Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is not about being clean and tidy!

From a very young age, I remember categorising myself as a ‘worrier’. Sometimes it felt that, as soon as something I was worried about passed or was solved, I moved straight on to the next thing. Never content with peace of mind.

Nowadays, I can see this as the very beginnings of my battles with my mental health. Now that I know what depression, anxiety and OCD are, it doesn’t really seem surprising to me that I suffer with them. It’s almost as though they are written into my very being.

Having said this though, I must emphasise that my experiences with mental ill health have been (thankfully) quite mild compared to many others I know. However, I still wanted to share a slice of my story – specifically regarding Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

The Importance of a Parent’s Acceptance of their Child’s Disability

- You can also read this piece on The Mighty website. Click here! -

A child being diagnosed with a physical or learning disability is undoubtedly a difficult time for all involved. As a parent, it is understandable to feel devastated, confused, worried and generally overwhelmed by it all. However, there is something you can do that will help your child immensely – work to accept it.

To the Fans Eager to Defend their Idols.

IMG Source: https://www.allkpop.com/article/2019/03/seungri-and-joon-young-allegedly-consulted-with-their-lawyers-fearing-consequences-of-submitting-their-cellphones

Like many people, I recently watched the Channel 4 documentary on Michael Jackson’s child abuse allegations (called ‘Leaving Neverland’) with a sense of shock and incredulity. Like many KPop fans, I also watched with shock and incredulity as a number of Korean celebrities were accused of organising prostitution and creating, distributing and viewing covertly filmed pornographic videos.

Do you know what these situations have in common? - the fans’ eagerness to defend them.

Do You Wish for a Magic Potion to Cure Your Disability?

This piece was also published on The Mighty.

You can read it here.

When considering all types of disability and illness, it is common to feel sorry for the people affected. You might think to yourself things like: “Oh my, what a shame. Why should they have to go through that? That’s so unfair.”

[OP-ED] YG Entertainment’s Guide on How NOT to Support Your Idols.

Read on UnitedKpop.

You have probably seen the many stories circulating the K-Pop news circuit in January reporting the fact that BIGBANG maknae Seungri was left without stylists, a live band and only had two back up dancers for the Hong Kong stop of his ‘The Great Seungri’ Tour. It has been reported that his stylist staff had instead been dedicated to Seungri’s labelmates BLACKPINK. Many fans were left outraged at the unfair treatment of the idol.

Mental Health in the K-Pop Industry

Source

The importance of mental health is very gradually being embraced by the West, and while we still have a long way to go, one hopes that it will continue to grow in importance within our minds and societies. No longer should it be considered weak to suffer with ill mental health, just as it is not weak to suffer with ill physical health.

[E-MAG] PRODUCT REVIEW: ETUDE HOUSE Collagen Eye Patch Review

 Read the full Winter E-Magazine here 

I am someone who is afflicted with a horrible curse – the curse of permanent bags under the eyes! No matter how much sleep I get or how well-rested I am, the eye bags remain. Whenever I do get less sleep, they simply get deeper and darker.

[E-MAG] Season's Sounds

                                   Read the full Winter E-Magazine here 

We’re taking a look back at some of the best releases of September 2018 onwards!

100% - ‘Heart’

It has been a rough year for 100% as their leader Minwoo sadly passed away in March from a cardiac arrest. Despite this, it’s nice to see the group focus once more on Korean promotions given their success in neighbouring Japan. ‘Heart’ is a smooth dance track with a beautiful aesthetic in the music video.

[E-MAG] Who Wore it Better?

Read the full Winter E-Magazine here

Suzy vs. Gymnast Son Yeon Jae

Here we have JYP’s Suzy and Gymnast Son Yeon Jae both sporting the same poofy, pastel skirt. Suzy has a more casual look, pairing it with red flats and a tshirt, whereas Son Yeon Jae is sporting a more refined look.

[GET THE LOOK] Yeri & Renjun x Jeno x Jaemin - 'Hair in the Air' MV

Read on UnitedKpop.

Christmas is nearly here, and the weather outside is frightful! So, take a look with us for some winter clothes inspo from these SM artists’ super cute MV for ‘Hair in the Air’ (inc. Red Velvet's Yeri and NCT's Renjun, Jeno and Jaemin!)

[UPCOMING EVENTS] 17/12/2018 - 23/12/2018

Read on UnitedKpop.

How about getting involved in some events this week amid the crazy festive season?

Searching for my Role Model as an Adult with Cerebral Palsy.

I wrote this article for The Mighty website.

You can also read it here.

Growing up with cerebral palsy (spastic diplegia) in the U.K., I received a lot of input from health professionals. There were physiotherapy sessions, special shoes, gaiters, a wheelchair, occupational therapist, offers of surgery and Botox injections. My condition was under consistent scrutiny – being told to walk up and down and up and down while doctors watched how I moved, placing white dot stickers on my joints so a computer could track my gait. Many sessions involved therapists pulling my bent legs up to measure the angle of my knee and test my flexibility.

[GET THE LOOK] Red Velvet - 'RBB (Really Bad Boy)' MV

Read on UnitedKpop.

Red Velvet are back with a spooky and quirky MV for ‘ RBB (Really Bad Boy)’! Let’s see what style inspiration we can draw from this video!

[UPCOMING EVENTS] 03/12/2018 - 09/12/2018

Read on UnitedKpop.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Here we have a few events to treat yourself to during the first week of December.

[GET THE LOOK] Stray Kids - 'Get Cool' MV

Read on UnitedKpop.

Today, we are taking our 'style inspo' from Stray Kids and their MV for ‘Get Cool’!

You're Allowed to Have Bad Days

I wrote this for The Mighty. You can read it here too

I am someone who is prone to feeling guilty. For example, if I haven’t had a “productive enough” day, or if I have said something that could possibly be misconstrued by someone else – I will often feel bad about it. This also includes feeling guilty about being upset because of my disability or having tough times with my mental health.

[UPCOMING EVENTS] 19/11/2018 - 25/11/2018

Read on UnitedKpop.

Here are some of the Korea-related events taking place this week!

[GET THE LOOK] BoA - 'Woman' MV

Read on UnitedKpop.

One of the most prominent queens of K-Pop has returned! Today, we are exploring BoA’s fashion in her ‘Woman’ MV and looking at how we can get the look for ourselves.

[UPCOMING EVENTS] 05/11/2018 - 11/11/2018

Read on UnitedKpop

Hopefully you all had a lovely Halloween, whatever you were up to!

Now, are you ready for the Korean delights to be served up during the first full week of November?

[WEEKLY IDOL] TARGET

Read on UnitedKpop.

TARGET are a seven member boy group under JSL company that debuted on January 24^th of this year.