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MAGAZINE FOR WELLBEING
2015
ISSU
E 58
>> Therapeutic Colouring >> Walk and Talk Group >>Another Miracle Cure? >>Enfield in Nature>>Discrimination in the Work Place>> MIND & the Black Dog>> Art, Science & more
Issue 58
EQUILIBRIUM 2
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Equilibrium PatronDr Liz Miller Mind Champion 2008
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Front cover image: Taran Parke-Antonis
EQUILIBRIUM 3
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Hello and welcome to our Christmas/ New Years issue of Equilibrium! Whether you’ve just discov-
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the teamFacilitator/ Editor: Kate Massey-Chase. Editorial team: Dev, Ian, Angela, Nigel, Richard, Mohamed and Isobel.
Summer/ Issue 38EQUILIBRIUMPhoto: AnthonyEQUILIBRIUM 4
Edinburgh College is support-
ing mental health charity SANE’s
nationwide Black Dog Campaign
(sponsored by chartered surveyors
Ryden), to help encourage positive
discussions about mental health. The
college is providing a home for the
black dog, Angus, to help reduce the
stigma around depression and other
mental illness, and support staff and
students to find help.
During his time at the college from
October until July, Angus will visit
each of the four campuses to allow
students from across Edinburgh
and the Lothians to engage with the
campaign. He has started his journey
at the college’s Granton Campus,
where he was unveiled by principal
Annette Bruton.
MIND & the Black Dog CampaignEdinburgh College gives Black Dog a home to help raise mental health awareness
Summer/ Issue 38 www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium EQUILIBRIUMEQUILIBRIUM 5
SANE’s Black Dog Campaign aims
to reduce the stigma surround-
ing mental illness and encourages
people to seek help early, rather
than suffering in silence. To bring the
campaign to life, statues of black
dogs like Angus have been placed
in locations across the country.
Students and staff at the college
are being encouraged to take part
in the campaign by taking selfies
with Angus to share on social media
with the hashtag #BlackDogEC and
to share their own stories of mental
illness and recovery.
Majorie Wallace, chief executive of
SANE, said: “We are delighted that
Edinburgh College has adopted
Angus, and pleased to see that
the Black Dog Campaign is gath-
ering pace in Scotland. We hope
that Angus will help the students of
Edinburgh College to develop the
confidence to talk more openly
about their mental health and seek
help more easily. We look forward
to working them in developing
their campaign over the coming
months.”
Susan Inglis, Edinburgh College
equalities, policy and research
manager, said: “We are excited
to be hosting SANE’s Black Dog
campaign. We understand that
balancing college life with other
external pressures can be difficult
for our students and staff, and that
some may think that they have to
suffer in silence. I hope that Angus
will provide the talking point our staff
and students need to engage with
each other about mental health,
and lead to positive outcomes.”
Fraser Shand
Summer/ Issue 38EQUILIBRIUMEQUILIBRIUM 6
CAN A CHILDHOOD ART ACTIVITY
Mischa Fellez Johnston
BE THE NEXT REVOLUTION IN ADULTHERAPY?
Summer/ Issue 38 www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium EQUILIBRIUMEQUILIBRIUM 7
Being raised in an abusive environment,
and suffering from PTSD, and ADHD has
transformed me from victim, to seeker,
to thriver. My Father was an alcoholic,
and my Mother was bi-polar. Crushed
under the weight of their afflictions, one
of my brothers is homeless and addicted
to drugs, and the other is dying of stage
four cancer at the age of 40 (unresolved
helplessness takes all forms). I somehow
made it out intact, and met my beautiful
husband who loves me because of my
past, not despite it even though I still must
face my PTSD, and ADHD on a regular
basis. When I say, ‘my PTSD, and ADHD’,
I mean that I have embraced it. I finally
own it. At one time, it owned me.
As a child, art became my only refuge
from the torrent of emotional, and physi-
cal abuse in my home, and I still use it to
cope everyday. It was, is, and always will
be the center where the stability of my
psyche hovers. I tirelessly pursued art for
two decades, consuming every style, and
medium I could grasp. Seeking mastery
of my calling in life became a catalyst for
my healing. I then realized that sharing
the respite of art with the mental health
community would be the final step to
wholeness. I would leave a legacy of
comfort in my wake, not chaos like those I
was raised by. It was an epiphany! Turning
our past pain into something beneficial
for others, so that it is no longer useless, is
how we can become a powerful force for
change in this world.
I began the creation of a therapeutic
adult coloring book for PTSD, and ADHD
patients. The book, ‘Meditative Imagin-
ings: A Curative Coloring Experience’,
embodies a completely original perspec-
tive on classic coloring styles, and has
been hand drawn, re-sketched numerous
times, and lovingly inked over so that the
designs radiate a comforting, personal
touch with a level of effort and originality
that can be found no where else.
cont.
Summer/ Issue 38EQUILIBRIUMEQUILIBRIUM 8
A revolutionary form of art therapy,
utilizing a cherished childhood
activity, adult coloring books have
become an amazing tool for PTSD
patients, sufferers of ADHD, in group
therapy, and even for people need-
ing to work on their fine motor coordi-
nation. I want everyone in the mental
health community to become part
of this contribution. By empowering
other trauma survivors to persevere in
their lives through creativity, we are
inspired to embrace our own healing
as well.
Depending on the mood, a variety of
artistic implements can be perfectly
paired with adult coloring books.
Colored pencils provide the color-
ist with more shading, and intricate
detail within their finished pieces.
On the other hand, crayons grant
an improvisational, and childlike
freedom for the colorist to explore. If
you’re feeling brave, coloured pens
bring a bold, and striking experience
to the art table. Of course, you can
always combine all these mediums
or even add your own imaginatively
drawn details to each illustration.
Colouring reassures a nostalgic feel-
ing of accomplishment, making us
proud to explore our talents, and
inspiring us to rediscover our joy
again! By embracing the peaceful
process of colouring, we all begin to
reconnect with the child inside, and
Summer/ Issue 38 www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium EQUILIBRIUMEQUILIBRIUM 9
merge with the present moment where
there is no longer room in our swirling
minds for the manic oppression of fear
from our past, and future. Like dancing,
colouring has no rules and only exists
to be enjoyed. It’s a place where we
are fully free to escape to a world of
creative meditation and breathe in the
beautiful simplicity of self-care.
I believe in community and that with
the aid of allies and advocates like
you anything is possible. By continu-
ally choosing to inspire tranquility in
our human society with our time on this
earth, we break the ancient bonds that
our fears have tried to shackle us with.
A new day can now begin with us.
If you’d like to share in this heal-
ing venture with me, you are most
welcome to check out the campaign
link below, to donate to the cause,
or share the campaign wherever you
think it would be a contribution in the
world. Thank you to all my fellow seek-
ers, and survivors for your
continued strength, and commitment
to the mental health community. We
shall overcome, and rediscover our joy
together!
Wordpress Art Blog link: http://
mischafellez.wordpress.com
EQUILIBRIUM 10
PHOTOGRAPHY: SARA MCCALLUM
EQUILIBRIUM 11
The group meets every Wednesday at
2pm. The session lasts 1.5 hours over vary-
ing places, with half an hour for refresh-
ments. The Walk and Talk Group is led by
a walk leader who has a passion for walk-
ing and a keen interest in her local parks
and rivers. Canning Crescent offers these
sessions to all adults who are 18-65 with
mental health issues, such as schizophre-
nia, bi-polar affective disorder, psychotic
depression and other psychiatric disor-
ders.
Exercise is good for the body and mind. It
is a great approach for therapy. Walking
and talking is a more relaxed environ-
ment than the office. Walking and talking
sessions are conducted outdoors while
walking together.
We walk in different parks across north
London, such as Trent park, Alexandra park,
Finsbury park… We also walk along rivers.
Last summer we played tennis in Bounds
Green and in winter we visited art galleries
in the West End. Some walks also use tube
or bus journeys to reach suitable walk
routes. We walk while sharing our struggle
and life situations. We walk and talk about
other opportunities in terms of courses,
other walk and talk groups in Haringey
and voluntary work. The walk and talk
group motivates all patients to go out and
enjoy the meeting.
For me, the Walk and Talk Group
produces massive benefits to my physical
fitness and mental wellbeing.
Contact details:
West Haringey Community Support and
Recovery Team
Canning Crescent Health Centre, 276-292
High Road, Wood Green,
London, N22 8JT
Tel: 020 8702 3200
Mohamed
Walk and Talk Group Canning Crescent Centre – Haringey
Summer/ Issue 38EQUILIBRIUM
Enfield in NaturePhotos: Taran Parke-Antonis
Summer/ Issue 38 www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium EQUILIBRIUM
Summer/ Issue 38EQUILIBRIUMEQUILIBRIUM 14
Mental Health & Discrimination in the Work Place
I believe people with mental health
issues are not getting the right support
for employment and are still discrimi-
nated against in the work place. We
have always been here, even before
biblical times, so why do we still face so
much stigma?
Progressing from volunteering
The charity shop is an established part
of the high street (e.g Mind, Cancer
Research, Oxfam, British Heart Founda-
tion and The North London Hospice).
I see a lot of people from the mental
health system working in charity shops
on a voluntary basis but they do not
progress into paid work in the shops on
the high street, not even on a temporary
basis at Christmas.
Summer/ Issue 38 www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium EQUILIBRIUMEQUILIBRIUM 15
ANGELA
Support from the council
In the housing department in the local
council, there is a panel to represent
people with mental health issues for coun-
cil flats. People with mental health issues
don’t just automatically get a council flat;
they have to be assessed first over a period
of time to show that they can live indepen-
dently. They look at things like: can you
take your medication regularly, can you
cook, maintain personal hygiene, keep the
flat clean and deal with repairs?
I think there should be a panel to represent
people with mental health issues in the
employment department of the council.
I suggest that they do work that does not
involve a lot of training, e.g messenger,
receptionist or cleaner. I also think there
should be flexibility – if it does not work out
they should not be penalised for trying.
Otherwise it can not only be a huge knock
to their self esteem, but also mean they
lose their benefits and face poverty. I have
applied for jobs where they said I was too slow.
Success Stories
Sometimes I hear about success stories,
where some people get a full-time job and
are completely out of the mental health
system. However nobody finds out how
they did it. When I left college, I got a job
with the Civil Service.
The careers officer from my college
phoned me at my home to find out how I
got the job, so that she can advise other
students what to do. This was in the 1980s.
I gained my work experience by temp-
ing. At the interview I was assessed about
current affairs and I had to talk about
the work I was doing in an international
merchant bank, as a filing clerk. The prob-
lem is, the ones who move on from the
mental heath system do not come back to
the centres, so you do not get to find out
how they did it. You do not get to find out if
they had to tell the employer that they had
mental health issues, and ask questions
cont.
Summer/ Issue 38EQUILIBRIUMEQUILIBRIUM 16
like: How did they deal with gaps in their CV?
When they were not well, what do they do
if medication has to be changed? How do
they get to their appointments?
Part time work
I did get some reception work at the Claren-
don Day Centre. I got £10 for 3 and a half
hours a week, and this got me a reference.
The ‘permitted work lower limit’ allows
people with disabilities to earn £20 a week
for an unlimited period. The ‘permitted work
higher limit’ allows you to earn up to £104
a week (after tax and national insurance).
In the 2015 Budget by the Department of
Work and Pensions, MP Ian Duncan Smith
said people on Employment and Support
Allowance (ESA) who are deemed fit for
work related activities will have their benefits
stripped back. They could find their £102.15
a week payments have dropped even if they
have serious medical conditions.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies said low paid
workers will ‘unequivocally’ be worse off than
better earners after George Osborne took
a ‘sledgehammer’ to the welfare bill (The
Mirror, 09/07/15).
Rejection by Olympics
The Paralympics started in 1948 by British
World War II veterans. I see this as very posi-
tive for representations of disability. However,
in the 2012 Olympics in London there was
a disappointing story about Miss Wilkinson
Burnett, a paralympian canoeist who was
axed because her condition was in the mind.
One of Britain’s best hopes for a medal in
next year’s Paralympics has also been told
that she can no longer compete because
her disability is psychological rather than
physical (Daily Mail, 08/09/15). I feel that
Miss Wilkinson Burnett who has ‘conversion
disorder’, has been discriminated against for
having mental health issues. I see this as a
significant rejection.
Well done, Reed Agency!
I think the Work Programme by Reed is very
good. This organisation finds vacancies for
people looking for work. They teach good
interview techniques, tell you how to dress,
show you how to do a professional CV and
prepare you for the interview. They also do
training on a variety of vocational subjects,
such as ‘Food and Hygiene’ for catering.
Summer/ Issue 38 www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium EQUILIBRIUMEQUILIBRIUM 17
Self Employment
At 25 Carlos D’Souza was diagnosed with
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
(ADHD). ADHD is a group of behavioural
symptoms that include inattentiveness,
hyperactivity and impulsiveness. ADHD
can occur in people of any intellectual
ability, although it is more common in
people with learning difficulties. People
with ADHD may also have additional prob-
lems, such as sleep and anxiety disorders’.
Medication is often the first treatment
offered to adults with ADHD, although
psychological therapies such as cognitive
behavioural therapy (CBT) may also help’
(NHS Choices).
Carlos D’Souza had difficulty at school
at school because teachers thought his
disruptive behaviour was because of lazi-
ness. He is now 32 and graduated in Sports
Medication and Injury prevention. Today
he manages the condition using therapy
and by following a strict diet. He now has
his own personal training company called
‘The Carlos Method’. D’Souza is trying
to help shift the stigma of mental issues
through work by telling his story to help
others to be open about their condition
(Tottenham Independent 28/8/15)
Conclusion
Anita Hudson, the chief executive of Mind
in Haringey has made a comment on this
subject: “I would like to see more help
for people with mental health problems
in not just getting employment but to stay
in employment.” Mayor of London, Boris
Johnson, said: “There is a lack of under-
standing and support from employers in
London for those who suffer mental health
problems” (The Tottenham Independent,
09/10/15).
I think that people with mental health
issues should be given the opportunity to
do a work placement where necessary.
My problem was that employers kept
complaining that I was too slow. I think the
employment advisors at Job Centre Plus
should be better at getting people with
mental health issues into work, and organi-
sations to help people with mental health
issues back into work should be supervised
to make sure they deliver on their promises.
Summer/ Issue 38EQUILIBRIUMEQUILIBRIUM 18
Another miracle cure? Cancer Bush (Sutherlandia Frutescens)
I recently had a discussion about the
benefits of St John’s Wort, and in that
conversation was mentioned a plant
with medicinal properties which I’d
never come across. The plant had
the slightly dubious title of ‘Cancer-
Bush’. Its original Southern Africa
name is ‘Kankerbos’, and to be totally
thorough, it’s latin name is Sutherlan-
dia Frutescens.
A little research reveals it has been
used for centuries to treat cancer and
a variety of other ailments by Southern
Africans. It contains a powerful immune
boosting property which has been clas-
sified as an adaptogen (an adaptogen
Summer/ Issue 38 www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium EQUILIBRIUMEQUILIBRIUM 19
Nigel Prestayn
is a herbal substance or “tonic” that
helps the body to adapt to environmen-
tal and internal stress by changing body
metabolism.)
So what it is? Cancer bush is a flowering
shrub of the pea family which grows up
to 1.2m high and is found in its natural
state only in the drier areas of the West-
ern and Northern Cape provinces of
Southern Africa.
I interviewed a colleague, Richard, who
has been taking this product regularly for
over a year:
Q. Richard, where did you here about
cancerbush?
A. The first time I heard about cancer
bush I was on my way to Woodgreen
looking for homeopathic remedies for
depression and anxiety. I’d been recom-
mended a shop there and when I arrived
the first thing I saw was a poster on the
wall about ‘Cancer Bush’, with a list of its
many benefits, which instantly impressed
me.
Q. How long have you been taking
Cancer Bush and why did you start taking
it?
A. I’ve been taking cancer bush for over
a year now. I began taking it because I
was looking for something homeopathic,
with no known side effects, and in partic-
ular I was looking for something which
would reduce my stress levels.
cont.
Summer/ Issue 38EQUILIBRIUMEQUILIBRIUM 20
Q. What benefits have you found since
you began taking cancer bush?
A. My nightmares have completely
slowed down. Prior to taking it I would
have dozens of nightmares. Then I found
the more I took the Cancer Bush, the less
I had these nightmares. I took beyond
the recommended dosage and found I
would have just the single odd dream in
the night. And in the daytime everything
seemed a lot easier. I found I was actu-
ally looking forward to living life.
The list of benefits from this plant is
extensive. It is claimed to help cancer,
anxiety,arthritis, asthma, backache,
chronic fatigue syndrome and Depres-
sion, to mention a few! Of course when
we’re met with such claims, we naturally
feel a degree of scepticism. Each day
there seems to be a new product on the
market which proclaims a miracle cure
for this or that ailment.
Cancer bush is known among the Sotho
culture as ‘motlepelo’, meaning ‘bring-
ing back the heart’ - a traditional treat-
ment used by the Sotho for emotional
shock and stress. Apparently an ‘infusion
of cancer bush was given to Zulu warriors
returning from battle “to take the war out”
- as a calming tea’ (www.cancerbush.
com).
It is also believed that this medicinal plant
may hold the key to the treatment of
millions of poor people living with HIV and
Aids, helping to relieve the symptoms.
For the first time in South Africa’s medi-
cal history, the plant is to undergo clinical
trials to assess its immune-boosting prop-
erties. Anecdotal evidence is already
mounting, suggesting that this plant can
improve the quality of life for thousands of
people both with HIV and full-blown Aids.
Summer/ Issue 38 EQUILIBRIUM21
PHOTOGRAPHY: SARA MCCALLUM
Summer/ Issue 38EQUILIBRIUMEQUILIBRIUM 22
As the New Year approaches the annual
assault of advice for slimming and trim-
ming begins again, inaugurating the season
of faddy dieting and gruelling exercise
regimes. Women today are bombarded
by a cascade of literature and images
prescribing the physiognomy of the ‘ideal’
female. Slender models leering down from
billboards, magazines bursting with chis-
elled cheekbones, stick thin mannequins
posing in shop windows; it is impossible to
escape the onslaught of this prescription of
beauty. While the fashion industry is often
held responsible for body image obsessions
and its devastating effects, it is a complex
issue that needs to be examined in its social
and historical context.
Although I will focus on issues of female
body image, this is not to diminish similar
pressures on men. From protein powders to
gym memberships, there is an entire indus-
try devoted to preying on male anatomical
insecurities. We have created a culture and
economy in which we identify one another’s
imperfections and prescribe endless reme-
Body image,mental health and the fashion industry
Summer/ Issue 38 www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium EQUILIBRIUMEQUILIBRIUM 23
dies for our apparent ’defects’.
One of the most interesting features of our
image obsessed culture is the way it mate-
rialises not from birth but later in life. We
encourage our offspring to treasure their
distinctiveness, yet later in life this philoso-
phy evaporates. The child who was once
inspired to cherish her lumps and bumps
is now offered diets, exercise regimes and
even drastic surgeries to help shed the
‘flab’. At the dawn of adolescence, girls are
suddenly confronted by a world command-
ing flawless perfection. Instead of idolising
figures like Angela Merkel and Michele
Obama, celebrities like Cara Delavigne and
Angelina Jolie become heroes of worship.
This is not say these two women do not
deserve acclaim, but for their professional
achievements rather than their sculpted hips
and breasts. If we are going to teach our
children to accept all shapes and sizes this
philosophy must be continued later in life.
The fashion industry has a lot to answer for.
Skeletal models parade across catwalks and
Body image,mental health and the fashion industry
Isobel Duxfield
cont.
Summer/ Issue 38EQUILIBRIUM
tiny girls are draped across glossy maga-
zine pages. This industry has propelled a
perverted perception of the female form
in which protruding bones are considered
‘chic’, gaunt faces ‘elegant’ and bowed
legs ‘graceful’. Indeed fashion guru, Karl
Lagerfeld’s declaration that ‘nobody
wants to see a curvy figure on the
runway’ exposes the vehemence of this
culture. It appears that today the route to
happiness is through a size 4 dress. The
devastating effect on women, particularly
young females, is profound. Unable to
achieve a size zero frame we are left feel-
ing unattractive, even ugly, relentlessly
comparing thighs and buttocks with these
airbrushed seraphs.
However the fashion industry’s size zero
culture is not directly and exclusively
culpable for insecurities with our physical
appearance. The relationship between
this multibillion pound sector and female
body image multifaceted. Indeed argu-
ably this size zero ethos merely satisfies
existing social attitudes. This is a position
supported by editor of British Vogue, Alex-
andra Shulman, who recently claimed
that catwalk culture cannot be consid-
ered the tipping point from dissatisfaction
with body image into something more
harmful. To an extent Shulman is right.
Demand for excessively thin models is
not the sole source of negative percep-
tions of oneself, leading to damaging
emotional and psychological problems
(such as self-harm or eating disorders).
Mental illness is a lethal concoction of
deeper unhappiness and insecurity. While
the fashion industry’s promotion of a slim
frame is clearly an aggressive force body
for dysphoria, it must be recognised as
a cog in a wheel, not the source of the
problem.
Nonetheless the fashion industry is still in
need of reform. Following recent pressure
from lobby groups steps are now being
EQUILIBRIUM 24
Summer/ Issue 38 www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium EQUILIBRIUM
taken to reduce the use of malnour-
ished models. In September it was
announced an all-party parliamen-
tary group, led by Conservative politi-
cian Caroline Noakes, will investigate
the option of laws prohibiting under-
weight models on UK catwalks.
This echoes similar movement across
the channel where French authorities
have barred the employment of ultra
thin models, with fines of up to £55,000
for agencies found contravening the
new conventions. We are already
witnessing changes. In June Yves
Saint Laurent’s advertisement featur-
ing underweight models was banned
by the Advertising Standards Authority.
This is part of wide ranging regulatory
reform in France aimed at tackling
the worrying glorification of unhealth-
ily slim physiques. If the world’s fash-
ion capital is reforming their prac-
tices, surely it is time we followed
suit. However, while the prohibition of
underweight models and other reforms
may signal progress they merely
scratch the surface of our deep rooted
obsession with body image.
The media also shoulders a significant
proportion of the blame for propel-
ling idealisation and objectification
of the female form. Popular maga-
zines exuberantly make a spectacle
of celebrity physiques, pointing out
excess flesh and lambasting style
faux pas. We revel in this cruel sport;
mocking Madonna’s love handles,
sneering at Angelina Jolie’s stretch
marks and derisively noting Beyonce’s
double chin. Disturbingly, even Serena
Williams, arguably the greatest female
athlete on the planet, whose muscles
have helped her secure count-
less championship titles, is regularly
denounced for her larger figure.
EQUILIBRIUM 25
cont.
Summer/ Issue 38EQUILIBRIUMEQUILIBRIUM 26
The media has even instilled body image
as a prevailing feature in today’s poli-
tics. We have come to define the profes-
sional capability of female politicians
by their physical appearance. Although
the accessibility of politics for women
has improved dramatically over the last
century, media representation of female
politicians is perpetuating an archaic
attitude to women’s professionalism,
where they are deemed inferior to their
male counterparts. When David Cameron
speaks at prime minister’s questions, the
colour of his tie is not deemed newswor-
thy; yet Tessa Jowell and Harriet Harman’s
outfit disasters dominate media coverage
of their appearance in the Commons.
Body image is an increasingly perturbing
issue. This objectification of our anatomy
has become ingrained in our society with
women encouraged to pursue physical
perfection. It permeates all levels of 21st
century society with devastating effects
for sexual equality and even mental
health. Women are instructed consciously
and subconsciously in the importance
of their appearance. So maybe this New
Year requires a focus on a more holistic
wellbeing, not merely chasing physiques
like our airbrushed idols. While there is no
problem in trying to get outside more, or
cut back on sugar this January, we must
remind ourselves we are not defined by
our externalities.
Summer/ Issue 38 www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium EQUILIBRIUMEQUILIBRIUM 27
PHOTOGRAPHY: TARAN PARKE-ANTONIS
Neil WaltonBook Release:
“Recovery began when I could laugh at my disorder”
A Section for Laughing has been released into the wild.
This kindle book celebrates the author’s recovery and Neil Walton encourages you to pick up the pen. “I was fortunate to have held onto my ‘humour marbles’ - now it’s time to play with them.”
Check www.bipolar-expedition.co.uk for more info
Summer/ Issue 38EQUILIBRIUMEQUILIBRIUM 28
Do you have a mental picture of how
your life ‘should’ be? Do you ever find
yourself judging your experience as
‘not right’ and comparing it to how
you feel you ‘should’ be feeling or
what ‘should’ be happening?
Thoughts like…
“Things should be different”, “I should
be doing this”, “I shouldn’t be feeling
this way”, “It’s nearly Christmas, why
don’t I feel excited?”, “I’m on holiday,
I should be happy”.
Christmas, comparisons, the media and mental healthThoughts on having a more realistic Christmas this year
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Internal comparisons
I have a tendency to make
comparisons and judgements about
how I feel my experience ‘should’
be. This doesn’t usually happen
consciously. Instead it takes place
in the flow of automatic thoughts
that runs like a tape through my
mind when I’m not really paying
attention.
Anyone who has experienced it
will know that these comparisons
are not very pleasant experiences.
It’s made worse by the fact that
thoughts like this can (often without
us really noticing) lead to further
negative thoughts and judgements
about ourselves, the world and the
future. This can lead to a downwards
spiral into a low mood – one that
you can’t work out where it came
from or how to get rid of it.
“I feel low this morning” leads to…
“This is a really rubbish thing to be
feeling” and on to…
“I shouldn’t be feeling low, everyone
else is happy” …
“What’s wrong with me that makes
me feel this way?” …
“Why can’t I ever just be happy?”….
“Nothing is ever going to change”.
What if you were able to catch your-
self and stop making those initial
automatic comparisons?
Instead of this downwards spiral
making your negative mood more
deeply entrenched, what if you
could be more accepting towards
your initial low mood?
Instead of making things much
worse by judging, comparing
and trying to intellectualise your
emotions what if you could just try
Clare Rose Foster
Summer/ Issue 38EQUILIBRIUMEQUILIBRIUM 30
taking a positive action to help your-
self feel better - or just wait for the
experience to pass?
Learning to recognise and catch your-
self when you start to feel this way
can help you to prevent things getting
worse. You can do this by accept-
ing the initial feeling and giving it an
opportunity to pass without trying to
‘solve’ it through thinking. Have a look
at my Mindfulness Based Cognitive
Therapy (MBCT) series for more detail,
particularly blog 2.
External comparisons
This automatic comparison is some-
thing that I do all by myself without
any external pressure – people who
have or have had depression have a
tendency for it. It’s also something it is
really easy to do without thinking and
without recognising you’re doing it.
Before you know it you’re feeling low
and you don’t even know exactly how
you got there.
But there’s more fuel for making
comparisons these days than there
has ever been before. Now we also
have the projected experience of
others to contend with. Social media,
particularly Facebook, gives people
an opportunity to project the version
of their life that most closely fits their
‘ideal’ to their friends, family and
acquaintances.
We don’t just have that internal
image of how our lives ‘should’ be
that we constantly and automatically
compare to our actual experiences.
Now we’ve got an external (although
probably equally unrealistic) image
of how everyone else’s lives are. And
from this point, the negative spiral of
judgement to internal recrimination to
anger, frustration and misery can be
the same.
Christmas and comparisons
Christmas is a time when even people
who don’t usually suffer from depres-
sion are much more at risk of the
negative spiral that can be triggered
by making comparisons.
Just look at the way the media, the
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shops and the advertising compa-
nies celebrate. For well over a month,
we are bombarded with images and
ideas about what the perfect Christ-
mas should be. As far at the media is
concerned no one is lonely, no families
fight and everyone is cosily wrapped
up in warm woollen knits. The trickiest
thing that might happen is a teenager
won’t wear his Christmas hat or a mother
gets slightly flustered over the turkey.
Never mind though, everything is almost
instantly resolved with a hug and a
rueful look.
Day in day out over the Christmas
period we are almost forced to make
that comparison between our actual
lives and feelings and what we’re being
told they ‘should’ be.
Look, my experience matches!
Many of us respond by trying to recre-
ate this ideal and sharing our crea-
tions on social media. This picture of
me in a woolly scarf drinking a mulled
wine matches how things ‘should be’ at
Christmas. I feel better about my experi-
ence now. Look, it matches!
This in turn just feeds the external pres-
sure that others are feeling. As a soci-
ety, we’ve created a monster. A story of
Christmas grown through our television
screens, shop windows and advertising
and kept fed through our own attempts
to recreate it on social media.
But it’s a lie. Experiences in those
few weeks are as varied as there
are people. No one experiences the
‘media’ Christmas. Things always fall
short of that because that version of the
world doesn’t exist. We are being forced
to measure our experiences against
something fake. And when they fall short
we make ourselves feel worse by allow-
ing that negative spiral of thoughts and
judgements to get in.
This year, don’t let comparisons make
you feel worse
This year, have a real Christmas. It might
not be great, it might be mainly a lot
of fun, it might be totally rubbish – but
however it goes don’t make it worse by
letting yourself get sucked in to comparisons.
Summer/ Issue 38EQUILIBRIUMEQUILIBRIUM 32
Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy
taught me techniques to deal with
some of these automatic comparisons
and judgements.
So what can you do?
Recognise it’s happening
One of the most important things seems
to be catching yourself making these
automatic comparisons in the first
place. Writing them down can help
you to view them as intrusive thoughts
rather than reality. This can help you
next time they start to take hold in your
mind.
Recognise that it’s a fantasy world
being created and identify everything
that is feeding into it.
If you find yourself scanning Facebook
and feeling jealous or inadequate then
you’re making comparisons and are at
risk of that negative spiral. Remember
that those people are representing their
lives in the same way that the media
tells us the story of how we should be
experiencing the season.
Adverts in particular are very insidi-
ous and a sense of how things ‘should’
be at Christmas can sneak its way
into your brain however hard you are
trying. Next time you see a Christmas
advert, imagine them all made of Lego
or painted in watercolours. This way it’s
easier to recognise that they’re telling a
lovely story. That’s all it is - a story.
Taking action
Recognising that you have started
making comparisons and if you don’t
stop they are going to make you feel
low is a big step in itself.
If you notice them taking hold, chal-
lenge them. Create yourself a mantra –
“I’m not going to let myself get sucked
into this comparison game again, I’m
comparing my experience to some-
thing that doesn’t exist”. Instead, be
gentle with yourself. Make yourself a
list of things that give you pleasure,
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however small, and do one of those if
you find yourself feeling low. Distract-
ing your mind can prevent it from
spiralling down. Take a ‘breathing
space’ to stop that thinking and refo-
cus your awareness on the here and
now.
Be real. Talk to your friends and family
about what’s actually going on. Enjoy
the good but don’t feel you need to
pretend things are perfect.
Prevention
This isn’t always easy, but there are
things that can help you to keep a
clearer head. For me, alcohol makes
a massive difference. If I drink more
than a glass of wine on a night, I really
notice its impact on my mood and
ability to manage it a couple of days
later. If I drink more than one night in
a row it’s even more apparent. Every-
one has to manage their own relation-
ship with alcohol, hormones, food and
sleep – but at least recognising their
influence can help you regain control
of that mind spiral.
The Mindfulness series I linked to
earlier can give you some tools to
help become more aware of both
how your mind is acting and what
actions you can take. Take a look at
weeks 7 & 8 in particular.
Have a real Christmas and an authen-
tic New Year!
Enjoy all the good moments this
Christmas. When you find things
difficult move away from making
comparisons and be gentle with your-
self. Try not to make it worse by letting
yourself get sucked into comparing it
with a fantasy.
Good luck - and don’t beat yourself
up if you do find yourself making those
comparisons more than you want to -
we all do it and it is not an easy thing
to stop!
Summer/ Issue 38EQUILIBRIUM
What if there was no NHS... ... to support our mental health?
In the UK, we have the NHS to turn to
when we need it. It is a free service for
resident in the UK, paid for by taxes. So
in other words you would not have to
pay anything for the services when you
need to use them. If you are working
you have to pay for your prescriptions,
otherwise you do not need to. I often
wonder what would happen if you had
mental health problems but no NHS? It
wasn’t until I visited India that I realised
how fortunate we really are to have this
service, especially when it comes to
mental health conditions. We are very
lucky to have to have the NHS.
Maybe I should explain: when you have
a mental health condition you often
need ongoing support (i.e. counselling,
seeing the psychologist or psychia-
trist, going into hospital). This is usually
not a quick fix thing. According to the
Guardian, it costs £70 billion a year to
maintain the country’s mental health
services. An OECD (the Organisation for
Economic Co-operation and Develop-
ment) study shows 40% of the 370,000
new claims for disability benefit each
year are caused by mental health
issues.
What would happen if we had no
NHS? Basically we would have to pay
for everything at the point when we
needed it. The economic and social
cost of mental health problems in
EQUILIBRIUM 34
Summer/ Issue 38 www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium EQUILIBRIUM
Dev
England was £105 billion in 2009-10, taking
into account costs for health and social
care, loss of output and human costs.
If, for some reason, the NHS never had
happened then everyone would have to
pay for the entire service. A person with
a mental health condition would have to
try and work no matter what the sever-
ity of his or her condition, or might end
up homeless. These services cost a lot of
money. If a person who has no control over
their mental health condition would have
to be supported by their family, and this
could mean a great deal of the household
income would go into looking after that
family member, even before living and
travel expenses and other requirements.
In developing countries and countries with
very expensive medical costs, people
and their families can be in grave difficulty
trying to pay for mental health services.
Sometimes they are even abandoned
at hospitals, or they experience severe
malnutrition or physical abuse. This unfor-
tunately quite common in parts of India,
where my family are from. If that does
not happen they are often left to fend for
themselves on the street, where people
ridicule them in any manner possible.
There was once case I know of in India
where a family of eight were living in a
small, unfit place, and had to look after a
mentally unwell family member. This led to
two of the older children giving up educa-
tion in order to look after the family and
the remaining siblings. You can imagine
the living conditions of the family would
be below standard living conditions, possi-
bly leading to them begging for money.
The key reason for this is that there is NO
support system for mentally ill people. This
sounds very severe and shocking to be
the case in the 21st century, but it does
happen. It’s something that I have seen
on my trips to India. Luckily this would not
happen here. But if the NHS was not here
this is what we could expect (although
probably not as severe, as there is not such
extreme poverty in this country). If you look
at life before July 5, 1948 and especially
during and before the Edwardian periods
you will see what life was like before the
NHS. If you look further back, during the
Industrial Revolutions, you will see some
evidence of situations that resemble what I
have written about in this article.
EQUILIBRIUM 35
Summer/ Issue 38EQUILIBRIUMEQUILIBRIUM 36
Poetry Corner
I live here so I don’t have to live here
I want to live in a place Where sections are pieces And unit means number. Doors unlock, windows open, taps run and Showers flow. Lunch time is fun time and I can pour my own tea. Where shaving my legs and Going to the toilet Is seen as person hygiene. Not viewed with suspicion. Walking is a way to get from A to B Rather than 90 to 80. CPA, TTA and OT are just letters and Ensure means to make sure. Fish is served in a fillet, Not perfectly round measures, And dropping a chip in the floor is an accident, Not a triumph. No ringing bell wakes me up And no torch shines in my eyes. Where I’m not a patient, But a person.
Summer/ Issue 38 www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium EQUILIBRIUMEQUILIBRIUM 37
Francesca Baker
When pathetic fallacy gets it wrong
The sun quivered down upon us A loosely weaved blanket of golden light. It grazed my shoulders with warmth And licked his knees.
The sweet scent of honeysuckle Mixed with fresh grass and burnt hay Bewitched me in with its charm. A giddy blend of bliss.
I saw cauliflower clouds up In the streak blues of sky And smiled as the leaves ruffled As the breeze tried to settle.
Our breath was balanced. As he breathed in I breathed out. ‘Teamwork.’ I thought.
I was happy.
He rolled onto his side And broke the rhythm. ‘It’s over’ he said.
No thunder clapped. No lightening streaked. The sun blazed on. But his heart had gone cold.
Her toe nails are painted blue like a deep night sky With little specks of glitter Like stars.
Her heels are cracked, like shattering skin A splitting mud surface in the heat Dried up.
A crooked little toe looks rubbed and knocked Just there, on the side Like a pebble.
She flexes her ankle up, skin creasing Points her toes out as if to say ‘That way!’
For her feet will carry her on Far away and to her future Far from me.
Summer/ Issue 38EQUILIBRIUM
Throughout September and October,
award-winning charity Create has been
bringing together disabled and non-
disabled students in Milton Keynes to
develop inspiring new artwork to encour-
age increased use of the redways.
The health and social benefits of access
to green space has been well-publi-
cised over recent years with Natural
Health England reporting that if every-
one was given equal access to green
space, the estimated saving to the NHS
would be £2.1 billion. Access to these
green spaces is not equal, however.
The Diversity Review published by the
Department for Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs found that those with learn-
ing disabilities and young people are
much less likely to access the natural
environment despite health and social
benefits being particularly advanta-
geous to these groups.
To increase accessibility for local young
people, award-winning arts char-
ity Create is enabling students from
White Spire School and mainstream
students from Milton Keynes Acad-
emy to enhance the Milton Keynes
redway system by designing a series of
artworks. The redway system is a set of
shared paths for cyclists and pedestri-
ans spanning 270km. The project has
been designed by Create in consulta-
tion with intu Milton Keynes to enable
local young people with and without
disabilities to collaborate creatively
and, in the process, feel welcomed into
these green spaces by involving them
in the decision-making around their
improvement.
Guided by Create’s professional visual
artist Daniel Lehan, the young people
have started by building and decorat-
ing clay birds, constructing a ‘bird hotel’
and producing models of other wildlife,
which they will paint and collage. These
designs will be used as inspiration by a
professional artist, being commissioned
by intu Milton Keynes, for a new artwork
to be included in the redways. The
young people’s original artwork will be
displayed at intu Milton Keynes during
January 2016 after being included in a
two month exhibition at KPMG in Canary
Wharf London.
YOUNG PEOPLE WITH AND WITHOUT DISABILITIES CREATE FEATHERED FRIENDS FOR MILTON KEYNES’ REDWAY
EQUILIBRIUM 38
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This project is part of Create’s crea-
tive: connection programme which
brings together young people with
and without disabilities in creative arts
workshops led by professional artists.
The programme encourages friend-
ships between young people who may
not normally have the opportunity to
socialise, tackling disability prejudice
and helping students to build confi-
dence in their communications skills.
These collaborative creative experi-
ences enable young people to see
past the stereotypes and assump-
tions that can break down community
cohesion.
Co-Founder and Chief Executive of
Create, Nicky Goulder, commented,
“It’s fantastic to see this project bring-
ing together young people from
different backgrounds and fostering
relationships between those with and
without disabilities. Not only that but
we’re seeing how the creative arts can
be used to get young people engag-
ing with their local natural environment
and experiencing the benefits. We
hope that their artwork will inspire the
artist who is creating the final piece
and strengthen the sense of commu-
nity within the Milton Keynes redway
system for everyone to enjoy.”
Shelley Peppard, general manager
at intu Milton Keynes, added: “We are
delighted to be involved in this project;
it’s lovely to see these young people
working together to create something
so positive for the local community.
This artwork will vastly improve areas of
Milton Keynes’ redways; we want these
green areas to be somewhere that we
can all be proud of and that will attract
more people to enjoy being outdoors,
and the benefits that come with that.”
EQUILIBRIUM 39