Today I watched a video from YouTube’s Lilly Singh (aka Superwoman). Lilly explained how ‘Girl on Girl hate’ is too popular in our society. Despite the fact that we are all women and we all go through periods, puberty and some go through childbirth and relationships, we tend to treat life like a competition. Jealousy fuels bitchy arguments and we end up calling each other sluts and whores just because of a clothing choice, or how many times we’ve had sex. Ever watched the movie Mean Girls? You’ll know exactly what I mean. Anyway, the point of the video was to try and spread some awareness of how we can all be kind to one another without feeling jealous and making each other our worst enemies

Christmas has always been a special time of year in our household. Aside from the fact that my parents are both Christian, we've grown up in a little village, so Christmas has always involved the primary school nativity, the church party and carol service, and the vicar demonstrating each child's favourite gift on Christmas morning (he once skateboarded down the aisle). We have lots of lovely family traditions too; wrapping up warmly to go and dig up the Christmas tree with Dad (and it always being too tall and always needing the top cut off in order to fit Mum's star on), baking mince pies, gingerbread houses and shortbread Christmas trees with Mum, and all three children, however big we go

The tree is up, presents wrapped, cards sent... It's definitely looking a lot like Christmas as the festivities approach at quite some speed. It's a wonderful and joyful time of the year but maybe it doesn't have to be completely perfect. Christmas is a time to celebrate, spend time with loved ones and take part in all the quirky traditions we have. It's a time to be reflective and thankful but also to have a really good time. For that reason, it can feel like a bit of a kick in the teeth when it doesn't feel quite so perfect. The fact that we're socially expected to be enjoying ourselves and being happy can make it feel all the more wrong if you're not quite feeling that. Struggles can seem

My name is Anita Dennison and I am a 19 year old Queen’s University student. I have an award winning campaign that helps and advises young people and their parents 24/7 on all things bullying, but sadly things haven’t always been this positive for me.I hope you were able to see my story in a positive light. Please know that no matter what you may go through in life, there is ALWAYS a glimmer of hope, positivity and indeed life at the end of every dark tunnel. Take it from me, those individuals who told you that you couldn’t or that you wouldn’t succeed at anything in life, they know absolutely nothing about the true inner strength that you have deep within you. I was recently asked to speak

There's a mess in my head. It's some sort of combination of anxiety, grief, hurt, and about a trillion thoughts swirling and mixing and bashing into each other. I both need people more than I have ever needed them in my life, and can't stand to need. I need people to come around me, to hug me, to let me cry on them, to message me. I need people to help me to look after myself, to pull me out of my room and guide me back into the outside world. I'm pushing people away, though. I'm not replying to messages; partly due to the anxiety of saying or doing the wrong thing, but also because I'm terrified to let myself need people. The person who was always there for me and who would drop anything an

I remember the days in secondary school where I felt like the entire world was against me. Anything that I did, I got judged for. I was put down to the point when I would have cared if I was hit by a bus. I felt like my life was a constant downhill spiral, I was so close to giving up on myself, physically, because mentally, I had already given up on life. At eleven, I started secondary school, and I was already being bullied due to how I looked, the few friends I had in primary school left to have other, better friends. I didn’t get a friend until the end of year 7, but we had our moments, and when we did, it was big. We wouldn’t talk to each other for weeks, which was the worst thing. Howev

I'm lucky. Really lucky. I have a place at a good university, I'm allowed an education, I have a loving family. I feel safe when walking down the street, I'm allowed to learn to drive, I have access to food, water, clothes, and pretty much anything else I need. I don't appreciate these things enough. I often take them for granted and forget that others don't have the same privileges as I do. #FirstWorldProblems is often used ironically, but in truth it can be good to count one's blessings every once in a while. Recently I saw a post online which went something along the lines of 'my Mum is driving me mad right now, I want to scream'. It's not uncommon to see posts like that, or to hear peopl

When I was in school, I felt lost, hopeless. I felt like no one cared. I wasn’t worth anyone’s time. I hated everything about myself, and I thought I was better off dead. However, I knew deep down that I was stronger than that. However, I wasn’t strong enough to not hurt myself for it, I felt like I deserved every single thing which I thought about myself. I hated myself enough to put a blade across my wrist, and cut myself. I’ll never forget the first day I started self-harming, I had a rough day at school, I felt alone, and that everyone hated me. At the time, I didn’t feel angry enough to punch anything, and I didn’t feel down enough to isolate myself away and cry myself to sleep. I was s