Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Monday, December 28, 2009
AAMH Canada Hits Its 1,000-member Facebook goal!
The Artists' Alliance for Mental Health Canada hit the 1,000-member mark on Christmas Day! What a wonderful gift for our group ... our first major milestone reached in less than six weeks! Thank you to all our members and if you haven't joined the group, what are you waiting for?
AAMH Canada has begun forming Local Artists' Caucuses in Halifax, Ottawa, Lanark County ON, London ON, Toronto, Vancouver and on Vancouver Island. The Caucuses will bring together artists at the local level for grassroots-driven actions and fundraising, and to support our national campaigns in your city. If you're in any of those areas, send a message to your Caucus Lead. If there's no Caucus Lead in your area, contact Greg Frankson at aamh.canada@gmail.com to start one!
AAMH Canada has begun forming Local Artists' Caucuses in Halifax, Ottawa, Lanark County ON, London ON, Toronto, Vancouver and on Vancouver Island. The Caucuses will bring together artists at the local level for grassroots-driven actions and fundraising, and to support our national campaigns in your city. If you're in any of those areas, send a message to your Caucus Lead. If there's no Caucus Lead in your area, contact Greg Frankson at aamh.canada@gmail.com to start one!
Goodbye Vic.
Dear Vic,
You actually don’t know me. I had recently become a distant fan, truthfully I hadn’t really listened to your music much or know much about you. However your story from your personal tragedy and struggles to rise as a musician was something that really interested me. You recently had come to Vancouver and it was my intention to meet and speak with you, particularly about your journey as a survivor, an artist and as a human. It is with great regret that I didn’t get that chance.
Your passing affects me deeply. I really don’t know what it is; but the story of the challenges you faced and the fact you had come so far, fascinated me. It was an inspirational journey, I wanted to tap into that for myself and have the opportunity to share with others. I would think that many others would have lots in common. Now it seems that you could not escape from the demons you felt, no one will ever likely know the truth. Some say the truth hurts, but not knowing can be just as painful.
Whatever it was, I really wished it hadn’t been resolved in this manner. I wish you had spoken out more, reached out more, but not this. But then, it is also likely not your fault. The truth is, the world really wanted you to stay.
Vic Chesnutt, who was quite open about his mental struggles, died of an apparent suicide on December 25, 2009, he was 45.
You actually don’t know me. I had recently become a distant fan, truthfully I hadn’t really listened to your music much or know much about you. However your story from your personal tragedy and struggles to rise as a musician was something that really interested me. You recently had come to Vancouver and it was my intention to meet and speak with you, particularly about your journey as a survivor, an artist and as a human. It is with great regret that I didn’t get that chance.
Your passing affects me deeply. I really don’t know what it is; but the story of the challenges you faced and the fact you had come so far, fascinated me. It was an inspirational journey, I wanted to tap into that for myself and have the opportunity to share with others. I would think that many others would have lots in common. Now it seems that you could not escape from the demons you felt, no one will ever likely know the truth. Some say the truth hurts, but not knowing can be just as painful.
Whatever it was, I really wished it hadn’t been resolved in this manner. I wish you had spoken out more, reached out more, but not this. But then, it is also likely not your fault. The truth is, the world really wanted you to stay.
Vic Chesnutt, who was quite open about his mental struggles, died of an apparent suicide on December 25, 2009, he was 45.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Cultural Olympiad promises a night of INSANITY?
I recently came across an ad in the Georgia Straight, a local Vancouver newspaper promoting a comedy event with Shaun Majumder, Sean Cullen, Nikki Payne, Ed Robertson and Tyler Stewart (Barenaked Ladies). It is an Olympic event which promises a high energy night of insanity. I have been contemplating writing this post for weeks, but now I can no longer suppress what needs to be said.
The premise that insanity is something to laugh about, I find troubling, and generally representative of the mass media's attitude towards mental health. It is so pervasive that whenever someone wants a cheap laugh, the terms 'Crazy, Insane, Mental or even Retarded' are thrown into the mix. At one point it was ok to refer to someone as gay whenever one needed to throw a derogatory remark. Would you dare to try that now? At one point being gay was a diagnosed psychological condition, so we shared the pain. For advocates in mental health, it is something that we have been battling with for decades. It's no doubt we have progressed somewhat, well, we no longer physically burn people at the stake. Mental Health is a taboo in today's society. Mental illness is a disease, like cancer, heart disease or diabetes, however in the broader context of society it is not always viewed that way.
In this context, the Olympic movement (which is a taxpayer funded venture), should not only be conscious, but should be held to a higher standard. In this case it showcases blatant ignorance. The Olympic concept purports development through sport, and putting human beings first, as it states on its website "to bring the peoples of the world together, the Olympic Movement develops programmes that provide concrete responses to social inequality.". Suppose the promotion of this cultural Olympic event promised a night of retarded humour. That's not acceptable today, but there was a time where it may have been. Well, words matter, and 'Insanity, Crazy and Mental' are loaded words in our community. In the wrong context they continue to shape the stigma that prevents people from getting the help they need, it fuels the ignorance that demonizes mental illness. Shame and guilt are in abundance with those stricken with a disease of the mind, but they don't need any additional burdens from other people. Many people who have these conditions feel that they can't escape and their only way out it to take their own life and in some cases take others with them.
So why does this matter in the context of the Olympics? Some say, "Everyone loves the Olympics, we shouldn't say bad things you know!" That statement in itself is ironic. As I mentioned, the Olympics is a taxpayer funded event, both by infrastructure and crown corporate sponsorship, therefore, it is to be a representation of the population. The facts are one in five people will suffer a serious mental health issue in their lifetime and some many never enter the mental health system. It is such an important issue to our government that the Mental Health Commission of Canada has been established to look at the system over a 10 year period; primarily because Canada is behind many industrialized nations when it comes to Mental Health. One of the major initiatives is: Anti-Stigma, a gargantuan effort that we are spending large amounts of taxpayer dollars on, as well as other initiatives. So, while one side of our government is attempting to plug holes in a dam, another one is poking holes in it. It is frustrating, hurtful, and truthfully, it angers me.
So what should we do? I'd say start with looking at words like, 'Crazy, Insane or Mental' which are not nouns, but representative of behaviour. Many of those with serious disorders, are not able to control it. There are many different ways to deal with these Mental Health issues (biological, social, psychological), and it is social art as much as it is science. For the rest of us, behaviours can change, however many are ignorant and choose not to. One way to start would be using terms associated with mental illness in a more responsible manner. Be conscious of the context in which you are using words and find other creative ways to say what you need to say. For example, instead of using the terms, crazy, insane, nuts, etc., try the following substitutes: twisted, unbelievable, incredible, strange, inappropriate, unorthodox. Those are new terms that I am getting used to as well, but I challenge others to create new ones which we can all see in action - I too am conscious about changing my behaviour.
In a few short weeks the world is coming to Vancouver, and they are going to explore Canada and what it stands for. How do Canadians treat the mind and the mental health of its people? Do we take it seriously or merely perceive as a joke?
JP
Visual Artist and Creative Catalyst
jay.peachy@yahoo.com
jpeachy.carbonmade.com
Producer Sound Therapy Radio
CJSF 90.1 FM
soundtherapyradio.com
J Peachy is an arts based advocate for Mental Health and is the Vancouver Chapter lead for the Artist Alliance for Mental Health
The premise that insanity is something to laugh about, I find troubling, and generally representative of the mass media's attitude towards mental health. It is so pervasive that whenever someone wants a cheap laugh, the terms 'Crazy, Insane, Mental or even Retarded' are thrown into the mix. At one point it was ok to refer to someone as gay whenever one needed to throw a derogatory remark. Would you dare to try that now? At one point being gay was a diagnosed psychological condition, so we shared the pain. For advocates in mental health, it is something that we have been battling with for decades. It's no doubt we have progressed somewhat, well, we no longer physically burn people at the stake. Mental Health is a taboo in today's society. Mental illness is a disease, like cancer, heart disease or diabetes, however in the broader context of society it is not always viewed that way.
In this context, the Olympic movement (which is a taxpayer funded venture), should not only be conscious, but should be held to a higher standard. In this case it showcases blatant ignorance. The Olympic concept purports development through sport, and putting human beings first, as it states on its website "to bring the peoples of the world together, the Olympic Movement develops programmes that provide concrete responses to social inequality.". Suppose the promotion of this cultural Olympic event promised a night of retarded humour. That's not acceptable today, but there was a time where it may have been. Well, words matter, and 'Insanity, Crazy and Mental' are loaded words in our community. In the wrong context they continue to shape the stigma that prevents people from getting the help they need, it fuels the ignorance that demonizes mental illness. Shame and guilt are in abundance with those stricken with a disease of the mind, but they don't need any additional burdens from other people. Many people who have these conditions feel that they can't escape and their only way out it to take their own life and in some cases take others with them.
So why does this matter in the context of the Olympics? Some say, "Everyone loves the Olympics, we shouldn't say bad things you know!" That statement in itself is ironic. As I mentioned, the Olympics is a taxpayer funded event, both by infrastructure and crown corporate sponsorship, therefore, it is to be a representation of the population. The facts are one in five people will suffer a serious mental health issue in their lifetime and some many never enter the mental health system. It is such an important issue to our government that the Mental Health Commission of Canada has been established to look at the system over a 10 year period; primarily because Canada is behind many industrialized nations when it comes to Mental Health. One of the major initiatives is: Anti-Stigma, a gargantuan effort that we are spending large amounts of taxpayer dollars on, as well as other initiatives. So, while one side of our government is attempting to plug holes in a dam, another one is poking holes in it. It is frustrating, hurtful, and truthfully, it angers me.
So what should we do? I'd say start with looking at words like, 'Crazy, Insane or Mental' which are not nouns, but representative of behaviour. Many of those with serious disorders, are not able to control it. There are many different ways to deal with these Mental Health issues (biological, social, psychological), and it is social art as much as it is science. For the rest of us, behaviours can change, however many are ignorant and choose not to. One way to start would be using terms associated with mental illness in a more responsible manner. Be conscious of the context in which you are using words and find other creative ways to say what you need to say. For example, instead of using the terms, crazy, insane, nuts, etc., try the following substitutes: twisted, unbelievable, incredible, strange, inappropriate, unorthodox. Those are new terms that I am getting used to as well, but I challenge others to create new ones which we can all see in action - I too am conscious about changing my behaviour.
In a few short weeks the world is coming to Vancouver, and they are going to explore Canada and what it stands for. How do Canadians treat the mind and the mental health of its people? Do we take it seriously or merely perceive as a joke?
JP
Visual Artist and Creative Catalyst
jay.peachy@yahoo.com
jpeachy.carbonmade.com
Producer Sound Therapy Radio
CJSF 90.1 FM
soundtherapyradio.com
J Peachy is an arts based advocate for Mental Health and is the Vancouver Chapter lead for the Artist Alliance for Mental Health
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Almost there -- just a few members shy of 1,000 on Facebook!
The Artists' Alliance for Mental Health (AAMH) Canada has been in existence for just less than a month, and already we've have some good success in spreading the word. People have begun to organize Local Artists' Caucuses at the local level, which will bring together artists of various disciplines in a particular community to plan events and initiatives, and to input on what directions we should take at the national level to support all people living with mental health concerns (and our fellow artists in particular). A few organizations have expressed interest in working with us in partnership. And people all across Canada (and the USA) are becoming aware of this movement, which is being driven at the grassroots by those who believe in the transformative power of the arts in mental health.
So help us to reach our first, modest goal for AAMH Canada -- 1,000 members on our Facebook group. We are very, very close ... and wouldn't that be a great Christmas present for our group? If you're not already a member of the group, click here and join right now!
And if you have more questions about what we're doing, where we're going, and what's coming up soon, please email Greg Frankson, AAMH Canada National Director, at aamh.canada@gmail.com.
So help us to reach our first, modest goal for AAMH Canada -- 1,000 members on our Facebook group. We are very, very close ... and wouldn't that be a great Christmas present for our group? If you're not already a member of the group, click here and join right now!
And if you have more questions about what we're doing, where we're going, and what's coming up soon, please email Greg Frankson, AAMH Canada National Director, at aamh.canada@gmail.com.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Caucus Lead Needed for Ottawa
Hello everyone, we have a few things that we're looking at getting started here in the nation's capital. If you or anyone you know is interested in being part of a national grassroots movement to bring artists of various disciplines together in the name of helping those living with mental health concerns, then please give us a shout!
If you have an interest in being more active in AAMH Canada in Ottawa, please email Greg Frankson.
If you have an interest in being more active in AAMH Canada in Ottawa, please email Greg Frankson.
Friday, December 11, 2009
So why should the public care about Mental Health anyways?
So for members of the general public who may not have experienced the mental health system, why should this issue matter to them? In the MH community it is common knowledge that 1 in 5 people will be seriously affected by a mental health issue, whether in an official diagnosis or not. So what does that mean? In today's society we seem to attribute value with productivity, taxes and other quantitative factors. Social factors are not easily valued by many.
So for those people who are defined by the numbers, here is an economic argument to consider.
Imagine you have a business, and one of your best employees suffers from a mental illness; you don't know when they will come back, and even if they do, a relapse can happen at anytime. How does that affect the viability of your business, how does it affect your clients and your staff? What is the cost if you are aware of this and improperly manage the situation because of your ignorance?
If you are an insurance company, what are the costs for short and long term disability payouts. What are you doing to help employers (your clients) avoid health and payout issues. Are you proactive on this or you just prefer to create such high standards of proof for disability, you don't pay out anyways. Imagine the legal and court costs of this strategy, is it really more cost effective? Ethics aside of course.
If you are an administrator of the medical system, how many bed stays are for mental health related conditions? How many secondary health issues are there with people who have not been able to manage their mental health issues? How is this affecting your funding? Are you fully engaged in the world of mental health to know what the medical system is entitled to? Are we looking at alternative therapies that may be more efficient, which require less expensive visits to doctors.
If you are a family member who has a relation suffering from a disorder, how does this affect your life? Do you choose to downplay and ignore it? If your spouse, sibling or relative has to miss countless days of work, how does that affect their ability to support themselves economically.
I am not quite sure how to add up these costs, but these are not pie in the sky scenarios; these are real conditions, with real consequences, it demands a true understanding. People can no longer hide from the issue, it affects everyone! We need to cut through the ignorance, stigma and misinformation around Mental Health issues. Discussions need to be open, compassionate, constructive and need to have subsequent actions.
Truly, it is costing us alot, it is costing people's lives.
J Peachy
Visual Artist and Creative Catalyst
jay.peachy@yahoo.com
jpeachy.carbonmade.com
Producer Sound Therapy Radio
CJSF 90.1 FM
soundtherapyradio.com
So for those people who are defined by the numbers, here is an economic argument to consider.
Imagine you have a business, and one of your best employees suffers from a mental illness; you don't know when they will come back, and even if they do, a relapse can happen at anytime. How does that affect the viability of your business, how does it affect your clients and your staff? What is the cost if you are aware of this and improperly manage the situation because of your ignorance?
If you are an insurance company, what are the costs for short and long term disability payouts. What are you doing to help employers (your clients) avoid health and payout issues. Are you proactive on this or you just prefer to create such high standards of proof for disability, you don't pay out anyways. Imagine the legal and court costs of this strategy, is it really more cost effective? Ethics aside of course.
If you are an administrator of the medical system, how many bed stays are for mental health related conditions? How many secondary health issues are there with people who have not been able to manage their mental health issues? How is this affecting your funding? Are you fully engaged in the world of mental health to know what the medical system is entitled to? Are we looking at alternative therapies that may be more efficient, which require less expensive visits to doctors.
If you are a family member who has a relation suffering from a disorder, how does this affect your life? Do you choose to downplay and ignore it? If your spouse, sibling or relative has to miss countless days of work, how does that affect their ability to support themselves economically.
I am not quite sure how to add up these costs, but these are not pie in the sky scenarios; these are real conditions, with real consequences, it demands a true understanding. People can no longer hide from the issue, it affects everyone! We need to cut through the ignorance, stigma and misinformation around Mental Health issues. Discussions need to be open, compassionate, constructive and need to have subsequent actions.
Truly, it is costing us alot, it is costing people's lives.
J Peachy
Visual Artist and Creative Catalyst
jay.peachy@yahoo.com
jpeachy.carbonmade.com
Producer Sound Therapy Radio
CJSF 90.1 FM
soundtherapyradio.com
Welcome to AAMH Canada!
The first three weeks of AAMH Canada have been busy ones, and 2010 promises to be a year of activity. So be sure to email the following contacts to join the planning in areas of interest to you:
AAMH Canada (join the Canadian Leadership Team!) - Greg Frankson
Education & Youth Programs - Bronwyn Petry
Research Initiatives - Darby Eakins
We are also working with our peers south of the border to launch a parallel organization in the United States of America:
AAMH USA (join the American Leadership Team!) - Aleksasha Briuer
We also will be working in communities across Canada through our network of local artists' caucuses. Get involved by directly contacting your area's Caucus Lead. If your community is not listed below, and you are interested in starting a local artists' caucus there, send an email to aamh.canada@gmail.com.
Vancouver Island BC - Darby Eakins
Vancouver BC - Jay Peachy
Toronto ON - Tim Maxwell
Halifax NS - Gregory Brumwell & Vanessa Furlong
Lanark County ON - Tammy MacKenzie
London ON - Kyra Harris
Spread the word ... join the Facebook group ... and help us to make AAMH Canada the most dynamic mental health organization in the country!
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