Jonathan Bellamy spoke with author Rachael Newham about her experiences: how she has survived two attempts on her life, through to launching a mental health charity and releasing her first book.

Rachael: No. I think there's definitely a chemical element. I've been on anti-depressants for a number of years, which really help and enable me to live my life. But for me, and this is my story, not anyone else's, it very much feels like the thorn in the flesh; the thing that I don't like, but it's well-managed now and it reminds me to keep relying on God and keep calling to Him. Not that He caused it, but out of that it has really strengthened my faith.

Jon: I think you were a Christian when you were five years old, weren't you? Did you find that your faith helped you as you were journeying through it even at a young age?

Rachael: It helped and hindered.

I found it difficult because I thought I was a bad Christian because of how I was feeling. Again, it wasn't anything anyone had said to me, but it was what I had conjured in my head.

But church particularly was a real source of comfort and strength to me. As I began to get to know the Bible a bit better, particularly reading the story of Elijah on Mount Horeb and the songs where David talks so honestly about the depth of his feelings, I found that a real comfort. If these heroes of the faith could be so honest with God then I could too.

Jon: Absolutely. I think a lot of us, whatever issues we face, the Psalms are so helpful, where you've got that honesty. Tell us about your recovery. You mentioned the London School of Theology, which is where you started to commit to life rather than death. Tell us a bit more about your time there and what was happening.

Rachael: In my first week there I ran away. I ran home because I didn't feel I could cope or manage it. Our first Old Testament lectures were Abraham and Sarai who were called to leave everything behind and start this new adventure and I was only 45 minutes down the M25.

But as I began looking at the scriptures in a slightly different way. I began to question the things that I had held onto: my own beliefs about myself and my own worth. Being challenged on those both by what I was learning and by my friends.

As part of my degree I also did a chaplaincy volunteer placement around mental health units in Hertfordshire, after my first year at LST. I found that really redemptive. Where I had been just a few short years before, I was able to use that to hopefully help other people, and in my work now, hopefully helping people to better understand mental health issues in the Church.

Jon: Can you tell me what you feel are the main lessons you've learnt about how to live with mental illness?

Rachael: The first thing is to treat it as your health in general. We know the main ways we need to care for ourselves physically; we know about eating five a day and drinking water etc. But there are equally things about looking after our mental health.

For me in particular getting enough sleep and regular rest are really important, and being mindful of situations that I know I might struggle with. And putting things in place, whether it's a coffee with a friend afterwards, or something like that.

I also think that idea that we don't need to hide it; we don't need to pretend that it's not happening. Actually, by opening up, we allow people to help us rather than hiding it all away.

Jon: That's always the key, isn't it, being able to bring it out and be able to share it in the right place with the right people or the right person. I know you founded a Christian mental health charity, I went on your website, and it's an excellent website 'Think Twice', that's been going since 2010. Tell us about the aim and particular focus for your charity.