Dear Men

Trigger warning: mention of rape and suicide.

When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression. This statement is so true for many men. They feel threatened by gender equality. For that reason, they have this hatred for feminism. However, feminism is more than just gender equality for women. Feminism fights for the rights of everyone, around the world. Essentially, feminism looks to create social equality, regardless of gender, colour and class.

If you broke down feminism, point by point, most men would agree with everything that is being said. Once it’s all put together and the word “FEMINISM” is slapped on the package, all of sudden it is hated. Why? Don’t let your toxic masculinity distract you because of a word. Every movement needs a strong name to clearly identify the objective. For three centuries, this word has provided so many changes that has improved the lives of billions of people around the world.

Environmental Revolution

Discussions on the future of the planet continue, as the youth strike for climate change are about to take place worldwide. Since tackling climate change is the most important challenge humans have ever faced, we must use this opportunity to completely overhaul the current capitalistic system.

We must change the way we live. Changes that need to be implemented will affect everyone. That will give us the opportunity to create meaningful changes that will help everyone in society. For too long we have been living in a society that puts the needs of big corporations in front of the needs of people. Success is calculated by profits for the most powerful. We now have the opportunity to revolutionise the system. Success can be determined by bringing people out of poverty and increasing the living standards for everyone.

A Healthy Dose of THC

My last post on chronic pain touched on marijuana very briefly - namely the incessant coaxing of some users, wishing for others to realise the vastness of life that marijuana provides. This is an entirely subjective view, and doesn't apply to everyone, which is why I find it incredibly irritating. I smoke inconsistently, and don't depend on weed as an emotional fix, but use it instead as pain relief now. Its derivatives hemp and CBD are also beneficial in their own ways, but I don't have much to say on that. CBD has been suggested to me, but I've yet to try it out.

Nonetheless, smoking weed has had its positive implementations in my life, as well as the negative. The rule for myself has always been finding balance with whatever endeavours I'm including in my life, and whilst marijuana isn't a big deal to some people, it is for others. I'd like to point out that shaming people or belittling them for not trying weed is petty, but the opposite also applies; shaming users is just the same. It has its benefits, but again, this doesn't apply to everyone. 

Undemocratic United Kingdom

Democracy needs a reboot in the United Kingdom, from abolishing the Monarch to re-evaluating the role of the House of Lords. Also, Governments and MPs need to take more responsibility to uphold democratic processes.

Brexit has put a massive question mark over the democracy of the UK. Whether it is remainers, leavers or in-between, everyone is responsible to uphold the democratic process of this country. However, what if this process is broken. What if we don’t live in the perfect democratic country? Does that mean the rules can be bent and changed, making it acceptable to be undemocratic? Fundamentally, Brexit has shown the undemocratic political process this country is ran by. Not just by the government or one particular group, but from all sides.

Living With Chronic Pain

My first waking thoughts always shift to what bodily pain I’m experiencing, and how I wish I was dead. Waking up with burning joints, a heart threatening to escape its confines and an inconsolable migraine is my usual breakfast, and intermittent nausea always joins the mix. 

There are only so many times I can bare to hear someone say “Take some painkillers,” before I decide to scream in their face that a basic analgesic like paracetamol is a pharmaceutical placebo ploy and NSAID’s are either a hit or miss. Doctors refuse to give me anything stronger than tramadol, which doesn’t do much anyway, and other over-the-counter pills have been pointless upon trial. 

Dominic Cummings on the Prime Minister

Boris Johnson is currently crying himself at the bottom of a gutter, as he suffers four straight L’s in his first four votes as PM. That all happened after strong protests and rallies against his imminent undemocratic coup to prorogue parliament. The mastermind behind the PMs failures, Dominic Cummings must be wondering how and why all this went wrong. The simple answer is, a big ol’ baby is the Prime Minister and his adviser, Cummings himself, has no idea how to lead a government.

As Johnson stood at the steps of Number 10, making an announcement on Monday evening, it was clear to see that he was visibly agitated by the loud protesters shouting him down. That agitation continued to the house of commons as his dreadful performance showed how unfit he is as PM. Loud opposition against the PM, including his own MPs resulted in Johnson bumbling through his speech. Moreover, his performance on Wednesday at PMQs presented Johnson as a petulant child, with lame jokes and no real substance in information. He was moving round in circles, presenting the same few lines he just rehearsed a few hours previous, in the mirror. 

Addiction Is Real - Don’t Tell Me To Just Stop

If you’ve never been an addict, then don’t talk to me about how I should just stop. Don’t attack me on my addiction when you have no idea what I am going through. Stop being ignorant and educate yourself.

I became addicted to cigarettes from a really young age. As a young teenager, I started smoking, using it as a tool to ease my brain from anxiety that hunts my life. Even though I detest cigarettes, I needed it in my life. Without it my life did go to complete shit. When I did stop smoking, my mental health became the victim of attacks from my thoughts. There is a clear coloration between my healthy mindset, and me smoking. However, I wanted to stop this addiction and I did.

I'm Not Made of Concrete; I'm Made of Glass

I've never really talked about BPD with anyone, besides my therapists, some friends with the personality disorder and my boyfriend, who is incredibly supportive and adamant in making me feel secure about it. Writing about it here has caused me anxiety and worry, because I already know how people perceive those with BPD. It's one of the most stigmatised illnesses, with medical professionals shunning us on a regular basis and refusing to provide support, ultimately leading to a high suicide rate.

Borderline Personality Disorder – BPD – is a personality disorder characterised by instability in multiple aspects of one’s self. It's far more traumatic and debilitating than the limited description you might have heard elsewhere, which almost always focuses on features such as suppoedly manipulative intentions and fleeting emotions. BPD is recklessness, impulsiveness, black-and-white thinking, chronic numbness, failed relationships, fear of abandonment, splitting, a lack of identity, frequent suicide attempts, frequent self harm and ultimately the most intense emotions overriding any sense within you.

Blinded by the Light – The Son of an Immigrants Review

Blinded by the light is a movie about the lives of British Asians and Muslims in the 80s. Unlike other movies, this story truly portrays our lifestyle. It is a movie like no other. It doesn’t try to make us something we are not or try to simplify our way of life. It shows the raw nature of what we go through on a daily basis… with a Bruce Springsteen soundtrack.

Now I know what you’re thinking. Bruce Springsteen. His music is on the opposite side of the spectrum when it comes to showing the lives of British Asians. However, trust me when I say this, it works. His music shows the thought process of the lead character, Javed, without taking the limelight.