A moving poem written by local Wrexham author Amelea is being shared as part of Mental Health Awareness Week to encourage conversation around mental health and to remind people that support is available.
Written from personal experience, the poem offers an honest and reflective insight into Amelea’s mental health struggles. She hopes her words will speak to others who may be facing similar challenges and help people feel less alone.
Amelea said “Ten years ago, I was institutionalized in a low-secure psychiatric hospital, a setting where I had already spent four years of my life and would continue to spend the next four. I was in a very dark place during that time. Even though my quality of life has improved drastically since then, I carry that version of myself within me.”
“The young woman trapped in two prisons, the hospital walls and her own mind, sometimes feels alien to me. I wanted my piece of writing to accurately reflect the experience of my younger self.”
“I was inspired to write this piece after coming across a social media trend that begins with the prompt: “I met my younger self for coffee”, the trend was introduced by poet Jennae Ceceila, where she posted a video describing a fictional, reflective encounter between her present-day self and a younger version of herself.”
“A lot has changed for me in the past decade, and I was interested in exploring how an encounter between my younger self and I would unfold.”
The poem also provides an opportunity to highlight the vital role social care plays in supporting the well-being of our communities.
Social care teams collaborate closely with individuals and families during some of the most difficult times in their lives, offering compassion, guidance, and support.
Amelea said “Today, I live independently, supported by the Recovery Service and their amazing staff. I get to spend precious time with my loved ones, creating new memories that glow with gratitude.”
“I still have days where my mental health isn’t perfect, but my resilient nature gives me the strength to rise when I fall and keep moving forward. I owe it all to my younger self. I wouldn’t be here without her. I am her, and she is me.”
“Although I sometimes wish my journey had been different, I wouldn’t be who I am today. I intend to use my experiences to advocate for the importance of Lived Experience voices within the Health and Social Care system. I look forward to the future, grateful for the opportunity to see what comes next.”
By sharing her poem, Amelea is making a valuable contribution to wider conversations about mental health and recovery, while helping to shine a light on the everyday work of Social Care and the support it provides across Wrexham.
Councillor John Pritchard, Lead Member for Adult Social Care, Health and Wellbeing said “This powerful poem is a reminder that mental health struggles can affect anyone, and behind every experience is a person who deserves compassion, understanding and support.
I want to thank Amelea for sharing her words so honestly during Mental Health Awareness Week. It is through contributions like this that we help break down stigma and encourage important conversations, and highlight the valuable role our social care, health and wellbeing services play in supporting people across our local communities.”
Amelea’s poem is shared below:
I met my younger self for coffee…
“I met my younger self for coffee today.
We didn’t have coffee. We each had a cup of tea, lukewarm in a plastic cup. She was on time because she couldn’t leave and had nowhere else to be. I was on time because I understood the importance. She wore her everyday attire of a long sleeve top, black leggings and slippers that looked like they had seen better days. Her greasy hair was shoved back into a bun, she couldn’t remember the last time she washed it. I wore my favourite purple dress, matching lace shawl, long brown boots and layered gold jewellery.
She sat on the anti-sleep arm chair, knees curled up to her chest. She stared at me with vacant eyes. “How long have you worked here?” she asked.
“Oh, I don’t work here,” I said softly with a smile. “I’m visiting you.”
Her eyes shift focus, and with seeing me clearly she asks, “How?”
I pause.
“I can’t tell you how. I really wish I could. Even if I talked to you for hours, explaining in detail each and every experience that led us to this point, I still wouldn’t be able to tell you.”
I see another sparkle in her eye extinguish, another ray of hope shifting into smokey black. Her eyes start to glaze over as she returns to her mind. She’s an emotional haemophiliac, blind and deaf in a maze filled with electric currents and razor blades.
“All I can tell you is that we do.”
I extend my hand and place it on hers. She recoils at the touch but keeps her hand where it is, desperate for human connection.
I want to scream at her to hold on. Please, just hold on.
I wish I could inject ten years of fear, pain, anger, joy, revelations and contentment directly into her psyche so she can finally understand; but now is not her time.
I resist the urge to tell her things will get better. She’s heard those words so many times they’ve lost all meaning. I know nothing I say will get through to her anyway. Her mind is walled off, completely filled with the singular goal of not existing. A gnawing deep ache of dark grey lives in her chest. Only she has the key to escape, and she won’t find it for a few years.
The clinic hatch opens and it’s time for me to leave. We stand up and I hug her. I feel her soul writhing in hopelessness and despair, and pray she can feel my unconditional love in return. We won’t meet for a decade. I don’t want to let her go, knowing everything she’s about to face, but it’s crucial she navigates this journey without me.
Before I leave I turn to her and say,
“When you do not remember anything else, remember that we do.””
Mental Health Awareness Week takes place Monday 11 May – Sunday 17 May 2026. For more information on Mental Health Awareness Week, please visit the Mental Health Foundation website.
