It’s here! Everyone on the Edge has been a project I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I am so overwhelmed with the response I have had and hope that this series will encourage more of you to open up. It’s an absolute honour to read and share your stories and help people recognise that truly, everyone really is on the Edge.

I’d like to introduce my fourth guest, Andy. I worked with Andy for a short period, we have always seen each other in passing, had a secret high five handshake, which is kind of a secret “you ok mate” handshake. I was so desperate to hear from inside Andy’s brain following him always commenting on Ellen on the Edge, I was so desperate that I poached a Facebook status from him. This is what he wrote and I give him the platform and the floor today…

I listened to a song by a lovely little band with the verse-

‘There’s always someone better
And always some one less so
So comparing ain’t that clever

No two ways about it
There are times when life’s a cruel trick
If more of us announced this
The illusion would soon lift’

It resonates with me a lot because in my job I see so many people struggling to cope with life, whether they’ve been through the worst trauma imaginable or whether from the outside, they just seem like a completely standard person.

The one thing that always gets me is how isolated and ashamed people often feel, not able to admit to themselves or anyone else that they’re carrying a lot of shit and could do with a hand. I think this is the worst thing, because that just means more shit is getting heaped on and eventually it does bury people, emotionally, socially or literally.

So I was thinking about this little curiosity of life when the lyrics of that song really hit me and made sense. What the fuck am I doing to change that? Nothing. I’m the typical ‘post a cute picture of a fluffy dog’ person, so anyone apart from my closest friends just sees that and its what my life is to them (you). Just another normal person getting on having a great time, look how dreamy this sunshine is, isn’t life perfect.

So, I think the point of this once in a decade serious public rambling is, that this is me putting my hand up and saying yo, life is kinda dogshit sometimes. Parts of my life are kinda rubbish at the minute, and I find it hard to see where I will be in 5,10 years, and constantly panic that I’m not achieving enough, that I’ve wasted too much time, that it’s all downhill from here, I’ll never be happy with my job/home/relationships/money/experience/travel/social situations/overwatch rank/fucking literally anything you can think of.

And I guess that’s normal, cause I bet most of you are freaking out about something too. Thankfully I have amazing family and friends who have helped me a lot through a shit year so far. I’m coping pretty well at the minute so don’t worry about me, this post is not a cry for help.

What I’m trying to say is, if you’re carrying some shit at the minute, it’s OK to ask for help, because everyone else who’s pretending to be perfect to fit in is doing the exact same.

To go back to those lyrics – there are times when life’s a cruel trick; if more of us announced this, the illusion would soon lift.

If you wish to contribute to Everyone on the Edge, please send your piece along with a picture to ellenontheedge@gmail.com