Cate Reddell

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Hi, my name is Cate Reddell. I’m a 40-something woman from Christchurch, New Zealand. If you’re trying to work out where that is, think a little north of Antarctica and east of Australia. Somewhere there in the Pacific Ocean is New Zealand.

I’ve been writing about mental illness for a while now. It really got going with my book, Infinite Sadness (2009). That told my early story of life with mental illnesses, including depression, Anorexia and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

As the years went on my diagnoses changed, nearly as often as my doctors did. Now I have a string of labels to my name including Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). But I’m one of those people that don’t quite fit into any label entirely, and my last visit to a psychiatrist saw him determine that I was simply weird. I don’t mind that at all. It might make it difficult for him to know how to treat me, but for me? I’m still me. I’m still Cate, as I have always been and finally someone in the medical fraternity sees me for who I am, and not what I am. That’s important to me.

While recovering from illness I went to university and gained a degree in social work and sociology. As yet, five years on, I haven’t been able to use that learning. My physical health took a dive, as my mental health started to even out, and so I’m still not working. One day… meanwhile I write.

And now for the really important stuff:

Good coffee is the only way to start the day
I love Raspberry and Dark Chocolate M&M’s (hard, but not impossible to get in NZ)
I desperately want a black cat, but have to wait for now
My best friend happens to be a very special Teddy Bear who has been following me around for a good many years (remember, I’m weird!)

My blog: With These Wings

A previous blogging project: Infinite Sadness… or hope?

© Cate Reddell and A Canvas Of The Minds 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Cate Reddell and A Canvas Of The Minds with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.