That expression, “when something is too good to be true, it usually is,” has actually been real in my life. Because of my current set of medications including Lamictal, I find myself harder to brainwash in the immediate present since I started Lamictal until now. The way brainwashing works is that the brainwasher starts off by making you feel really good. If you struggle with self-esteem like I do, then they make a huge effort to make you feel really good. This is why I’ve stared therapy at a local college yet again. I have stuff I need to sort through, skills I need to learn, and in general, I have to get my head together. Brainwashing is a repetitive phenomenon in which you are told the same things over and over again until you believe it. Some people are so used to it, they walk around unaware that they’ve been brainwashed to put up with abuse.

I don’t need to tell you that it is the seventh biggest killer in the world for you to know that it is one you would never want to get. I shouldn’t need to get into details for you to decide that any possible fate or death would be more merciful than living with this. Death is scary, but when your life is flooded by the anguish caused by dementia, many would rather choose death. I don’t blame them. Anyone that has a disease which causes the irreversible deterioration of the neurons within their brain until everything they ever loved or cared about is gone has a right to choose how long their suffering should last. Sadly, life isn't that simple.

The physical health of Europeans is improving, yet the same cannot be said for mental health. Whereas public health has been a priority, it is mostly focused on physical health and disease prevention, with mental health being secondary. Nonetheless, suicide accounts for 1.4 percent of deaths worldwide and is the second most prominent cause of death amongst young people. The act of suicide should not be considered an individual issue, but rather one that affects that person’s family, their surroundings and society in general.

Healing Through Art Therapy

There a lot of issues that are stigmatized in society, whether it be mental illness, drugs, or other various health issues. That is just to name a few and I am sure there are tons more. So, why did society become that way? Was society always so intolerant or naive to these issues?

I wrote this script after reading the screenplay for one of my favorite movies, Forest Gump.

I am not the same person I used to be. I had to leave myself behind. This was different than just growing as a person; it was artificial, and it was intentional. It was the most challenging thing I have ever done. I don’t think I could have survived without it. It was for the best.

Been there, skipped that... anxiety was a big part of my life, and it was also ruining it.

Mental health. Something that is getting more and more attention in society. It’s a broad word to encompass our thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and behaviors in relation to ourselves, and others around us. It is something that we can not rid ourself of and must be regulated to live efficient, productive lives. And it's time we really see the value in exploring our minds and how we evolve as a collective society. As a clinician who has a background in social work, I have had amazing opportunities to see what the negative impacts of a dysfunctional mental state can do to ones health and impact the world in which they create. I have a background working in the foster care system in varying roles and even as a therapist in a locked psychiatric hospital. I have heard and seen things that many will only witness on TV. It is because of my experiences that I came to the realization that we need to change the way we look at mental health, and how we treat it.

(Side note: This was written several weeks after the first update on my self-medicating attempts, but didn't get polished until now.)

Mental health is a rising issue in the UK, yet the funding for this specific sector of the national health service is lacking. Though the lack of funding needs to be addressed, there is a more daunting issue that's not being spoken about.

Like a majority of society, it seems everyone has experienced anxiety and depression. To me, they’re major illnesses because firsthand, I spent years battling them both along with going through traumatizing life events. I felt like I was constantly being slapped in the face everywhere I turned, and this for sure didn’t help my case or struggle. I could point the finger and blame others for my anxiety and depression, but there comes a point where you realize it’s something going on within yourself, something you need to take care of because nobody else will, and it has to be healed. That’s where I found myself realizing I deserved to be free from these things, and it was going to take me taking the steps to make something happen. I guess I won’t say all of us, but a lot of people have a past, a story, and a reason for why they’re messed up with anxiety and depression. Trust me, I get this, but what I want you to get is that you don’t need to suffer anymore because of it.