Overcoming Mental Illness

In the five and a half years or so I lived here before returning to the UK there was very little postive action in promoting mental health awareness in Australia. Sure there was the odd poster here, the odd sign on a tram there, but that was about it.

To most Australian’s I met and spoke with mental illness seemed to be this pseudo-mythical condition which meant you should spend the rest of your life locked up in some institution somewhere never to see the light of day again.

Some may continue to think like that, sometime’s it’s difficult for people to fit into the widely expected Australian stereotype of ‘laid back surfer dude’ or ‘funky coffee shop chick’ when they are dealing with depression, anxiety, bipolar, schizophrenia or the like.

It’s also been my experience that a lot of people (not just in Australia) are not that interested in understanding what mental illness is or how it affects someone, as long as it doesn’t effect them.

Directly or indirectly.

As long as it doesn’t get in the way of their happy little life, I mean who needs someone suffering from mental illness to drag you down, eh? They’re just useless frackwits!

But since returning here about a month ago I’ve been pleased to see not one - but two - major campaigns running to assist in promoting mental health awareness; both by leading mental health charities in Australia.

The first is from SANE Australia, who have a print, television, radio and internet campaign running.

The national campaign features everyday street signs and billboards replaced with titles such as ‘depression’, ‘anxiety’ and ‘mood swings’ to represent how mental illness is a part of everyday life for many people – and the importance of identifying possible signs.

‘Friends and family are often the first people to notice the changes in behaviour or thinking that can be early signs of mental illness. SANE encourages people to have the confidence to act on their concerns as soon as possible and simplify what can be an overwhelming process by providing clear information and advice,’ says Barbara Hocking, Executive Director of SANE Australia.

The ‘Signs’ campaign has been developed through the generous support of award-winning ad agency, Commotion, and the TV commercial was directed by David Jagoda, renowned for his work on high-profile campaigns for Nokia, Ikea and MTV among others.

Find out more information on the SANE campaign and VIEW THE TV adverts here

The second is from Beyondblue: the national depression initiative who have also launched a radio, print and TV campaign.

There are six new TV commercials in the series and an additional one aimed at men, which has already been seen in rural areas across Australia.

Produced by Frontier Advertising in close association with beyondblue, each commercial provides a candid insight into the experiences of people with these conditions and how they hide their symptoms from friends, families and work colleagues.

The message is: “Helping someone with depression isn’t beyond you. For more information visit this website or call the beyondblue info line 1300 22 4636 (local call).”

beyondblue Chairman The Hon. Jeff Kennett said: “These advertisements are so real, everyone will be moved by the message and circumstances of the characters in the ads. The campaign will help beyondblue to get the message out that depression is common and help is available.”

Find out more information on the BEYONDBLUE campaign and VIEW THE TV adverts here

I have myself witness the SANE campaign in many locations, and only came across the BeyondBlue campaign today whilst visiting a public bathroom - only to be met with a poster regarding bipolar disorder.

According to the Beyondblue website this campaign was launched in 2006, and I’m sorry I was not aware of it running until now.

Having witnessed the SANE television campaign I can only applaud it, I truly hope both campaigns run and run and people start taking notice and broadening their understanding of this issue which affects so many lives not only in Australia but the world over.

I can only hope more campaigns are running like this the world over, if not, then they need to start. Which gets me thinking…how would you like to see a campaign run to raise awareness of mental health? How should it be handled? Any thoughts?

For those of you in the UK who don’t wish to know plot spoilers for your favourite Australian import, then look away.

For those of you in the US who don’t even know what Neighbours is, it’s a weekday soap opera.

For those of you who don’t care, ah well, thems the breaks :)

Although I haven’t seen any of the emerging storyline myself - being without a TV makes it difficult to catch up on this sort of thing - Ramsay Street is beginning a storyline in which one of it’s residents is revealed to have bipolar disorder.

Actress: Simone Buchanan

Personally I think it’s bloody fantastic that this is happening. All too often in television mental illness is sensationalised and trivialised, much to the chagrin of people who are making every effort they can to explain and promote good mental health awareness, so for a major television show like this to take on such a storyline - it should be applauded.

If I ever get the chance to see the storyline myself, then I’ll keep you abreast of new information.

Until then, you can read the full article on the SANE Australia website here

Anna Popplewell
Susan from Prince Caspian

READ MY REVIEW OF THE MOVIE HERE

I’ve always been a Narnia guy. Sure Middle Earth came along and I loved it, still do. Sure Newford came along and I loved it, still do, I return to those streets often and frequently in reality and my dreams…but I have alwaysbeen a Narnia guy. How can someone not be? I mean there you are playing hide and seek, camping down in a wardrobe and then BAM you’re suddenly in the middle of winter in a far off mythical world. You meet fawns and dwarves and talking beavers and this mighty lion who is King of them all named Aslan. How can you not be a Narnia guy? Or girl? 

I remember back in the olden days when the Narnia books were made into 6 part BBC television adaptations for a Sunday early evening slot. Back in the days where you’d staple a few things together to make yourself a Beaver costume and hope the viewers would squint, or at least not notice that the Beavers were actually the same height as the humans - which is just silly really. They’re talkingbeavers, not giant beavers! Anyways, loved them, can quote them ad-infinitum.

Then a few years ago we had the multi-million dollar Hollywood adaptation of The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe - and let’s be honest, aside from a few delightful moments, a cracking score and Georgina Henley it was a bit crap. But hey, at least they got the size comparison between beavers and humans right :)

Now, we get the multi-million dollar Hollywood adaptation of Prince Caspian. And I was always wanting to watch it (being a Narnia guy and all) but after the disappointment of the last film I was always a little hesitant…no more beavers, no more Mr Tumnas…instead though we get Reepicheep, Trufflehunter the Badger, Prince Caspian himself and Georgie Henley.

And by Aslan’s mane it WORKS!

This is the adaptation The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobeshould have been. This is Narnia as I’ve always wanted to see it. Not some dimly lit so-obviously-a-studio with the same actors playing half a dozen roles. This is Narnia with a heart, with a soul, with Eddie Izzard, Ken Stott and Georgie Henley.

I’m not going to bore you with the plotline - if you don’t know the plot of Prince Caspian then you’ll have some nice wonderful surprises in store. If you know the plot, they’ve done a great job with it. Sure there are odds and ends which are new, but none feel forced, and overall this film rocks from start to finish. There were scenes in the first which dragged, bits which annoyed with their placement and felt forced - action scene for action scene’s sake, sorta thing - but this time it really does just feel right, all the way through.

Everything has been taken a notch higher than the previous film. The action scenes are beautifully staged, with the climatic battle being IMHO superior to that in the previous. The castle seige is a brilliant action set piece which will bring tears to your eyes and throughout Harry Gregson William’s score feels more mature and epic than the previous theme.

The acting though is what sets this film above the previous. Sure Tilda Swinton was good in the first, but then who doesn’t love playing evil witches, even I’ve been known to do that from time to time. The returning Pevensie children, who for the most part felt a bit stiff first time round, have matured wonderfully and each turn in fantastic performances. Skandar Keynes (Edmund) and Anna Popplewell (Susan) impressed me greatly. Ben Barnes did a great job as newcomer Prince Caspian but the scene-stealers have to be Sergio Castellitto (Miras) and Peter Dinklage (Trumpkin).

Then there’s Georgie Henley - and let’s be brutally honest here - if there was ever an actress born to play Lucy, Georgie is the one. No question or doubt! She impressed me in the first film, she utterly blew me away in this one. So many scenes she just swept away from performers sometimes twice, three times her age. Her meeting with Aslan, realising all their Narnian friends were no more, that scene on the bridge (when you see the movie you’ll know it). Seriously, if you think she’s no good, or she doesn’t impress you, then you just have no heart whatsoever.

Now I know all the comparisons with religion, Christianity and Narnia but I’m not wanting to go into that here. There are many obvious nods within the film if that’s why you’re seeing it, and there’s a lot written on this topic throughout the web as it is.

As a film this works on so many levels. As literary adaptation, as rollicking fantasy action/adventure, as a boys own adventure, as coming-of-age. This is, for me, one of the finest fantasy films ever. Better than Lord of the Rings…not going to go there, it’s different, but definitely worth watching, whether you’re a Narnia fan or not. I for one can’t wait for the Dawn Treader to start it’s voyage :)

And try not to have your heart stolen by Georgie Henley! You have been warned.

Final Rating:

4.75/5 WOMBATS
(It loses .25 wombats because Lucy reminds me WAY too much of someone I once knew for my own good!)

4 Platypus Awards:
i) The Siege on the Castle
ii) Reepicheep (marvellous)
iii) That scene with Lucy on the bridge!
and
iv) Georgie Henley

Some months ago I wrote a post all about the best damn TV show concerning mental illness I have ever seen. It’s beats, hands down, any other piece of fictional media on the subject. So forget your films and made for TV telemovies, this is the KING and QUEEN of all fictional mental health television…Takin Over the Asylum is here!

…for years people have been petitioning for it’s release on VHS and then later DVD and finally, it seems, we are a few days away from it being released! According to Amazon.co.uk it is to be released on 9 June 2007 in the UK and I will check with my sources to make sure this is the case.

You can read my original piece on Takin’ Over the Asylum by simply clicking here

OR BY CLICKING HERE YOU CAN WHISK YOURSELF TO AMAZON TO PRE-ORDER A COPY

Well, it’s been a rather ‘meh’ month for the blog really hasn’t it? It’s fairly obvious to all that my mind hasn’t quite been with it in the way it was when I commenced this whole project, but with this ever fluctuating mind I’ve been saddled with it’s sometimes hard to find the concentration required to write posts. It’s a bugger really, but I’m trying bloody hard at the moment following my final weeks in Melbourne - which really kinda stuffed me up!So without further ado I’m trying to get back into the swing of things, or rather, squeeze myself back onto this crazy space hopper that is life.

In terms of the blog I realised I haven’t really been giving it any love of late. If it were a relationship you could say I’d been giving it the occasional grunt before heading off down the pub for several pints before coming home and crashing out on the sofa a drooling pissed-up wreck (i.e. not exactly many snuggles)…but realising my neglect today I took it out for a slap up meal before coming off, stripping it naked and doing things to it which would make even a porno star blush!

Or in other words:

• I’ve been adding to the “About Me” page. One of the original provisos when I established the blog on Blogspot was to create a blog which wasn’t just about mental illness, but about me, so I’ve added a few pages which show a little more about my interests. You’ll find a music page, television page and a movies page, all of which contain several music videos and movie/TV exerts which I love, adore and/or admire. So rather than just reading a list of things I like you can experience them for yourself.
• There are also a few more photos of my good self, including the first photo of me in nearly twelve months! (Be afraid, be very afraid!)
• I have also been doing a lot of stumbling lately, so if you’d like to find out a bit more about the kindof stuff I peruse on the ‘net drop by my StumbleBlog. I use it mainly as a photography/art blog so there are lots of pretty pictures for you all to look at should you so desire, and if you’re a stumbler to, don’t forget you can add me as a friend if ya’d like.

• My Facebook page is currently out of action and I’m in the process of trying to get my account back, so all you Facebook addicts bare with me and hopefully it will be sorted out soon!

In terms of other areas of administrative excitement: (What? Some people have office/admin fetishes!)

• I’ve also been working on two pages in the Understanding Mental Illness section; they deal with Schizophrenia and Eating Disorders. Although I do not suffer from either of these illnesses (or at least they’ve never been diagnosed) I feel it’s important to add them to this section to give people a better understanding of them.

 Schizophrenia

 
Eating Disorders (coming soon)

• I’ve been working hard on trying to further establish the blog carnivals which I run in the hope that the next issues will contain a few more articles relating to mental health and a few less articles on how all we have to do is think positively and we will find our mental illnesses cured forever (i.e. the “just cheer up” approach) So if you’d like to help out in this area you can submit your articles below: 
  To submit to Cutting and Self Harm Awareness Carnival click here.
  To submit to Mental Health Down Under click here.
  To submit to Carnival of Mental Illness click here.

With regards to my sister blogs:

• Eliminate the Stigma of Mental Illness has been getting some lovely feedback but I’m not on a bit of a “contributor drive” so if you’re interested in sharing your stories and opinions on all topics related to mental illness quit hanging around and sign yourself up as a writerfor this wonderfully low-key yet highly exceptional blog (don’t blow my own trumpet too much, but a bit of self love is okay from time to time)
• All those stray thoughts is just enjoying sunbathing naked in the heat of exceptionally talented artists, so if you should so desire, you can peek over the fence and have an eyeful of some utterly marvellous art. It’s being updated a little more frequently now.

So even though it may not look like it from just a tertiary glance over these blog pages, things are happening, albeit beneath the surface. Help yourself to a wee poke around and see what you can unearth…and I’ll be back later today with Getting back on the space hopper…part II, which will be all I’ve been up to over the last few weeks - and where I go from here!

I’ve been distracting myself today with further investigation into bipolar. I still don’t fully understand, nor have I come to terms with this illness, since my diagnosis in November. Rather than read more medical sites and health related blogs I turned to YouTube to see how other bipolar sufferers visualize their illness. Here are three of my favourites:

The first video we shall look at is called A Glimpse into a Bipolar Mind and in all honesty should be watched by everyone! So don’t think about it, not even for a second - wherever you are; lounge room, bedroom, bathroom, internet cafe, wireless connection in the depths of the Amazonian rainforest…watch this video! If you don’t understand bipolar even just a little better after this, then you don’t want to understand it.

What’d you think? Any thoughts? Leave a comment and share them with everyone else.

Check out the other two videos here…

Secretary was released in 2003. It was directed by Steven Shainberg, written by Erin Cressida Wilson (from a story by Mary Gaitskill) and starred: Maggie Gyllenhaal, James Spader, Jeremy Davies and Lesley Ann Warren. 

I am quite an avid film watcher, or at least I used to be. These days I can barely sit through an episode of Neighbours without losing focus and needing to do something else.

However, back in the days when I did actually watch films in their entirety on occasion it was usually the case that I would either like, dislike or just think meh to a movie. It’s quite a rare beast that has me loathing and loving one in equal measure that, no matter how many times I see it, can never seem to decide whether I think it’s a perfect example of low budget intelligent film-making - or just the most insulting slice of celluloid to ever grace movie projectors. I am of course referring to Secretary, which if you’re wondering why it’s here (considering most people only think of one thing when this movie pops into their head) deals with self-harm. In fact it is one of only a handful of movies which deals with this subject, so on this merit alone, the film earns a star from me.

What’s it about?

 ”I was released from the institution the day of my sister’s wedding” is the line which opens this interesting and quite unique love story. Lee Holloway (Gyllenhaal) is released from an institution (although it is not fully explored as to exactly why she was there, it is revealed early she does SI) and moves back in with her dysfunctional family. Although having little experience in the way of work, she is hired by layer E. Edward Grey (Spader) as his secretary. The work is boring and monotonous at first but Lee tries desperately to please her boss, her family, and work on getting her life back together.

As the pair grow closer together they find a more personal relationship blossoming behind the closed doors of the office. Over time their relationship develops into a unique love affair where they find the roles of domination and submission fitting them perfectly.

As their relationship deepens and becomes public, Lee’s family and boyfriend (Davies) attempt to draw her back into their real - i.e. normal - world, whilst Lee fights desperately to maintain her relationship with Mr Grey.

Why was it controversial?

Upon first release it was not the self harm aspect of the film which drew the most controversy, but the S&M relationship which blossoms between Lee and Mr Grey. Rarely in film has this been explored in an intelligent way, usually it is played for laughs or is seen to be undertaken by strangely attired men in full leather body-suits.

In much the same way that mentally ill people are seen to be abnormal and judged as inferior to “normal” people; those interested in S&M are often labelled with their own brush, and have their own stigma to deal with.

This was one of the aspects of the movie I did like - it’s bringing to an audience a delicate form of relationship which is not well understood by many, again, in much the same way as mental illness is not fully understood.

Their are several key scenes in the movie which visually show this relationship between the two central characters; in one, Lee is bent over Mr Grey’s desk and spanked for her poor dictation. In another, she spanks herself with a hairbrush, playing on the self-harm which she inflicts on herself, which is becoming a more sexual type of pain.

When I viewed this movie in the cinema both of these scenes received shocked gasps and tutting shaking heads from the more straight-laced members of society. It’s interesting that the more shocking examples of self harm (cutting and burning are featured) received little to no reaction.

So why do I have a love/loathe issue with the film?

Okay, I LOVE Maggie Gyllenhaal, not just in this movie, but in general. I absolutely adore her in everything I have ever seen her in. She’s an incredible, sexy, beautiful woman. She was magnificent in World Trade Center, utterly adorable and I-wanna-be-her-boyfriend in Stranger than Fiction and she is the true delight of this film. Seriously, I was never able to fault her performance and it is worth watching for her alone.  

James Spader on the other hand annoyed the hell out of me, his performance was strangely wooden, and in stark contrast to Maggie’s more natural playing of her role. I cringe often when he is on screen and find it quite difficult to watch at times because of him. I’ve often wondered if my opinion of the movie would be different if they had cast a different actor.

But then I remember that it wouldn’t, because the fundamental reason I dislike this film is not only in it’s handling of self-harm, but also in it’s personification of the S&M relationship and it’s reasoning.

The basic message this film gives is that if you self harm, you are a masochist. Now if you look up masochism in the dictionary you will see the definition ‘the condition in which sexual gratification depends on suffering, physical pain, and humiliation.’

Now, as a self harmer, I can honestly tell you I don’t receive sexual gratifiction from any of the injuries I have inflicted on myself. Nor do I do these things in order to receive sexual gratification, or any form of pleasure from the pain I inflict. I inflict as a means of coping with my internal emotions by externalising them into something I can physically feel and/or see depending on the method I have chosen. 

It was incredibly infuriating to see such a complex subject trivialised and reduced to a trite self harm is merely latent masochistic behaviour, so all you need to do is find yourself a sadist and you’ll be fine motif. It is basically saying that self-harm is not a serious issue but rather a prelude into a life of occasionally comic, occasionally romantic sadomasochistic activity….which I would seriously argue is not the case.

However, on the love side of the argument, some of the self-harm scenes were very well portrayed; to the point that even as an ex-self-harmer (as I was when I first saw this film) I found them to be quite triggering.

It’s treatment of S&M also annoyed me for much the same reasons. As with most films or books dealing with this subject the film-makers felt the need to explain her desire to be spanked and receive the treatment that she did, hence the self-harm aspect, rather than merely allowing the audience to accept that some people just enjoy this area of sexuality without even really knowing the reasons why they do. The constant need in our society to psychoanalyse and explain every last emotion and desire we have is suffocating the unique beauty and obscurity of the human soul.

I understand why they chose to do this but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

However, on the love side of the argument, seeing a film dealing with this subject in a serious manner was a nice relief to the constant humour related outings it has received in the past.

So we have a film I adore because it brought self-harm and S&M into a mainstream audience, but received loathing from me in it’s crass handling and explanations of both of these subjects. If the film had dealt with them in a more intelligent less trivial way it would be an outright classic in my eyes, instead, it is one of few films I can think of which makes me want to grab the tissues one moment and hurl the DVD out the window the next.

So it’s not worth watching?

I’m not saying that.

This film will polarise an audience completely. Maybe it’s the bipolar in me that loves/loathes this movie in the way that I do. I seriously think it is worth watching, and I seriously think it is a very very good film in many respects. There is just this utter frustration over what it could have been had the issues raised been dealt with in another way.

In my last relationship I wanted to watch this film with my girlfriend; self harm had been raised in the relationship and was not really understood by her. Whenever I thought of suggesting we watch it, I couldn’t bring myself to do so, as it would paint self-harm in a light that I disagree with, and which could have misguided her on this topic. Whereas on the other side of the coin, if we had watched the movie, a debate could have begun in which self-harm and it’s related issues were discussed.

Maybe this is what the film was actually hoping to achieve. Who knows? All I know is that I would love to throw this film into my top 10 of all time, it’s certainly there on Maggie’s performance alone, but there are just one too many infuriating issues for it to nestle in amongst the classics. It’s unfortunate, as I would dearly love a film dealing with self-harm to be there; I guess I’ll just have to keep waiting.

[In Part I of this series I looked at Takin' Over the Asylum]
[In Part III of this series I will take a look at...let me know your suggestions]

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