Michelle 💙

EIP Mental Health Specialist Social Worker. Interests: childhood trauma, domestic abuse, plants and cats, not necessarily in that order.

[David Mandel @davidgmandel]

Here is a conversation I had once with a child protection supervisor:

Social worker supervisor: The mother keeps lying to us about the domestic violence.

Me: It sounds like you are pretty angry at her for not telling you the truth about what's happening.

Social work supervisor: Yes I am because the child is in danger.

Me: Are you more angry at her for lying than you at the perpetrator for creating the danger in the first place?

Social work supervisor: *awkward silence*

We have trained an entire cohort of professionals to be angrier at domestic violence survivors than at the perpetrators of domestic violence. "Failure to protect" culture is real. It's a set of unwritten rules, practices and beliefs that direct practitioners to blame mothers who are survivors and ignore fathers who are perpetrating violence. This is unfair, inefficient, ineffective and unsafe. And we can do it better. #StopBlamingMothers #StopIgnoringFathers

[Naomi Fisher @naomicfisher]

Why won’t I just stay in my lane, stop talking about our school system and get on with treating mental health problems? Because every day I hear about practices in schools which cause distress - and I’m being asked to resolve the distress as if it, not the practice, is the problem. I’m being asked to be complicit in practices which are damaging to young people’s well-being.

I’m being asked to tell young people that the problem is them, that they’re wrong to feel the way they do and with a bit of therapy they can go back to the unchanged system. I’m being asked to tell them that the system is right and they are wrong.

What practices, you ask? Putting young people into isolation for haircuts, or nose piercings. Instant detentions for minor uniform transgressions. Young people who have struggled into school being greeted with a behaviour point because they were three minutes late, and then another behaviour point for not taking their coat off immediately. Children who have had a very difficult term ending it off with being excluded from the school trip due to poor attendance. I hear these stories from multiple families, all over the UK.

There’s nothing wrong with people who feel distressed and anxious when they are in a system which creates distress and anxiety. Our children aren’t the problem, they are pointing out the problem.

[NHS Million @NHSMillion]

When doctors strike again in two weeks, please remember that Rishi Sunak could end the dispute right now.

But he chooses not to.

Doctors just want the same pay they got in 2010. Is that really too much to ask?

Please RT if you remain behind them.

https://t.co/xxp7oU58At

[Fascinating @fasc1nate]

David Bowie had gone to a private showing of his 1987 movie Labyrinth. Afterward, he’d have a meet-and-greet with a group of children. He met them and had a ball, but one boy was shy and withdrawn.

So Bowie asked the organizers of the event if he could talk to the boy by himself, seeing as though he was “so shy."

The kid wasn’t actually shy — he was autistic. Bowie told the kid he was also scared, too, of everything. He was, in fact, only able to face other people because of a “magic mask” he would always wear. It just so happened the mask was ‘invisible.’

He gave it to the boy. He then acted rather distressed himself and had to make another magic mask, after which he became calm, too. Bowie and the kid just hung out for thirty minutes, and it was a magical experience.

The boy later said he actually felt more confident after meeting David Bowie and receiving his “magic mask."

Bowie reminded the boy of how ‘everyone is shy and scared sometimes, and we all wear masks’. Not every celebrity as famous as Bowie would take so much time and go through such effort to put an uncomfortable kid at ease at an event.

[Michelle 💙 @MichelleLH18]

@LongacresGC my son and I are regular visitors to Bybrook Barn and spent a large amount in houseplants today. When we got home we discovered we have been charged twice for one plant which is £21.99. I can’t get back to Bybrook Barn this week, how can I be refunded please?

[nazir afzal @nazirafzal]

Reminder:
Immigration is NOT the reason that you CANT get a hospital appointment

Immigration is THE ONLY reason that you CAN get a hospital appointment

An NHS is only surviving on immigrant doctors, nurses & support staff

If you want to blame someone, think who’s in power….

[Dominic Minghella @DMinghella]

Just heard the Home Secretary stand up in Parliament and declare that "the British people support the Rwanda plan".

I'm sick of these guys telling me what I support.

I do not support the "Rwanda plan".

If you don't either, please retweet.

[Michelle 💙 @MichelleLH18]

@RobMitch92 Couldn’t listen to the end, it was making me feel so sick. Funny how British people who move to other countries but don’t bother to learn the language aren’t vilified in this way.

[Michelle 💙 @MichelleLH18]

@langerslangers That looks brilliant!

[Michelle 💙 @MichelleLH18]

@langerslangers You’re a better person than me Emma! If being neutral was a requirement of the job I’d be in big trouble, I just can’t. The impact of this governments decision making on many of the people I work with is dreadful, to put it mildly. These little videos help lighten the mood.

[Student Minds @StudentMindsOrg]

Trans students are more likely to experience poor mental health. This can be due to many things including transphobia, gender dysphoria, bullying, discrimination, prejudice and more.

No student should be held back by their mental health

#TransAwarenessWeek 🏳️‍⚧️

[Michelle 💙 @MichelleLH18]

'My right to be me is tied with a thousand threads to your right to be you.' - Leslie Feinberg, Trans and Disabled writer

A reminder that our struggles are intimately connected this Trans Awareness Week🏳️‍⚧️

[The Ehlers-Danlos Society @TheEDSociety]

Many people with a type of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) or hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD) experience issues with:

Sleep initiation (falling asleep)
Sleep maintenance (staying asleep)
Sleep restoration (getting refreshing sleep)

Learn more: https://t.co/FRGOW2zssO

[East Kent Hospitals @EKHUFT]

A couple combined their love of fitness with a desire to make a difference, raising £1,300 for charity by completing a series of challenges.
Chris Rowsell, a site manager for @bauvill and partner Megan Little supported the 3 Wishes Project and @EKHCharity
https://t.co/Bj8p1wVpkR

[Joe Lycett @joelycett]

My old friend @SuellaBraverman has described rough sleeping as a 'lifestyle choice' I always thought lifestyle choices were things such as cargo pants, fishing and decorating your bathroom with a bowl of potpourri.

I want to see if this image I found on google described as
'Wooden Botanical Fragrant Potpourri Bowl With Lemon' can raise £50,000 for homelessness charity @crisis_uk

Donate here: https://t.co/oQIZdFHRqX

[Michelle 💙 @MichelleLH18]

@cmackinlay Sorry to hear you’ve been so unwell but pleased to hear you received great care. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.

[Stephe @Stormcloyd]

To those concerned with VAT on private school fees

Budget better
You can make meals for 30p
A bag of pasta is about £2 use it.
You can buy a big bag of porridge and feed the family for a week.
Get a better paid job.

Or stop fucking moaning and use a state school.

[KMMS Medical School @KMMSmedschool]

We were delighted to have Hannah, one of our volunteer Patient Educators, join us this week to share her powerful experiences with our Year 1 students. Thank you Hannah!

You can find out more about the Patient Engagement Programme on our website: https://t.co/WnHNN1QlGL

[Howard Beckett @HowardRBeckett]

Doctors don’t get subsidised food; they don’t get free parking; they don’t get free energy or free travel

Tory MPs get the lot- free parking; free travel; free energy; subsidised food & £2,400 pay rises.

Support doctors please. We need them. They are striking to save the NHS.