Dad's Mental Health Awareness Week

Dad's Mental Health Awareness Week

ADHD and ME by Mark Williams

I just knew I wasn't think. Since school I have battled many battles first having speech therapy and then specialist reading classes, so you can you imagine that my schooling throughout the eighties wasn't something I typically enjoyed. Even my blogs has to be proofed due to learning difficulties but not this one today only sorry. If you ever think of someone who just wasn't interested in their school lessons that was me. But for some reason I took information better when it was something that grabbed my attention mainly sport. I can't honestly remember a time when I did any of my homework and was told by a teacher that I wouldn't even get a job when I left school. What was crazy about a person in a professional role that he didn't know I had two jobs as a paper boy and my own window cleaning round from the age of 13. I think that helped me question people in authority that they are not always right.

Where I didn't get my confidence in school, I got plenty of it from our local Youth Club and it was thanks to an amazing man who spent over 50 years volunteering at the Wyndham Boys and Girls Club that I went on to focus on becoming a British Champion. In fact I went on to become National Champion for my country in three different sports. That man was Stan"The Man"Norris M.B.E. a man that give me my values in giving up your time to help others in which I now plant the seed into my own sons head. He also made me realise thanks to my own mother as well that helping people is good "Soul Food"

School was hard for me in class lessons to keep still and it was only the fact that I wasn't bullied and had some great friends that made my schooling bearable....When I was there of course. I honestly feel I have been blessed and lucky to be successful in my life so far, but something has always been troubling me deep down with the feeling that some people due to their status are better than me. It hasn't given me confidence that the fact that I left school at 15 with not one single GCSE. Even today I need reinsurance by professionals and great friends around me about the work I am doing in perinatal mental health. For some reason my racing thoughts have always got the better than me and sometimes it has made me depressed and really low to the point of giving up.

It wasn't until 2011 a bad year for me just as bad as watching my wife go through the hell of postnatal depression in 2004. My grandfather had currently lost his battle from Alzheimer's that Christmas and than finding out my mother had cancer had a impact on my work in which being commission based had me worrying about my livelihood. Once again my racing thoughts were taking over again. But for some reason that year opened up a journey for me that would change my life forever. As people who know my work will know I have gone on to do some projects and have found at last my purpose in life. I have also met some of the most inspirational people which I know you know who you really are guys. 

So why am I so happy today and writing this at 4am in the morning, well it's the day I finally got all my answers in my life so far and in fact I have joined an elite team of inspirational people. Richard Branson, Robin Williams, John F Kennedy, Will Smith, Henry Ford, Beethoven and hundreds more inspirational people....Yes I have ADHD (Attention_deficit_hyperactivity_disorder). Sadly many people don't  find the answers like I have today and after my own denial this year fully accept due to being given medication privately it stopped the televisions and noises sounds in my head. Within 30 minutes I could give my full attention to my loved ones, I could listen better without over talking over the person , my speech was slower and calmer and felt for the first time at totally ease with myself without fighting it. Remember I have already learned all other coping skills like Mindfulness and CBT which has helped so much, but this medication made me fully focus.

I have also admitted this week that I have moderate dyslexia and the issues while working in a office 
before going to do my work  on the hospital wards had a massive impact after being told by a 
independent doctor I had anxiety in the workplace this year. In January last year I had a two and half 
hour meeting with a psychiatrist with my wife in which I told him things that I had done in my life that not even my wonderful wife of being together for 18 years knew at the time. That meeting was turned to a test and references from my schooling to my shock of being told I ADHD in which I knew nothing at all about. I met up with a wonderful organisation for ADHD and met an amazing lady who for the first time and only time a person who had the same thoughts as myself had totally got the way I was thinking and acting which give me reinsurance. Sadly the psychiatrist retired after many years and was dismissed of the conditions after a 15 minutes meeting with the new consultant. As luck would have it I was now meeting people who had specialist knowledge in different professions and it wasn't until a lady came up to me after my public speaking on postnatal depression and men that she told me to get myself checked again as she told me I had ADHD.

At 40 years of age I can honestly say that ADHD has made me the person I am today. Unfortunately I have had numerous jobs before I worked in mental health and it has made me impulsive all my life. I am a person who will end on a positive and believe if it wasn't for this condition I may not succeeded in everything I have set out to do in my life and the drive I have to do these things. My family and friends love my personality and that all that counts. I have travelled the world and have given up work impulsively to do this in my life. I have been a Champion in many sports. I have been top sales person for three different blue chip organisations. I have done my bucket list at 40 with only a sky dive left to achieve. I have been on national television and radio and written a book. I have walked the red carpet with celebrities and royalty. I have my own business which can be found at www.reachingoutpmh.co.uk and now setting up other social enterprises. I have an amazing family and friends and a wonderful social life. I am married to my loving wife Michelle who has had to put up with so much and my hyperactive behaviour at 7am in the morning and late at night. I have an amazing son who means the world to me. I am also proud to say that I am still a voluntary youth worker and football coach at the youth club that helped me and put me on the right path in life today.

So remember this WE SHOULD NEVER LOOK DOWN ON ANYONE UNLESS WE ARE 
HELPING THEM UP.  And always buy the best bed and the best pair of shoes you can find , as if your not in one..your in the other... You must listen to me honestly ...I'm not thick.

Prevention B4 Crisis, It's not rocket science.

It's is often said to me, that there is not enough help for families suffering with depression. I'm on the people's side with doubt on this one, but what if the help was directed in a different way. Everyone should be supported as soon as the alarms bells are going off and with that the illness would be stopped and caged without any more impact on them or their families. I gave said for many years that prevention before crisis would not only safe money, but most important get the right help quicker and stop the impact of this illness that effects so many families.

It's not rocket science...

My 12 challenges 12 Months 12 Charities.

Over the years I have done many challenges and there have been some charities that are close to my heart have not raised money until now. Starting on July 19th I will be starting my challenges with a nice cold swim in Manchester. Coming to my 40th birthday felt I needed something to give my fitness and motivation a lift. So here we go..


What challenges would you do ??? Why not start a blog and do the same today!!!!




List of challenges...

19 July will be the first open water swim 1 mile manchester
World bog championships 24th Aug
10 k Run Portsmouth 26 Oct
Porthcawl Christmas swim
Mini triathlon in gym...feb
London Dome March 2015
Ben Nevis Mountain climb March 2015
3 welsh peak challenges April 2015
Coast walk 3 days challenge May 2015.
Assault courses June 2015.
Fire walking july 2015.
Sky dive July 2015.

Mindfulness is the way to live !!

When I was going through a difficult time, I came across a gentleman who lived in my local town called Gareth. As he talked about mindfulness I could feel the passionate and how eager he was to change my life. At that time I could have been given anything to get of the negative state of my mind. Depression can be a slow healer, but I learned that I had accept it first and move forward. When I was told I was given a chance to do a 8 week course, if honest I didn't know what to expect and how it could change my life.The 8 weeks changed my life forever and will be part of my life forever..

Mindfulness can only really be taught by people who live mindfulness and do it everyday part of their lives. It isn't just for people who are depressed, it's a positive coping skill for our stressful living so we can all live in the moment. We sometimes always look back on the past and sometimes so far ahead in the future.. There is so much going on, when really we should all just be focusing on today and enjoying our experience. Mindfulness is being taught to children as young as six years of age and to MPs in the House of Parliament and many sports professionals have used mindfulness to better their chances. Give it a go...it may change your life, it for me and my family.

Mindfulness by Mark Williams Amazon get the book today.

Brian Tracy Quotes...

“No one lives long enough to learn everything they need to learn starting from scratch. To be successful, we absolutely, positively have to find people who have already paid the price to learn the things that we need to learn to achieve our goals.” - Brian Tracy


“Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, ‘What’s in it for me?’” - Brian Tracy


“The person we believe ourselves to be will always act in a manner consistent with our self-image.” – Brian Tracy


“All successful people are big dreamers. They imagine what their future could be, ideal in every respect, and then they work every day toward their distant vision, that goal or purpose.” - Brian Tracy


“You have to put in many, many, many tiny efforts that nobody sees or appreciates before you achieve anything worthwhile.” - Brian Tracy


“The key to success is to focus our conscious mind on things we desire not things we fear.” - Brian Tracy


“If you raise your children to feel that they can accomplish any goal or task they decide upon, you will have succeeded as a parent and you will have given your children the greatest of all blessings.” - Brian Tracy


“Successful people are simply those with successful habits.” - Brian Tracy
“The ability to discipline yourself to delay gratification in the short term in order to enjoy greater rewards in the long term, is the indispensable prerequisite for success.” - Brian Tracy


“You have within you right now, everything you need to deal with whatever the world can throw at you.” - Brian Tracy


“Teamwork is so important that it is virtually impossible for you to reach the heights of your capabilities or make the money that you want without becoming very good at it.” - Brian Tracy
“The greatest gift that you can give to others is the gift of unconditional love and acceptance.” – Brian Tracy


“I’ve found that luck is quite predictable. If you want more luck, take more chances. Be more active. Show up more often.” - Brian Tracy


“Imagine no limitations; decide what’s right and desirable before you decide what’s possible.”  - Brian Tracy


“Whatever you believe with feeling becomes your reality.” - Brian Tracy


“Everything you do is triggered by an emotion of either desire or fear.” - Brian Tracy


“Never say anything about yourself you do not want to come true.” - Brian Tracy


“Love only grows by sharing. You can only have more for yourself by giving it away to others.”  - Brian Tracy


“It doesn’t matter where you are coming from. All that matters is where you are going.” - Brian Tracy