Happy New Year! Although I might (dare I admit it?) be a member of the Xmas ‘Bah! Humbug!’ brigade, I do like the feeling of new beginnings that the New Year brings.
How apt that our Roman ancestors named the first month of the year after Janus, their god of doors and gates. Doors and gates serve as both ways out and ways in. I love it that Janus has two faces, one looking forwards and one looking back. The beginning of January seems a good time for looking back at the last year, and forward to the next.
On a global level, the past year has, as always, brought devastating events and situations that we might only learn about through the media, but which will have affected those involved on a very deep and personal level. My own highs and lows are so small in comparison.
Looking back over…
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Leeds Wellbeing Web 
It would be easy and understandable, to feel anger and/or regret at ever having being caught up in the mental health system, I’ve chipped away at my own, as and when I felt able. People have commented on the blog before, about framing these experiences against a political backdrop, that is possibly one way of channelling a sense of injustice.
Lily P.
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Thank you, Lily P, for reblogging my post. Happy New Year to all at Leeds Wellbeing Web.
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Thanks for your New Year wishes, we look forward to hearing more about your past and present experiences, how you manage to channel your anger in the very creative and productive ways you do, writing, speaking and listening to others peoples stories of distress…no easy job.
Su
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Really nice post Jean. I love history and I never knew that Janus was the Roman name for January and that it meant door or gate.. I agree it is apt! I think writing can be cathartic although perhaps ‘re-living’ things can be problematic. Certainly i get ‘stuck’ in the past and it becomes an issue, when I feel a little defeated, my head starts to whirl around and tries to change the past! It can’t be done, ‘You are where you are’ I say to myself.. I’ve done quite a bit of work and read quite a lot about being in the present moment and seeing that a lot of the stressors are either ruminations about the past, or worries about the future. I can momentarily achieve this and it’s a good feeling, kind of feels like I used to feel many moons ago! Although it doesn’t last too long..and of course I need to think of the future to plan and sometimes to look back to reflect… i guess the secret is not to get ‘caught up in it’ but to remain objective – but it’s not an easy task.
Thanks for re-blogging this great post to the LWBW Lily !
Thank You Vicky 🙂
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Also i can understand what you mean with regards to writing your memoirs of a difficult time. I think I would have to be in a very strong place to write in detail about such difficult things. Thanks for sharing x
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Thanks, Vicky. I sometimes lie awake ruminating about past incidents and then I often feel angry with myself if I hadn’t responded assertively at the time. But, as you say so well, we can’t change the past and ‘the secret is not to “get caught up in it” but to remain objective.’ No, it’s not easy, but we’ll get there!
Warmest wishes for 2013 x
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