The Madness Vase: What Slam Poetry can Teach us about Mental Illness

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtZp7MQE2ZM

Andrea Gibson is an accomplished and inspirational slam poet. Like so many of her collection, Gibson’s poem "The Madness Vase" addresses some very complex emotions in a raw and enlightening way. In this particular poem, she addresses her battle with mental illness and the way it feels and is perceived by those around her. 

After identifying all the outlets of people who tried to tell her what to do with it, one line in particular really stands out.

"The trauma said, 'Don’t write this poem.

Nobody wants to hear you cry about the grief inside your bones.’ “

When trauma plays a role in one’s life it can so quickly become the focus, latching on to one’s emotions and thoughts and worries and behaviors. Gibson describes her struggle against that internal pain and identities with the “rock bottom” it brought her to. She addresses the physical manifestations of self harm and attempted suicide, of the lethargic affects of depression and the fact that “tomorrow has come and gone and it has not gotten better.” 

One thing that Gibson sheds light on is the fact that “you are not alone” and “you are not weak.” Stigma boxes mental illness into a seemingly lonely confinement, when in fact it is extremely prevalent. 

Gibson demonstrates the lack of awareness there is of the reality of mental illness in her line “some people will never understand the kind of superpower it takes for some people to just walk outside some days.”

The fact of the matter is that most times, mental illness isn’t as obviously seen on the outside as physical illnesses can be. The suffering isn’t as clear, as understood, and unfortunately this lack of awareness encourages stigma.

Not only is it important to fight that stigma, but it is also important to know how to talk to those around us who do suffer from the pains similar to those described in this poem. It may initially feel natural to offer immediate advice, to tell them it’ll get better and that everything will be okay, but that isn’t always the most sensitive option. Gibson puts it beautifully in the following stanza:

"So the next time I tell you how easily I come out of my skin

don’t try to put me back in.

Just say, “Here we are” together at the window

aching for it to all get better

but knowing there is a chance

our hearts may have only just skinned their knees,

knowing there is a chance the worst day might still be coming”

The most important thing you can do for someone with this pain is to be there for them. Listen to what they share with you. Instead of trying to fix it, learn more about it. Healthy support is so important, and for that reason, Forward Counseling strives to foster that environment for its clients. 

For a written copy of the full poem, “The Madness Vase” : http://stayherewithme.com/the-madness-vasethe-nutritionist/

For more from Andrea Gibson : http://www.andreagibson.org

Fight the Stigma: Elyn Saks' Battle with Schizophrenia

http://www.upworthy.com/she-wasnt-violent-or-suicidal-but-they-strapped-her-to-a-bed-and-let-her-suffer-for-hours

Elyn Saks is an associate dean and professor of law, psychology, psychiatry, and behavioral sciences at USC Gould Law school. Diagnosed with chronic schizophrenia, she’s spent her life in and out of psychiatric care, but is proud to say she’s avoided hospitalization for the past thirty years.

In this inspiring TED talk, Saks speaks out about her personal experience with her psychosis and how it has affected her life. She discusses the delusions and hallucinations she’s experienced, as well as how her behavior was received by her peers. She mentions several times how others were frightened in her presence, and yet she was the one who thought there was a man standing behind her with a raised knife. 

“Imagine having a nightmare while you’re awake,” she says.

While Saks believes in the effectiveness of treatment, she does not condone the kind of force that was used on her. This is a major issue when it comes to the treatment of mental illness. Partly the fault of the stigma, people with a mental illness are often assumed to be dangerous and are therefore often constrained upon initial hospitalization. Not only is this unjust, but it reduces the percent of people who actually seek treatment for their illness.

Saks calls society to stop criminalizing mental illness. Stigma has created a misguided reputation of mental illness as violent and criminal, when that is not the case. In many ways, the media contributes to this criminalization, and that’s why TED talks like this one are so important. It’s a way the media is beginning to break the mental health stigma.

Finally, another very important point Saks makes is to remember that “there are not schizophrenics; there are only people with schizophrenia.” Stigma has soaked through so much of our culture that many people so often unintentionally use offensive language like this, unknowingly defining the person as their illness.

Saks says “the humanity we all share is more important than the mental illness that we may not.” This sort of awareness is critical for fighting the mental health stigma. Mental illness is not uncommon. Treatment should be therapeutic and not scarring. We wouldn’t shun someone who just found out they have cancer, so why do we treat people with schizophrenia any differently?

Think like an Athlete: Healthy Body needs a Healthy Mind

http://www.self.com/body/fitness/2014/04/think-like-an-athlete/

This is an article originally published by Sheila Monaghan in SELF magazine. It takes the wide range of healthy, motivational tips and categorizes them into 8 concise and helpful tips.

Before diving into the article, notice the choice of title. “Think like an Athlete” rather than something like “How to Lose Weight Fast” or “Get Bikini Ready Now!”

Monaghan’s article is written for the purpose of motivating an active lifestyle, not fitting into a smaller dress size. While the latter may be a wanted side effect of the fitness suggestions, it is not the main goal. Instead, Monaghan is targeting healthy living. In this way, she does not encourage negative body image amongst her readers, nor a desire to skip a meal. Because of this healthy intent, the tips in this article are beneficial to not only a healthy body, but also a healthy mind. This isn’t an article on how to be a runway model; it’s about how to be an athlete.

That being said, there are a few very important aspects here to consider.

In her first couple of tips, Monaghan sets up a paradox between dreaming huge and practicing small, of not holding yourself back in the long run and yet restraining yourself to focus on every tiny step it takes to get there. So often we burn out when our focus gets our confidence down. In this way, if we take our time on each individual step, we can expand our overarching goals.

She goes on to encourage “Be an athlete 24/7.”

We all know that paying attention to the kind of food we eat is important, but Monaghan brings up another important element that often goes unnoticed—sleep. The amount of sleep we get each night affects our entire day: how tired we are in the morning, our mood and how motivated we are to be active, and how much energy we have.

Throughout her next few tips, Monaghan really highlights an important and often overlooked aspect of pushing yourself physically: our mental state during a workout has a significant influence on our performance. Because of that, her last few tips address a healthy mentality. Our mind is a powerful tool, one that has the ability to control our emotions, our thoughts, and even the extent of what we think we’re physically capable of. How often do we let ourselves talk us out of a workout, rather than cheerleading ourselves on? When the mind ruminates on counting down the seconds until a workout is over, it prohibits the body from carrying through. Make it easier on yourself. Be a cheerleader.

Monaghan also encourages you to “View the playback video” and evaluate yourself. This is where it’s important to remember to be critical of yourself in a healthy way. It’s not standing in front of the mirror saying, “Oh I’m so fat” or squeezing your love handles with a pouty face and getting down on yourself. It’s standing in front of the mirror saying, “My back is too bent over when I squat,” and then fixing your form. This once again detours Monaghan’s fitness tips from having a negative impact on body image or self esteem. It’s about the form, not the fat.

Finally, and most importantly. Monaghan expresses “you do you.”

It’s the inevitable fault of our minds: comparison. While this can be arguably the most difficult thing to train your mind NOT to do, it is also potentially the most valuable. When you are focused solely on your progress and ignorant of anyone else’s, you can promote that healthy mindset to propel you onwards. Perhaps in the world of fitness, we should all learn to be a little narcissistic.

Forward Counseling is fortunate enough to have Trevin Daniel Woods on staff as a nutritionist and personal trainer. See more about his services and background here: http://forwardcounseling.com/bio/