It has become normal to be mad…
And when I say mad I don’t mean all those with mental health diagnosis. I am talking about the crises we are swimming in. The ignorance and delusion that suspends us in separation causing vicious cycles of human suffering. And the destruction of the very earth in which we live.
Mental health is interconnected, interdependent and as Thich Nhat Hanh attributed, has ‘interbeing’:
“Everything relies on everything else in order to manifest”
Our society has wicked problems that sustain oppressive systems that our communities, families, relationships, continue to be impacted by. Cultures of ill-health are being perpetuated. Each and everyone of us will experience directly and/or vicariously; distress, violence, abuse, addiction, homelessness, suicide, physical ailments, and loss.
To give myself to this cause means that I am in the field of reparation. I do not claim to be an expert, I am not here to give advice, solutions or ways to fix. This is not possible.
I have embraced the reality that I am a multipotentialite, renaissance woman, polymath.
I give recognition that I survived psychiatric and domestic violence. Continue to survive all the ism’s in our environment and this has birthed a certain kind of wisdom.
I write, songwrite, experiment with my voice, perform, make participatory art and instigate experiential learning.
To be a peer, educator and advocate that the bio-medical system hasn’t sucked up. Accessible on the outside, in community, non-entangled, non-complicit.
I’ve trained as an Emotional-CPR practitioner so that I can give Mental Health First aid in the way that people with lived experience of distress have asked for.
As my faith grows I am finding ways to integrate with all the offerings I make.
Recently I trained to become a qualified Buddhist Chaplain/Pastoral Carer specialising in Mental Health Ministry.
I situate myself within the:
Mad pride and Psychiatric Survivor Movements
Gift economics, Living in the gift alumni
And practice:
Singing with landscapes of madness to engender a sense of belonging to our natural environment, and agency for custodianship.
Creating to share and build knowledge, information, skills, tools, resources that respond to needs that aren’t being met on a small scale, local level. To cultivates stable and healthy relationships and communities of trust. Moving in a;
trauma-informed
systems thinking
improvisational
collaborative
strengths-based way.
I invite and listen to the sharing of personal stories to explore mutuality and difference, undo prejudices, and develop greater capacity to stay with human suffering without trying to ‘help’ it away. Supporting people to be heard, be witnessed, to become agents of awareness and collective agency.
I keep daring to co-create a world in which we go beyond medicalisation and illness centred care. Tear down barriers to access. And overcome discrimination and stigma.
I honour and thank those whose work I stand on the shoulders of, and those who together stand in solidarity and resist. May we reclaim culturally safe and ecologically sustainable practices to live and flourish.
