Welcome to K&ryn

Hi, and a very warm welcome to my first blog....

I took the below photo yesterday whilst out on a dog walk and it reminded me of the leap I'm about to take as I launch 'K&RYN' to the world. What looks like a solid, sturdy bridge that would easily get me to the other side masks lots of challenges that will come from a variety of different places. I hope most of these will be positive.

Talking honestly and openly about my journey so far will be incredibly challenging, the majority of people will in some way relate, empathise and be huge supporters of what I plan to achieve. Others won't take the time to understand and will judge me through their own experience and how they see the world; these kind of people I'm certain will be very keen to share their opinions.

We naturally worry about how we are perceived and what others think, and this contributes to the stigma around mental health. It stops us from talking about difficult things and, for some, this could lead to them making a permanent decision to what could be a temporary problem.

"Opinion really is the lowest form of human knowledge; it requires no accountability, no understanding. The highest form of knowledge is empathy, for it requires us to suspend our egos and live in another's world" - Plato.

I truly hope that by sharing as much as I possibly can it will help others not only to feel empowered to speak out themselves rather than struggling in silence, but also to ask questions to expand their own knowledge and understanding of taboo subjects such as mental health and suicide.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Andrew.