WHAT'S UP WITH ALL OF THIS STIGMA?
WHAT'S UP WITH ALL OF THIS STIGMA?
"Extravagant pain and exquisite joy are but standard fare at the
banquet of creativity" I coined this phrase when I wrote my
first book of poetry, a journal entitled Soulgasm. Every
poignant moment of my life has been captured. Langston Hughes
once said, "My life ain't been no crystal stair..." I understand
this all too well being bipolar and possessing "the poet's
disease" I was at the same time a highly functioning psychiatric
nursing supervisor. I would suggest to you that the greatest
writings, art, music and inventions of all times have been
invented by someone with a mental illness. In our society, it is
tolerable for someone to have a mental illness; someone you know
and love is definitely "off." There's one strange aunt, uncle,
cousin, in every family tree. My beef is the stigma attached to
mental- illness when so many people are "crazy." I believe that
when a mentally-ill person can function, be self-supporting, and
not break the law, then we put all of these "crazies" on
"reality shows" Ratings for these shows are off the chain.
People are mesmerized. . My bowels of compassion are not for the
multi- married, drugging, drinking, gambling, fighting ,
spending, garden variety bipolars. My compassions are for the
ones with great art, writings, and music trapped inside that
cannot come out because they cannot cope with the stress of
life: the rent, the bills etc. They use up everything they have
to survive when these "masterpieces" lie dormant with the world
unable to see them.
I have a proposal: Why don't those in the mental health
profession get federal funding for "safe houses" or "safe
communities" like the artists communities only for non-violent
bipolars who are medication compliant. There, all of the bills
will be paid, the clients will be fed, and their basic needs
will be taken care of, allowing them to tap into the tremendous
source of creativity that lies within. Give them tools;
instruments, computers, canvases, cameras, multimedia equipment.
There must be controls: an in house psychiatric technician an
R.N. Psychiatrists who recommend the patients; initially
screening for the potentially violent. Certain clients will not
be able to comply with the program of medications, groups, drug
addiction education, and other progressive modalities.
After a pre-determined time there should be a works of shining
wonder for the world to see. Let these clients give back to the
foundation 10% of their inventions in art, music or whatever
ingenious things that have been developed. These clients will
then be able to pay their own bills and help others like
themselves to in turn create. For one, am tired of hearing of
the mentally- ill and homeless being left to die in the sun. We
can do something. Let us do something, and give the world its
greatest untapped creative genius while creating self-
supporting individuals.