Mental Health Resources Don’t Stop at the Suicide Hotline; Our Advocacy Shouldn’t Either
Chances are, if you’ve seen any of the suicide prevention awareness efforts of mental health advocates, you’ve heard about suicide hotlines. Suicide hotlines are one of the most prominent and visible outreach methods for preventing suicide. Their numbers are frequently shared by celebrities, schools, doctors offices, politicians, and companies. A song with the number of […]
The Cripped-Up Horror of Halloween Movies
What do Split, Phantom of the Opera, A Quiet Place, and Bird Box have in common? All four movies utilize disability as a means to create thrill and horror. But do they all do disability justice? CW: This article contains descriptions of murder, gore, trauma, and suicide within dramatic film. Split (2016) is a horror movie featuring a villain […]
Asylum or Ableism? Halloween’s Glamorization of Mental Illness
During the 1960s, people with mental illness were reintegrated into society, following mass deinstitutionalization efforts of the United States government, rendering state-funded mental hospitals outdated. Many of these buildings were repurposed as “haunted houses”, with heart-stopping tours and actors dressed in hospital gowns smeared with blood. Hundreds of people flock to these attractions every fall, […]
Comic Books and PTSD: a Quest for Representation
A few weeks ago, I had my day made by a comic book. I had been browsing my local comic shop when I came across a superhero comic in the teen section. I don’t read many superhero stories, and I had never read a DC young adult book before, but I decided to give it […]
It’s Okay to Grieve the Life You’ve Missed Out On
Because of my mental health, I have missed out on more things in life than I ever would have expected. Granted, I am also much more mentally ill then I would have expected: over the past six years a number of mental illnesses have worked their way into my brain, taking up much of my […]
I Was Granted the Disability Pension and Shame Was My First Reaction
Despite professional recommendation, I put off applying for the disability pension for as long as possible. I am chronically mentally ill. I am unable to work as a result and therefore am lacking in the financial department. After months of contemplation and eking out my dwindling resources, I decided to swallow my pride and admit […]
Modern-Day “Shock Therapy” Isn’t What You Think—But Isn’t Perfect, Either
When I tell people that I am currently undergoing electroconvulsive therapy, the modern equivalent of “shock therapy”, I am most often met with semi-horrified surprise or confusion. Many think that the treatment is no longer used due to its harsh side effects and potential for abuse. This belief makes sense, given the way that this […]
My Mental Illness is My Fault, That’s What Society Led Me to Believe
An exploration of mental illness; how guilt and blame fit into the equation. My disorder is fuelled by self-hatred. If she* can keep me trapped in a self-abusive cycle she has me all to herself. Guilt therefore, comes in handy to her. My guilt stems from my diagnosis. My illness is reinforced by this guilt. […]
Words Are Power: Poems About Youth & Disability
Truths In judgment, dare you call me incomplete? In spite, do you dare call me useless? In ignorance, do you dare call me deceitful? In hatred, do you dare call me unlovable? For, dearest stranger, the contrary is so: In love, I dare believe I am beautiful In awareness, I dare believe […]
Turtles All The Way Down: The Truth About Thought Spirals
Image Description: Picture of the physical copy of, Turtles All the Way Down, sat on a barstool against a blurred brick backdrop. This summer I had the privilege of reading John Green’s new book, Turtles All the Way Down. The book is about a young woman who is investigating the disappearance of local billionaire Russell […]