Shifting Minds: QLD Mental Health Commission 2023

Hi all,

It’s been a minute so I am just stopping by to share something cool that’s happened recently.

The QLD Mental Health Commission has just released the 5 year strategic plan to tackle mental health In this state, and 5 artists were commissioned to contribute an artwork and a thought around being well.

This was really exciting to be part of! Here’s a quick snapshot of the artworks in the shape of leaves:

MORE HERE

And my leaf:

"This artwork reflects the role that learning plays in keeping myself well and engaged with life.

For me this comes in the form of interesting conversations, listening to podcasts and reading books to widen my perspective and foster my curiosity. It’s also about giving my otherwise busy and anxious mind healthy things to dwell on that are good, true and beautiful."

I wanted to expand a bit more on what I wrote about this artwork.

Firstly, I focussed on learning (reading, conversations, podcasts) as being an important part of keeping well. To want to learn, one must have some curiosity. For me, I am curious about myself, and about humanity in general.

Other areas of curiousity: the lenses people look through to interpret the world around them. How are morals shaped? How is meaning made and applied? Where do people derive their sense of self and what are the consequences of that? How do people understand purpose and live that out? How does any given culture arrives at “norms”?? How important is the human conscience and should we study it to understand it better? (just to start with the light subjects)

Secondly, I mentioned two things: having a busy and anxious mind, and wishing to focus on things that are Good, True and Beautiful (also called the “Transcendentals” which can be traced as far back as Plato and Aristotle, and then Augustine).

My mind goes fast. Really fast. and the AMOUNT of thoughts. Sheesh. I recently sampled to my husband what goes on in my head in a short portion of my day and he said he was exhausted. Haha.

That being said, if I am not careful, my mind churns things over that are not good for me ( I sometimes seek out grimly fascinating things though they never lead me to peace)- not good physically (knots in the stomach anyone?) mentally (more anxiety, feeling drained) or spiritually (inner existential turmoil and a sense of doom and gloom/ sense of despair and disconnect)

There is a replacement to those things, and that is the Good, True and Beautiful (the objective Things That Exist according to our ancient philosophers)

Here’s how I engage with these:

Good- Glimmers of hope that nourish the soul and calm down one’s nervous system. For me, it’s dwelling on The Good- wins at work, positive experiences in my relationships, healthy goals for the future etc etc…

True- My belief is that there is actually absolute truth (therefore that means I reject moral relativism) and the closer I live to the Truth, the healthier my life is in all areas… Therefore dwelling on things that I know to be true- and even knowing that there actually is even such a thing that exists outside of myself that I can get to know- is of great comfort (I am terrible at this Postmodernism thing we’re all supposed to be buying into)

Beautiful- Thinking about art! Marvelling at the skills of the artists I know. Co-creating new things with clients. Witnessing clients create new futures. Dreaming up the next drawing. Listening to a WELL crafted song. Being in nature. Enjoying it when things function the way they are supposed to. When my ears and heart or eyes and heart are happy at the same time (ie hearing music; looking at colours, feeling peace within myself)

We have a degree of control over what we feed ourselves (mentally, spiritually) and what we feed ourselves shapes our outlook and our well-being.

Do you ever have encounters with things that are good, true or beautiful? How do these look for you? Can you make some time to dwell on things of goodness, beauty and truth?

x

Post Traumatic Shadows In Suburbia

Post Traumatic Shadows In Suburbia, 2023. Pencil and pen 29.7x42cm

Hi there!

As part of an ongoing drawing series depicting mental health conditions, the focus of this image is post traumatic stress and post traumatic stress disorder.

As a therapist I have seen and worked with this on a regular basis and thought it would be helpful to shed light on this disorder (as well as curiously representing it as an artist)

What is it?

Post traumatic stress can occur after exposure to any event that threatens life or safety (including war, accidents, assaults, natural disasters…Beyond Blue notes interestingly that car accidents and other serious accidents are the leading cause of PTSD in Australia)

Beyond Blue (2022) notes the following symptoms can occur a traumatic event:

  • “Very negative beliefs about yourself, others or the world.

  • Persistently blaming yourself or others for what happened.

  • Persistently feeling negative, angry, guilty or ashamed.

  • Feeling less interested in doing things you used to enjoy.

  • Feeling cut off from others.

  • Trouble remembering details from the event

  • Touble feeling positive emotions (such as love or excitement).”

Some of the warning signs that post traumatic stress is lingering is feeling ‘wound up’ or ‘on edge’ (or hypervigilant)- this might come with feeling irritable, not being able to sleep well, and being startled easily. Along with this, ‘flashbacks’ of the event may occur- unwanted reliving of the event as vivid images or nightmares.

In this drawing, the following aspects of PTSD are emphasised:

  • the lingering feeling of unsafely and danger…(shadows) in contrast with the bright (almost too cheerful) backdrop of normal suburbia

  • The person is blank..numbed? It could be anyone…it could be someone you know..

  • It looks like no matter where the person turns there is a threat waiting for them…Finding the feeling of safety and stability again is a challenge…

Treatment

BeyondBlue notes there are several ways to treat PTSD…including CBT and medication.

Art therapy, I would argue, is also a great modality to address trauma.

Art therapy addresses the “whole experience of trauma: mind, body, and emotion.”

“By working through PTSD with art, what was a terrifying experience that caused lots of symptoms can become a neutralized story from the past.” (Healthline, 2017)

In my own practise, we often start with the physiological trauma response: What is the body doing? And how can we soothe the fight/flight/freeze response? We work on feeling safe. We work on the present. Through being in a safe environment, and building a trusting connection with a therapist, artwork created in therapy can represent and explore some of the challenges that come with post traumatic stress.

What does the feeling of ‘on alert’ look like? Sometimes clay figurines are created to show this state of being. Sometimes finger painting all over a huge piece of paper accurately expresses the darkness being experienced. Sometimes just sitting and repeating a soothing sensory experience is part of recovery. Sometimes we explore distraction strategies by looking at artworks and drawing a favourite safe place. Sometimes writing letters or poetry gives the person their voice to find themselves amongst all their symptoms. Sometimes a person is not ready yet to explore and face their PTSD symptoms so we look at quality of life experiences to bring enjoyment into their present and reduce their distress.

Myths

It is just army veterans who have PTSD….It can be experienced by anyone after a huge variety of traumatic experiences

Its chronic and can’t be treated…. There are lots of ways to manage and work through PTSD and it does not have to be lifelong

If the trauma happened ages ago you should be ‘over it’ by now….Traumatic experiences affect everyone differently (there are a number of reasons for this) and time does not automatically heal all wounds

PTSD happens right after the traumatic exposure….Sometimes this may be the case, but symptoms can emerge after many years or come and go over long periods of time

Hope & Post Traumatic Growth

Several decades ago the term ‘post traumatic growth’ was coined to capture a phenomenon that can occur following exposure to trauma. There are 5 domains of growth that have since been identified:

  1. Appreciation of life

  2. Relationship with others

  3. New possibilities in life

  4. Personal strength

  5. Spiritual change

This phenomenon allows for the understanding that some people (WHEN THEY ARE READY) are able to experience growth in the shadow of a trauma- not a false sense of positivity but a lense to see through which helps make sense of their experience and identify strengths in the aftermath.

This understanding can assist with a person “reconstructing their perceptions of self, others, and the meaning of events while they are coping with the aftermath of trauma” (Psychology Today, 2017).

If you or someone you love is experiencing posts traumatic stress, know that it does not have to be a permanent place to live and the shadows can become smaller.

Please reach out or click on any of the links to find out more about support available.


Further Reading and Links

https://www.tac.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0016/270232/Art-Therapy-2018-Full-Report.pdf

https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd

https://www.everydayhealth.com/ptsd/common-ptsd-myths-debunked/

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/mental-health/anxiety/types-of-anxiety/ptsd

https://www.healthline.com/health/art-therapy-for-ptsd#PTSD,-the-body,-and-art-therapy

https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/basics/post-traumatic-growth

Art Therapist Interview: Saskia Levy

Hi friends!

I thought it would be a nice idea to get together with another art therapist and talk a little bit about what we do.

Enjoy!

Artwork: Schizophrenic Social

‘Schizophrenic Social’ 2023 pencil and pen. 29.7x42cm

As a therapist, I work with adults living with complex mental health challenges. I felt inspired recently to reflect on a particular disorder that is commonly experienced by the people I work with- and that is schizophrenia. I figured this artwork would be a great opportunity to shed some light on this disorder; or at least; what I have observed about its symptoms in the therapy space.

The DSM5 (diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders) states that the five key symptoms of schizophrenia are:

  • delusions

  • hallucinations

  • disorganized speech

  • disorganized or catatonic behavior

  • negative symptoms (not expressing any feelings or emotions)

    As well as these broad categories, symptoms may also look like:


  • unusual or eccentric behavior, speech, or both

  • odd thoughts and ideas

  • inability to distinguish between television or dreams and reality

  • confused thinking

  • unexpected academic difficulties

  • extreme moodiness

  • changes in personality

  • signs of paranoia, such as the idea that people are out to get them

  • severe anxiety and fearfulness

  • difficulty connecting with peers or keeping friends

  • increasingly withdrawn or isolated

  • neglecting personal grooming

Read more here

Aspects and symptoms that I have observed and highlighted in this drawing:

  • Social isolation

  • Distraction/ preoccupation (imagine a room full of people talking to you and then trying to only focus on ONE voice. This is something of what it seems to be like. Like being underwater surrounded by other voices. No wonder it can be challenging to focus on the people in front of you.

  • Voices. Voices can be experienced as familiar, or strangers, sometimes pleasant, sometimes degrading, sometimes telling you to do something (also known as a command hallucinations- doesn't mean this is acted on), sometimes voices can be louder when a person has an increase of stress. Also to note: one may hear voices for many reasons, not just as a symptom of schizophrenia- More on hearing voices

  • Paranoia

  • Lack of solidified identity; that is; some confusion over who you are and who others are- the presence of mental confusion and lack of clarity

MYTHS BUSTED

  • People with schizophrenia are dangerous - This population are more likely to be victims of crime than perpetrators of crime. This disorder alone does not make a person dangerous. This is an unhelpful stereotype perpetuated in popular culture

  • Schizophrenia is multiple personalities - Not true. Schizophrenia alters a persons perceptions of reality but the disorder in which someone experiences fractures and creation of multiple distinct personalities is called Dissociative Identity Disorder and is a completely unrelated mental health disorder

  • It is a lifelong and permanent disorder- Schizophrenia is generally managed with a combination of medication and professional therapy- and recovery to live a meaningful life is possible. I have worked with many people who are creative, very intelligent, and are searching for belonging and meaning just like everyone else.

    "With the right medicine and therapy, about 25% of people with this disease will recover completely. Another 50% will see some improvement in their symptoms. Many people with the condition can live full, productive lives.” -WebMD myths and facts 2022.

    More information here!

Be kind, be patient, and be gentle with those around you- no matter how they may experience reality.