Because there is HOPE.
There is hope for EVERYONE to heal and thrive.
As a mental health wellness specialist working in the field for 25 years, I know that people struggling with mental health issues and psychiatric diagnoses can live meaningful, productive lives. I’ve witnessed it with my own eyes, I’ve been part of many people’s journey to wellness. It’s not rocket science, but when people are treated well and given hope along with the right supports they heal their lives. And many thrive.
HOPE, is not just a word that gives us promise of bright days ahead, it is a verb in the context of our healing journeys. It represents activities and ways of communicating that play out in our relationships.
Not everyone feels comfortable about the word crazy. And it’s okay, I understand and respect that we’re all individuals with unique experiences and many of us are in different parts of our wellness journey.
I struggled with serious mental health issues for over thirty years. I was in and out of psych units, given a variety of diagnoses and told that as long I took medication I would be okay. I was shunned and isolated, a pariah among friends and family. I was perceived as a crazy person.
Time and a variety of strategies and processes led to my current state of wellness. Having a sense of humour, being able to laugh at myself, and using humour and comedy in various creative modalities played an important role in the thriving person I have become. Thus, the word crazy to me is not offensive. It’s just a funny sounding word that conjures up obvious euphemisms like out of your mind, nutty as a fruit cake, a few bricks short of a load, a few sandwiches short of a picnic, a few pickles short of a jar, non-compos-mentis, a total whack job, bonkers, nuts, coocoo, having a screw loose, a long list that became meaningless to me. These always get a lot of laughs when I’m doing my solo show ‘Now Who’s Crazy Now?’ – the story of my journey to wellness.
Now I help others who struggle achieve meaningful lives. So, I guess it’s a bit sarcastic. But really, who’s crazy now?
