psychologythoughts6-blog

[psychologythoughts6-blog]

Mental Health and the Artistic Process

It is often a misnomer that artistic expression and creativity come from a place of mental illness or a reliance on substances, such as drugs or alcohol. This idea that mental illness and artistic creativity are linked goes as far back as the early writings of Aristotle, (Ludwig, 1995). Today, the media often highlight the struggles and missteps of artists and performers. There is sadly no shortage of news stories that cover celebrity suicides, overdoses and admittance into rehabilitations programs. The recent and tragic suicides of Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington and Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell, highlight this further. And more recently in Chicago, the music venue, The Hideout, hosted a night that remembered the life and music of singer-song writer Jason Molina, who died due to alcohol abuse-related organ failure. The stories of creative artists and their personal battles can be found near and far.

Being a tortured artist does not mean one will find great artistic achievement. Unfortunately, social norms have perpetuated this myth that one must suffer to find inner creativity. Therefore, if society believes that great art is created by those who are emotionally unstable or powerless over an addiction, then there in an unconscious expectation for artists to live up to this myth. But what if the expectation was that art was created by artists who addressed their mental health and lived a sober lifestyle?

One such study looked into this very question. The study followed a number of artists who were actively involved in addressing their mental health, which included involvement in psychotherapy, 12-step programs and receiving psychiatric help. The study was not meant to generalize for the general public but to shed more light on how creative artists have improved their artistic careers through addressing their mental health concerns, (Daniels, 2016).

As the research delved into the lives of these artists, it found that creative people experience a juxtaposition between wanting to be unique and special, yet yearning for connection. As part of their recovery journey, the artists discussed how positive, supportive relationships were key in their healing process. By working with a therapist or with a sponsor, they were able to find self-acceptance and a more healthy and wholesome life. In addition, all participants reported that their creative process was overall more productive, more fulfilling and of higher quality when they were in recovery and sought therapeutic counseling. For some it meant tapping even deeper into a creative mindset, which in turned helped them to heal from their mental health wounds, (Daniels, 2016).

Finding that inner peace within themselves helped the artists to move forward in their creative pursuits. Progress was not a simple path and some artists discussed their desire to still use along the way, (Daniels, 2016). However, the connections and support network that they built over time was key to their healing process.

Artists who are looking for support can find resources through local counselors and leveraging national resources, such as the non-profit group, PunkTalks, which provides free mental health assistance to bands and industry professionals. In addition, the National suicide prevention lifeline (1-800-273-8255) is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For more information about the study that followed the artists in recovery, click here.

It is the hope of this author that one day artists and society as a whole will normalize the stigma around mental health and for those that are in need, including our artistic peers, that they will find a hopeful and healing path in treatment and recovery.

References

Ludwig, M. (1995). The price of greatness. New York, NY: Guilford.

Daniels, H. (2016). The sober artist and the creative process (Order No. 10096858).

[psychologythoughts6-blog]

Trump, Silver Linings and the Veil of “Doing Good”

What I witnessed yesterday, the day after Trump’s inauguration, was a multitude of people coming together to support their rights and privileges as American citizens. The women’s marches that took place were awe-inspiring and a remarkable feat. It showed the power of social media to mobilize movements and the power of people coming together to support one another in a common cause.

Although many view Trump’s presidency as unfavorable, (polls can be viewed here with his favorability right around or under 50% http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/trump_favorableunfavorable-5493.html), he may provide the symbol that we need in our lives.

As Americans, we have certain beliefs and principles that we stand for, which are played out through our policies, our constitution and our elected officials. However, did our society become complacent in its quest to be fair and unbiased? With Obama as our president for many years, did we get by thinking he would enforce and do all the right things? Did the use of social media become the new addiction in America to numb our collective pain?

What if our complacency brought about Trump? If that is true, can we then say our country has quite literally hit bottom? And, perhaps, that is one of the silver linings. As the White House website removes pages about climate change, LGBTQ rights and more, it can be viewed similarly to a person suffering from addiction who has lost their friends, families, home, and life. We no longer have a president to inspire and lead us. It could be that we have drunk too much of the complacency Kool-aid. And now it appears that some of us (or a lot of us) have #woke.

From an addictions standpoint, this is actually quite exciting because when one hits bottom, there is a dramatic will to change. The person suffering from addiction comes to realize after hitting bottom that they must seek help. As an American society, perhaps we have gone so far down the scales with polarizing politics that we realize we have to do something different. So perhaps we have hit bottom and now have the willingness to try something different, as these marches would imply.

I wrote earlier about Trump as a symbol. Psychologically speaking Trump provides a powerful symbol for our society. He represents racism, xenophobia, misogyny, and more. As Carl Jung would say, “Man positively needs general ideas and convictions that will give a meaning to his life and enable him to find a place for himself in the universe. He can stand the most incredible hardships when he is convinced that they make sense; he is crushed when, on top of all his misfortunes, he has to admit that he is taking part in a ‘tale told by an idiot’.”

We have perhaps seen the moral decay of our society through this presidential election. But Trump may provide a silver lining as a symbol that gives people meaning in their lives; Taking action, mobilizing and marching for a cause, gives people meaning and purpose. However we can easily fall into the trap of viewing Trump and Trump supporters as the collective “they” – they are the “bad” people we must stand against. Therefore, we must be the change within ourselves. As noted by Carl Jung, “It would be much more to the point for us to make a serious attempt to recognize our own shadow and its nefarious doings. If we could see our shadow (the dark side of our nature), we should be immune to any moral and mental infection and insinuation. Only we have the additional disadvantage that we neither see nor want to understand what we ourselves are doing, under the cover of good manners.”

So we may have meaning in our lives by marching to do “good”, but we cannot forget to look at our dark sides too. We are sometimes no better than those who we deem “bad”. We must be careful and not hide behind the pretense that we can and only will do good. Everything we do has a ripple effect, which can harm and help others. Let us consider the opinions of others. Let us debate and let us have reason. We cannot demonize our fellow citizens because of their opinions. We all have the right to share our thoughts.

To say it simply, as Carl Jung did, “Life is a battleground. It always will be; and if it were not so, existence would come to an end.”

- All Carl Jung quotes are from Man and His Symbols

[psychologythoughts6-blog]

A New Year to Look Back and Forward

There may be a collective sigh of relief that 2016 is over and that we all can move on to better things. A new year brings new ideas and the hope for a better year ahead. And so I look at the poem, The New Colossus, as a source of hope for myself and offer it to others who are searching for hope. There are so many bits in the poem that I think could resonate for so many people. It speaks of overcoming the odds, the acceptance of others and providing a beacon of light and hope to all who search for it. May you find strength and hope in 2017.

The New Colossus   

By: Emma Lazarus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she

With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”

[psychologythoughts6-blog]

How the Gut Microbiome Impacts Our Moods

What is a gut feeling? So many of us rely on our guts to help guide and lead us in our every day lives. Yet for others, using our gut instincts is frightening. The ordeals and traumas of our past meant that trusting our gut was actually never a wise thing to do. Our gut was killing us or leading us astray, or we just never paid attention to it at all.

As science continues to evolve, we see more and more how our thoughts and psyche are connected to our bodies. How we feel – happy, sad, depressed – influences the way we feel physically. A new study has found that there is a link between our guts’ microbiome and our moods. It states that, “the link between the gut microbiota and mood and anxiety models, as well as the potential for psychiatric medications [can] directly affect the gut microbiome.“ So as the good bacteria in the microbiome of our gut disappears, the likelihood of anxiety, depression, etc. goes up.

Therefore taking care of our guts may be an effective way to treat disorders and depressed moods. I would go farther to say that it is also important to respect and become better in tune with our guts. Listen to what they tell us. They are an instinctive muscle that needs to be built up with time. Just like one takes protein and other nutrients to build stronger muscles, one must also take the time to strengthen one’s gut. Provide it with the proper nutrition to build a strong internal microbiome and to hear it’s inner truth. Only we know what is right for us. Let us develop that inner muscle, our guts, to truly guide us on our path’s forward.

References

American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. (2016, December 7). Gut feelings: How the microbiome may affect mental illness and interact with treatment. ScienceDaily. Retrieved December 11, 2016 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161207093019.htm