I'm Rob, a photographer from England. In 2011 I set off to cycle 30,000km round the world solo & unsupported to help to sufferer's of mental health disorders, sharing the journey at http://thelifecycle.roblutter.com.
The adventure is fundraising for two mental health organisations. OCD-UK & Mind, which provides help for people suffering from all type of mental health issues from depression, OCD & schizophrenia.
Mind is a huge charity foundation whose work has helped thousands of people in the UK. Every year, 1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health problem. But hundreds of thousands of people are still struggling to get the support they need. Still unable to access the services that could change their life & still facing prejudice and misunderstanding.
Many who suffer from mental health problems often don't realise it. Those that do feel so alone and unsual that they aren't able to reach out for help. No one should have to face a mental health problem alone.
Halfway way around the world, in The Himalayas with my bicycle, I realised it was time to tackle a problem that had haunted me for years. After a year on the road I'd hit a pyscological barrier. My own lifelong battle against Obsessive Compulsive Disorder had begun to resurface out of the routines involved with hours of cycling each day.
My real challenge is not physical, but mental. My own compulsions were beginning to comsume the adventure to the point where pedalling became almost impossible. It's taken almost 20 years to understand the disorder I suffer from, to accept it, stop running from it. I realised now that there is help out their in the form of organisaitons like Mind. As a child I felt only shame and confusion towards my own problems & the're are kids out there now who need help as I did back then.
The mind is a complex thing, we barely understand it and each one will never be perfect. This is the beauty of the human race. So mental problems are not something to be ashamed of, they are a way of life for a large portion of the world, and those suffering need to be offered a helping hand.
I never meant for this adventure to become a platform for telling the world, for the first time, about my mental health issues. It began as a photography expedition which, already, has managed to raise $2000 for worldwide clean drinking water. But since setting off from London in September 2011 the routines involved with riding a bike each day have escalated my own mental health issues and forced me stand up to the issue & realise that it's a significant part of the trip.
Like most with the condition, for years I have tried to keep it hidden, but it's a part of my life and life on earth & it's time to consider all the millions, like me, who are also battling OCD around the world. I know now it's nothing to be ashamed of.
So, with the road across Australia and the Americas still to travel, I want to raise a lot more donations for Mind who bring help to those affected with so many confusing & misunderstood disorders. 30,000km around the world by bike has to be worth something right, so help me make it count...
Please dig deep and donate now!
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The Lifecycle is a photographical journey around the world, estimated to finish in 2015. To discover more about it & to follow my journey on the bike visit The LifeCycle Adventure Website or checkout www.mind.org for advice!
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