This years Mental Elf Event will be held from the 1st December until the 24th December. I am walking and jogging my way around the Southend and Leigh area to reach a grand total goal 54 miles! This is to raise money for the cause! Everyones Mental health has really suffered alot during this pandemic acutely but also with people whom have had long term mental illnesses or have been on recovery journeys that have had it knocked back a peg or too! Isolation, depression and poverty have really hit us all hard. Mind is there to support our mental health in the community in a huge variety of way.... peersupport, website, phonelines, training courses, activity programmes. It is a continuous process and challenge living with mental health issues. I am doing this because of personal reasons, Firstly my sister has ASD and lives in a carehome and I cannot imagine how difficult this has been on her. I am so proud of how she has coped with 'change' not to mention the wearing of facemasks by herself and staff. The biggest one was missing her birthday at home with us. I am walking for her because she is an inspiration to me. Sure sisters row, squabble etc growing up but as we got older and found out that she had ASD it was difficult to process for me and her. She lived away from early on, my sister went through alot and became the most beautiful, kind, muddled but brilliantly witty lady I know today. Our relationship is pure love and admiration for each other. I walk for my warrior princess" SheRa" Secondly I am walking for a friend whom passed away from suicide. He didnt feel he could burden anyone with his troubles, I was his best friend yet he couldn't turn to me. That's the reality of how low your feelings can be... you just need to escape the world for peace, run away from a problem or just switch off the noise in your head. I wish I could have helped him. Held his hand and weathered the storm with him. The walk is in honour of the life he had and that sucide is not selfish of shameful. I understand and accept. Thirdly, It is for myself, I have had a bumby road with mental illness, in life (hosptial sometimes). I have been diagnosed Dissociation and BPD but now this is under review for ASD - Highfunction. It is being explored whether I have Auditory Processing Disorder and Social Anxiety Disorder. I feel now the walk is the right time for me in my recovery from a secondary breakdown. I have held normal life things such as working, leading teams, going to university, driving and all that but when you mental health suffers those things are like stars in the sky and your in a hole in the ground with no ladder to get out of your misery, let alone reach for the stars... (yet those 'stars' are just normal things to do and be for most people) Most of us with mental health issue have telescopes and look, gaze upon possibilities, sometimes we hold a rocket and achieve wonderful things! We got this! Believe in yourself! You will get there! (We just need a few modifications to our rocket, some Nos, and the right conditions to fly in) Thats where correct treatment plans, support and love from our communities come in! I have tried to do the elf challenge for 2 years but through my own mental and physical health I couldnt partake. Now I can do this I will aim for the 54miles. The medications I take make me fatigue quickly so I will do my best. 

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