Mental hell or mental well?

Written for World Mental Health Day 2019

Mental hell or Mental well

For those caught up in mental hell,

Please find a person you can tell. 

Talk to them, be real, be true;

Be open, let them signpost you

Away from living mental hell;

Back to feeling whole and well.

Rachel McCoubrie

Kindness poem 💞

Be Kind 💕

There’s a voice in your head and sometimes it’s not kind.

It says things like, “You’re useless” and wreaks havoc with your mind. 

“You’re stupid! You can’t do it. You’re never going to win.”

It twists your thoughts, it poisons them, and puts you in a spin. 

Please pay no attention to those criticising words

Dismiss them all immediately - pretend you never heard. 

Start now to replace them with the world’s best, kindest Coach

With a praising, loving, patient and encouraging approach. 

Now listen very carefully to the new Coach in your head

Love yourself, have confidence, believe these words instead:

Things like: “Good for you! You did it! Well done! You did your best!

Stop striving to be perfect, good enough will pass the test. 

There’s no such things as failure - only feedback for next time

Take the learning, try again until you reach your prime.”

Let kindness start inside you, let it grow and grow and grow

Then once you’re full, you’ll share it round and let it freely flow. 

Rachel McCoubrie May 2019

The way I see it

Doctors often worry about upsetting patients by talking to them about the fact that they are dying; in fact, patients have often realised and are worrying and welcome the opportunity to talk about it. Or sometimes patients put on a brave face for their family, while keeping their thoughts to themselves. 

The way I see it

(to be read both ways)

Everything’s going to be okay 
So don’t try to tell me that
I’m dying
Because right now
My life is full of hope
You cannot convince me 
That time is getting short
I can see clearly
My future is all planned out

Dr Rachel McCoubrie 8.3.19

Elephant in the room

All too often at work I see patients who want to talk about what to expect as they near the end of their life, but people around them try to keep conversation light for fear of upsetting them. 

Elephant in the room

I need to have a chat about 
The elephant in my room. 
People say, “Stay positive, 
Ignore the doom and gloom!”

I clearly see things as they are 
And yet I feel at peace.
I’m not afraid of what’s to come; 
It may be a release.

Now things are changing day to day... 
I hope that someday soon,
Someone else will also see
That elephant in my room.

Then we can have that chat.

Dr Rachel McCoubrie

National Backward Day 31.1.19

National Backward Day 31.1.19

All manner of trouble is to be found 

When Backwards Day turns things around. 

A shaggy DOG is now a GOD,

Your trusted DOC is just a COD,

LIVE show hosts host EVIL guests,

You order DESSERTS but just get STRESSED.

LAGER louts become REGAL sorts 

Drinking noisily through their WARTS.

PUPILS SLIP UP in A level stats

And the sky at night is full of RATS.

Poor old SEMORDNILLAPS* -

Backwards Day creates mishaps. 

But all is not lost on Backwards Day 

As PALLINDROMES** read either way...

So ABBA survives,

Both SEXES alive,

SOLOS are sung,

And SAGAS begun.

A KAYAK remains a lowly boat,

A RACECAR speeds but doesn’t float. 

Pallindrome thoughts that are rather odd:

DAMMIT I’M MAD and DO GEESE SEE GOD?

Rachel McCoubrie 31.1.19

*SEMORDNILLAPS = words that become a different word when spelled backwards

**PALLINDROMES = words that read the same forwards and backwards

National Pie Day

I am married to a man who loves his pies as much as I love chocolate, so I thought I'd write him a poem for National Pie Day:

I Spy...

I spy, it’s my little pie

There’s something beginning with P.

It’s the Pastry crust,

An absolute must,

It’s bronzed perfection to me.

I spy, it’s my little pie

There’s something beginning with I.

It’s the Inside delights,

Meat hidden from sight,

I live for that steak and ale high.

I spy, it’s my little pie

There’s something beginning with E.

It’s Eating it, quick

Each bite, each lick

Gobbling up with such glee...

I spy, with my little eye,

My husband has raided the fridge.

He’s eaten my pie,

He cannot deny.

That’s vexed me more than a smidge. 

Rachel McCoubrie 24.1.19