2016 is already improving...

Watch the video below or on HUFFPOST
Firstly, my blog is moving to Wednesday. Secondly, happy new year! How was mine? Shite. Lastly, what do you think of my new YouTube series?! EEEEK!!

At the end of 2015 I recapped my mental health come discrimination story so far and also gave a hint that I was working on a new project. I had seen the YouTube videos of Laci Green and Laura Nuttall. I wanted to try and combine the two, with my own style and bring a similar open honest yet fun or quirky view on Mental Health. I am still going to be blogging but it will try and be more of my views and a mood diary so the actual debunking of mental health goes to the YouTube series.

The plan is that every one to two weeks I would like to publish a new video and I'm trying to ensure there is a Huffington Post article to suplement it. I completely get that some people prefer the written word and in researching and testing out my ideas, I found that writing an article and then making it more 'spoken' seemed to work quite well. That way, I have a script to work from and I'm not making daft noises or blabbing on and off the point. For the autocue, I'm using a website called BigVu which has an accompying Google app. It is still in beta and has a few clunky bits to it but aside from randoming stopping recording halfway through, it seems to work well. I'm going to ask that we leave the mental health debate brough up on the video and article to the comments section of the Huffington Post and the YouTube pages. However, I would love to hear your thoughts on the comments section here on the production itself; should I film somewhere else or use a different app?

Post Continues below this video:


My last post of 2015 was rather pessimistic yet was the second most viewed of the year. I read back and commented on my most read posts of the year - some of which should carry Trigger Warnings! Perhaps the low tone was a sign of the depressive episode that approached and flooded me at New Years. I could of had such a good time yet wrecked it. I felt overloaded.

As I've mentioned before there is an ongoing situation or grievance with my employment that is now being escalated to ACAS. I still sincerely hope it is resolved amicably soon. Linked to that, I am about to lose my salary as my sick pay expires although I have applied to the insurance company for my employer for continued wages - why I had to apply I'm not sure. What I know for certain is that if they cut my pay altogether, I could lose my home. I've also applied for PIP, the replacement for Disability Living Allowance although at the time of posting, I still have not received the forms they posted over Christmas. Pantomime is but 4 weeks away and whilst I love the buzz of being on stage and helping pull it all together; there are lots of empty seats I'm worried won't be filled. The club means so much to me and has been such a support.

The club survives on the profits made from the yearly pantomime, or my excuse to wear women's clothing as it should be called.

Tickets for panto are at www.ihdc.co.uk
All of this plus some events I am not able to disclose (not my story to tell) and the funeral of a close friend (as covered by the local press) just overwhelmed me. I went back to self harming and isolation.  Returning to sleeping 12 hours and some pretty intrusive thoughts. Using the phone is hard for me most days but when I'm that bad it becomes impossible.

I feel better now. I'm not out of the woods yet as most of that burden is still bearing down on me but there is a plan of attack in place for each one.

So I refuse to end this week on a low note. The HuffPost article and the YouTube video have gathered some comments and tweets - although your support in boosting that would be very welcome.
I guess 2016 is already showing signs of improvement over 2015!


If you get a chance go and see The Danish Girl in the cinema. Emily took me and it was a really thought provoking film. Maybe I enjoy being the panto dame too much...

Thanks again for your support; all the retweets and shares and likes and comments.  xx

Blog: www.MattStreuli.uk
Twitter : @mattstreuli
IG: www.instagram.com/p/_hk9w9AiBS/
Tumblr : mattstreuli.tumblr.com/


Matt Streuli is a blogger, actor and YouTuber who is passionate about mental health and his local community. He has made a career in customer service, entertainment and customer care. He is the Chairman and dame of the Iver Heath Drama Club in South Bucks. 
In his spare time, he hosts The Matt Streuli Show on Southwaves Radio (Thursday 8pm) and lives near Pinewood Studios on the edge of London. His website is www.MattStreuli.uk




Please also support the TIME TO CHANGE campaign on stigma at http://www.time-to-change.org.uk/
A video posted by Matthew E Streuli (@matthewstreuli) on
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