There are many theories around the influences on mental health, some focus on brain chemistry or the idea of a chemical imbalance. Through training as a mental health nurse, I have come to the understanding that some treatment available seeks to rectify the imbalance by manipulating brain chemistry to increase or decrease availability of Serotonin, Nor-epinephrine and Dopamine. I previously explored the speculations of links between mental health and creativity in a previous blog post : Connecting the dots.
I want to look beyond just brain chemistry because ultimately there are more factors that can influence our sense of wellbeing, how we feel about ourselves and those we connect to and what we are consuming/doing in our day to day lives.
John Holdcroft is an established Illustrator, who is based in Sheffield, UK. He creates works for a variety of online and printed publications. I love how powerful the images he creates are, they are really successful in communicating concepts and ideas. He also dedicates a lot of time to non-commissioned pieces to illustrate perspectives on the human condition.
I chose to include 'label woman' as I believe this illustrates an important perspective about consumption, self esteem and identity. Putting a label on something has the power to influence our sense of identity and status.
Much is true in the realm of mental health in terms of diagnosis and the stigma attached to such 'labels'. Receiving a diagnosis can be vital in finding the right care and treatment for someone but it can also have it's drawbacks, as it may negatively affect the person's sense of identity and hopes for the future, as their perspective may change according to their understanding of what they are capable of, due to their diagnosis.
"If a diagnosis is offered carefully, with time for discussion, clear information and hope, it is more likely to be experienced positively. How a psychiatric diagnosis is experienced is also mediated by an individual’s life experience and their cultural identities "
- Jay Watts.
Putting a 'label' on people can dehumanise them and prompt stigmatisation from their peers and loved ones. "Like an overbearing partner, a diagnosis sometimes stops the patient finding a voice of their own " - Jay Watts.
In nurse training, we are taught to see the person and not just their condition. Outside of the world of mental health professionals, I don't believe there is enough awareness of what these 'diagnosis' actually mean and it often triggers a 'fear the worst' mentality likening often harmless individuals to controversial stories in the media without any substantive evidence other than a 'diagnosis'.
"Mental health stigma is not simply negative views of those with a mental illness but it is prejudice and discrimination too." - Kayleigh Rose.
Through my search, I discovered the works of Kayleigh Rose who has just qualified as a mental health nurse in the UK. I was inspired to see such passion and creativity. Quite often, people may utilise 'diagnosis' related adjectives as throw away comments to describe how they feel, although an official diagnosis may not even be present or relevant to the situation in hand.
I feel like there is much more to be examined on this topic and I will continue to detail my search in further posts.
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