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Mental health. These two little words can carry such a stifling stigma with them. Society as a whole can often have a very narrow and unforgiving stance on what it means to have a mental illness or struggle with mental health.
The world prefer filters and the 'seemingly' perfect. Asking for help and vulnerability are a weakness, really? I challenge you my little lemon drop, be honest about your experience. Societal stereotypes shouldn't stand in your way. Break them. Show them what it is like. Raise awareness to increase their compassion, to make them understand. There are people out there who want to understand.
I remember the first time I researched Mental Health was because my girlfriend at the time had Bipolar disorder and I wanted to understand how she felt. Little did I know that 3 years later I would also be diagnosed with Bipolar disorder. In fact learning about it just made me realize how strong she was, to have persisted through those tough times.
Share the struggles, if they don't see it as valid to others, that is their own short-sight not yours. Let poetry shine the light in the darkness of their understanding.
More and more poets are speaking out in their work about abuse, mental illness, eating disorders, and trauma, among other struggles. Not only is this a truly brave act, but it is liberating others to do the same. The poetry community is creating a safe space for harder topics to take center stage. It is creating a platform where people can heal together through shared emotions and experiences.
Not only does it shed light onto individual experiences, but it also helps to open up the discussion to a wider audience. The accessibility of poetry allows us to better address stereotypes and stigma and understand the dangers of putting any one type of mental illness into a box. Poetry gives mental illness a name, a face, and a story. When someone has the courage to share their work, it is a necessary reminder that mental illness does not have a type; it impacts people from every race, every socioeconomic status, every gender, and every stage of life.
Personally I have not yet met one person without some sort of disorder, physical problem or history of abuse. We are not alone.
This movement into vulnerability also reminds poets and readers alike that conversations about mental health are always worth having. It is okay to be open about your struggles. It is okay to ask for help. It is okay to invest time and energy into finding treatment. As a matter of fact, it’s admirable. And for many people, poetry can be an important step in their journey. It can give them the chance to confront the demons in their own head. It can give another person a chance to read, possibly for the first time, a poem that seems to describe all of the things they’ve experienced that they’ve never been able to put into words.
Poetry is a common ground for pain to be discussed and for people to heal, collectively and individually. And, above all else, poetry gives people an important message about mental health: It’s okay to talk about it. You can share your story here. We can unpack this together. What a beautiful testament to every hurting soul trying to make sense of their worlds. You can talk about it. You can heal from it. You are more than a diagnosis. You are strong.
How has poetry impacted you on your mental health journey? Has it helped you ask the tough questions? Has it helped you find your way to the answers? Share with us in the comments. In fact if you would be able to share a poem, all the better!
Here is a poem I wrote on depression. I wrote it on a day that the words, "I am feeling down" just didn't cut it.
depression for breakfast
my corpse was hit by a truck.
and my mind was struck
by morbid thoughts
hanging
like bats they chase me -
and
round round
and
chased by dread
downed and dead
my body drags the (ba)(gs)
under my eyes,
while swollen heat waves
sweat flies -
and
round round
and
chased by dread
downed and dead
my head bobbing sideways
like dandelions in a windy haze;
my nihilism scented
throbbing noodle - grew dull -
and
round round
and
chased by dread
downed and dead
gasping for air -
I want to break free!
forget a remedy
I just want to be!