest by Captain Marryat. It's a little old fashioned, but once you get used to that it is a beautiful story about a family of children during the English Civil War.
I love the historical setting and the story is so gripping. It's just magical - and it's the book that got me into writing. It's also one of the longest novels I have ever read - I am a fast reader but this took me two days to read. I have re-read it again and again since then and I think I don't think I will ever get tired of it.

Blue says:
I spent my childhood and early teens reading 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' by Lemony Snicket; the series chronicles the lives of Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire, after the death of their parents. Snicket has a writing style I absolutely adore and the books are humorous too - one minute you're tense and jittery at some unfortunate event plaguing the courageous siblings, and the next you're in hysterics. I consider the series to be modern classics - they're popular with my generation but I caught my mum reading them too! They're set in a time period that isn't quite discernible so I don't think they'll go out of fashion or lose their relevance. I love the beautiful illustrations by Brett Helquist, too. The books symbolise all that was good about my childhood and may be the reason I became such a voracious reader in the first place!


Cathy says:
I LOVE these suggestions... I've read some of them, and totally agree! What's YOUR fave classic read? COMMENT BELOW and share your views!

I'M NOT GOOD ENOUGH...

More in our series of readers' problems, solved by our very own Chocolate Box Girls… and you, of course! This time, SUMMER tries to solve things…

Marla says:
I am in Year Seven at a private all-girls school where the standards are very high. We are taught that only our best is good enough, and that we can achieve anything we want to do as long as we work super-hard for it. My problem is that I am starting to fall behind in some subjects; maths, physics and chemistry are almost torture for me. My teachers in those subjects know there is a problem, and some have asked me to stay behind to discuss it, but I can't - if they realised how much I'm struggling I could be thrown out of school. I am trying as hard as I can, but it's not enough. We didn't have exams this year, but next year we will, and my secret will be out. If I fail - or, worse, if I'm thrown out - I won't know how to face my parents. They would be so, so disappointed in me.

Summer says:
I think we have a lot in common - you sound like a girl with very high standards, someone who pushes herself hard. That can be a problem - you might be pushing yourself TOO hard. OK, you are not excelling in every subject, but that doesn't mean you're failing or in danger of being thrown out of school… I suspect you're being way too hard on yourself. Your teachers want to talk to you so that they can help you, by offering extra tuition or just explaining things more clearly for you. Accept their help… they're on YOUR side.
I actually know what I'm saying here… I lost the plot and allowed the pressure to get to me last year, not with school work but with dance, which actually means more to me than almost anything. I ended up in LOTS of trouble, and I am still struggling hard to get back on an even keel. If I could go back, I would do things differently. I'd ask for help from my teachers, and I'd tell people how scared and pressured I was feeling. If I'd done those things I think things could have turned out very differently. It's not too late for you - talk to your teachers and get some practical help with your work as well as some emotional support to handle the pressure. Give yourself a break… you're doing great, I promise.

Cathy says:
Do you agree with Summer? What advice would YOU give to Marla? COMMENT BELOW to share your suggestions!

CONFIDENCE TRICKS...

Reader Ellie studies drama… and some of the skills she has learnt have helped to boost her confidence! Read on to find out how…

Ellie says:
My Drama and Theatre Studies course is by far my favourite from the four A levels I am taking. I have grown a lot on the course and and I feel a little less shy than I did at the start, which is a big thing for me! The course is brilliant for helping you to come out of your shell… if I can do it, you can do it! One of the best things about it is that the class are genuinely close - we get on really well, and that means we trust each other. Drama helps with shyness because you have to communicate with classmates in your practical work and learn to step outside your comfort zone… it's not easy to start with, but once you try you quickly learn that you WILL survive! And each time, it gets a little easier.
The part I loved most was our recent performance of The Ancient Mariner - it was our first performance and we had to work closely as a team. Performing in a play with your mates is good fun and definitely helps your teamwork skills!
You do have to be dedicated to turn up to rehearsals and get written work in on time, but there are no exams in the first year… phew! I'd recommend this A level to anyone interested in theatre and drama, and also to anyone looking for a career where good team-work and communication skills are required.

Most colleges don't ask for lots of experience for the course, too, so it's not a massive disadvantage if you are new to drama. For me, the biggest change has been to my self-esteem… I am quite a shy, quiet person, but rehearsing and performing in a group is a great confidence builder. And of course, when you get positive feedback about your practical work, that is a great boost for the self-esteem and chips away at the shyness.
I recently volunteered as a Chocolate Fairy at one of Cathy Cassidy's bookshop signings… that's something I may not have had the courage to do before! I took along a friend, Iqra, from my drama course and we had a great day. Once you learn that shyness doesn't have to stop you, you can do just about anything!

Cathy says:
I know that lots of actors say they are quite shy people… but once onstage, they are able to somehow 'become' the character they are playing and step outside their own shyness. Have you found that acting can be a confidence boost? COMMENT BELOW to share your own tips on beating the blushes!

LIFE HURTS...

Have you ever felt you just can't cope with life? Readers share their stories of what happens when you begin to lose control… and what you can do to turn things around.

Ari says:
I'm fifteen and for four years now I've struggled with self-harm, self-punishment and eating disorders. When I was twelve a longtime friendship ended suddenly, and this upset me; I began surviving on one meal a day and became really hung up on body image. Since then, I've been anorexic and bulimic and even began to self-harm. Slowly, with the help of a close friend, I am recovering; it feels like I have turned around and begun to steer myself in a different direction. I'm sorry it took me so long to be able to do that, but at least things are changing. For anyone struggling with the same kind of issues, remember that nothing will change unless you make it... you can't win the lottery unless you've bought a ticket.

Molly says:
I have suffered from Depression. It started around the time my mum became very ill - I wouldn't go outside, didn't want to go to school, couldn't talk to anyone. I just sad on my bed and did nothing, alone with my thoughts; I stopped eating, and when my dad made me I'd force myself to be sick. My mum died and I didn't want to go on. I tried to end my life but an aunt found me and I was taken to the hospital at once. I now have counsellors and therapists who are great - they have become like family to me. I look back now and feel a little stupid and very sad that I tried to kill myself - my mother would never have wanted that. If you are feeling bad, please speak out - it will help, and there will always be someone out there who cares and can help. I still have counselling every week and I honestly don't know if I'd still be here without it.

Amina says:
My eating disorder began at secondary school. I'd always wanted to be the best in class and I thought eating slowed me down and made me sleepy; I'd skip dinner and read until daybreak. I had constant headaches and looked pale and weak and felt very low, but my grades were good. People began saying I was too thin and the doctors told me to eat, but when you're used to not eating it is very hard to do that. I have left secondary school now and I am determined to put on some weight and become healthy again... so far, things are are going well. If you know you have a problem with food, look in the mirror and tell yourself, 'I can be more than this.' Be strong, even if people tell you you are too thin, too fat, too ugly. Be strong.

Tammi says:
I've had some symptoms of anxiety and depression ever since I can remember. I was exacerbated by my parents' divorce when I was nine and I was sent to my first counsellor who diagnosed me with Generalised Anxiety Disorder. Just as I was starting to get better, I moved to secondary school where I was bullied quite severely. My anxiety began making me physically sick and I missed a lot of school but eventually I spoke out and found the right support. I still have problems, but have better coping mechanisms now... these include yoga, meditation, art and playing a musical instrument. If you have any sort of mental health issue, don't ignore it; tell someone. Your GP, your school nurse, your parents... they can help, as well as organisations like Samaritans, ChildLine and BeatBullying. Don't suffer in silence for as long as I did.

Karen says:
My eating disorder started when I was chosen out of my sports club to play professionally. I was told I needed to up my game a bit, so I did - but I also began to eat less and less. Nobody should ever do this, but I wasn't thinking straight, and one day in the middle of an important match I fainted; I ended up in hospital for a while and because of this I lost my place in the team. Things are much better now - my case was not as bad as it is for some, and I was able to turn things around, but it still cost me a great deal. I began restricting food to try and be fitter and better at sport, and ended up losing that sport altogether. I still sometimes find myself counting calories and I know I'm not quite better yet, so if you feel this may be happening to you, please tell someone before it is too late.

All stories are true, but names have been changed and pics posed by model.

Cathy says:
Mental health issues can take all kinds of forms, and can affect anyone... yet often they are considered a taboo subject. Contact YOUNG MINDS or CHILDLINE if YOU are struggling and would  like to talk to someone about it… help is out there, and your GP is a good starting point. COMMENT BELOW if you'd like to show your support for the readers who've spoken out, or share your own experiences...