Bethlam Museum of the Mind - London Journal

Bedlam:

1. 1. a scene of uproar and confusion.

   "there was bedlam in the courtroom"

   synonyms:

   uproar, pandemonium, commotion, mayhem, confusion, unrest, furore, upheaval, hubbub, hurly-burly, turmoil, riot, ruckus, tumult, disarray, turbulence
2. 2. 

   archaic

   an institution for the care of mentally ill people.

The Bethlam Royal hospital was founded in 1247 and originally called The Bedlam Hospital. This is where the modern term 'Bedlam' came from and it's believed to be the world's oldest mental health institution. 

Recently, thanks to Lottery funding, they updated their museum and art exhibition, moving it to a single building. The hospital itself is still in operation and the museum sits on the grounds, which are expansive and not unlike a university campus - full of brick buildings spaced far apart - with the noticeable exception of security fencing around certain areas. 

Bedlam had a reputation and mental institutions of old are 'known' for being archaic in their treatment of mental illness - but the modern-day hospital has left those days behind. Patients are far more involved in the treatment they get and the hospital fosters an environment of self-expression. One way they do this is by offering space for patients to create art and the Bethlem Museum has an exhibition of work by current and past residence. 

The museum part of it documents the rather sordid history of mental illness care but not in some gruesome way. It's very enlightening to see how far we've come and consider that, whilst stigma is still rampant and mental illness still compartmentalized as separate from physical illness, we have a far better understanding of how the mind works. There is also a humbleness and awareness of how little we do understand and that mental health needs to be approached holistically and on an individual basis. 

The entire place was really incredible to explore and I, personally, feel it is one of the best museums I've ever seen. 

Sketches by artist Steph Bates

Various sketches over many years by artist Dan Duggen 

Sculptures and sketchbooks by Sue Morgan 

Statue on the ground floor leading to the museum

Artist not identified - incredibly detailed and fascinating painting
depicting a skull come 'unstitched' with interesting 'memories' or 'experiences'
captured in the different compartments. 

Stunning and intricate piece by Vonn Strop.
Would love to have it in my own home. The sort of thing one could get lost in for hours.  

Mental Health Awareness Week

Mental Health Awareness Week started on Monday. This year's theme is anxiety so it seems suitable for me to write a blog entry on the subject since I'm an expert by experience.

I was diagnosed with Panic Disorder and depression at the age of 17. Both stemmed from my beliefs that there was something 'wrong' with me if I couldn't make the people around me happy and a need to 'get things right'. By the time I was 22 the Panic Disorder became so intense that I was hospitalised and, for the first time in my life, given medication for a mental illness.

From that day on I realised I needed to go about things very differently than I had been. I began seeing a psychologist and working to develop skills and mechanisms to improve my over-all well-being so I didn't have to take medication.

My experience has taught me so much and shown me how odd our societal approach to mental illness is. We seem to think body and mind are separate things to be treated independent of one another. 

If you get a cold you take steps to care for yourself. You eat chicken soup, go to bed early, and refrain from exerting yourself. Some people don't and their cold can last for ages or they never quite recover before getting another bug. Some people have a weakened immunes system for one reason or another and must take extra steps to keep from getting ill. 

If you're suffering from an anxiety disorder, or repeated bouts of depression, getting enough rest, excercising regularly, eating well, talking to someone you trust - will all help you to recover. And recovery IS possible. If we have a family history of mental illness or a chemical imbalance then, just like someone with a compromised immune system, we must be more vigilant with our mental and physical care. 

But unfortunately, and all too often, mental illness is given a pill as if that is solution enough. You could take loads of cold medicine when you are physically ill but all the medication in the world won't make your cold go away - it often just masks the symptoms without addressing the underlying problem.

It's been four years since my psychologist told me I no longer had an anxiety disorder. I'm still neurotic and high strung but I take steps to ensure my mind remains healthy. 

I have strict sleep hygiene, I exercise regularly, I eat well and I don't drink coffee (Despite how much I love coffee). I love myself first and best and know that all these things are crucial to my continued 'good' mental health. I have a support network of people I  trust and can rely on to be there for me or give me a good swift 'kick in the pants' if I'm not doing what's needed to take care of myself. I meditate daily and talk to my psychologist whether life is challenging or not. 

A friend of mine recently described her experience of depression as being in a deep, black hole. It goes down really far and she could be stuck at the bottom but she's built up handholds that let her climb out. She has filled it with as many hand holds as possible so she knows she can always climb out. 

For me, in the case of anxiety, medication is one of many handholds and one nearest the very bottom of the pit. I have to plunge very low before I need it and more often than not these days I'm not even close to the edge. 

Everyone is, of course, entirely unique and you have to figure out your own handholds - but I can ensure you that there are always options. The advice I give people when they ask is to write down all the ways they take care of themselves. Even seemingly little thing (I make myself a nice cup of tea) is something worth recognising and can act as the smallest hand hold. 

May you have ease of mind. 

'Wise at Any Age' was published nearly a year ago and is the result of what I learned during my recovery from Panic Disorder and depression. 

Get a copy today! 

Time to Talk - February 6th

The Time to Change initiative aims to tackle misconceptions about mental illness. On February 6th they've organized 'Time to Change' Day as a way to raise awareness. 

I was recently in a discussion about mental illness and the statement that stress is 'not a clinical condition like depression' was made. 

I am firmly opposed to this but I believe in providing an argument with solid reasoning as to why. 

This is what I came up with: 

• Forty-three percent of all adults suffer adverse health effects from stress.
• Seventy-five percent to 90% of all doctor's office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints.
• Stress can play a part in problems such as headaches, high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, skin conditions, asthma, arthritis, depression, and anxiety.
• The lifetime prevalence of an emotional disorder is more than 50%, often due to chronic, untreated stress reactions.

When stress is experienced the hypothalamus is triggered to release Cortisol or Adrenalin. In some situations this is extremely beneficial - for example, when we see a tiger or a group of thugs coming at us and it triggers us to run away at a speed we might not normally be able to achieve without the Adrenalin boost. 

When we experience this release excessively when it’s not a fight or flight situation (for example, because we have a difficult co-worker or are having a challenge in our relationship or difficulty with debt etc.) the repeated release of Cortisol and Adrenalin have an adverse effect on the body which leads to the symptomatic health issues listed in the third point above. Stress is the root cause because it’s stress that’s telling our brain to release these hormones. 

The constant state of fight or flight our body will find itself in inhibits our cognitive functions, making it more difficult to deal with the stressful situation we're experiencing. We cannot literally fight with or flee from mounting debt - but our brain doesn't know this. 

Too much Cortisol increases blood pressure and cholesterol, which can lead to heart disease, hypertension, and heart attacks. 

Too much Adrenalin stops digestion, increases stomach acid and can lead to ulcers. 

Too much of either affects the brain’s ability to conduct a proper sleep cycle which is essential to our mental processing and physical health. 

Clinical depression is caused by an imbalance in serotonin levels in the body, serotonin being a neurotransmitter produced in the brain stem. 

So stress and depression are not the same, stress is a diagnosable illness and there is such a thing as Stress Disorder and arguably, all mental illnesses are also physical because our brains are essential to our body. 

Why go to the length I have to make this argument? 

By stating that some mental illnesses are more ‘valid’ or ‘severe’ than others we can make a person feel as though the condition they are dealing with is not legitimate. This can cause a person to: ignore the issue; not discuss it with their doctor, employer or family; discredit their own feelings and ultimately aggravate and make the condition worse than it needs to be. 

Yes, some mental illnesses are extremely severe when compared to others but none of them are any less hard for the individual to cope, deal with and ultimately find treatment for. 

My argument is stress is a legitimate issue that affects mental, emotional and physical wellbeing and is just as valid in the spectrum of mental illness as any other. 

This is my early contribution to Time to Talk Day. I believe talking about these things is not only beneficial for those living with and recovering from a mental illness. It's also a chance for us to educate each other - to look at things from a different perspective and consider the subtle ways we can make a difference by being aware of the language we use. 

Good mental health

'Diaries of a Broken Mind'
Screen capture from BBC3

BBC has been running a series of different mini-documentaries on mental illness. I decided to watch a few of them through iPlayer because I'm always fascinated by the way the media portrays mental illness and because it's also been on my mind quite a lot since the release of Wise at any Age - which was inspired by my own experience with an anxiety disorder and depression.

The last show I watched was called Diaries of a Broken Mind and it followed several people under the age of 30 as they described their lives with everything from anorexia to agoraphobia.

Almost all of them said they 'hated it' or that they just wished they could be 'normal' and towards the end of the documentary they were asked this question:

Would you get rid of your condition if you could? 

This statement says so much about how far too many people view mental illness, including those who  currently have one.

This statement presupposes that all mental illness is somehow incurable.

As it was, I began writing what would become Wise at any Age the day I was told I no longer had a disorder, which is why this question irks me so. I no longer suffer from Panic Disorder and haven't experienced a bout of depression in over five years - just like I don't have shingles anymore or a cold or the flu or any other number of illnesses I've experienced.

Mental illness, just like any illness, isn't necessarily a chronic condition. Like any illness, it requires a great level of care and balance to recuperate from it and like any other illness, it can come up again.

Because of my anxiety I learned how important it is to love yourself first and best. Because of my anxiety I learned to listen to my gut and trust my own sense of reason. Because of my anxiety I have learned how important it is to pay attention. Because of my anxiety I have learned that I am resilient, capable, and entirely able to recover, grow, and change.

I know a lot of people will question how someone aged 28 came to write a book about wisdom. The entire point I'm making is that we can and will gain wisdom at any point in our lives, if we're paying attention to the lessons and looking at the world with curiosity. In the BBC Mini-Series Don't Call Me Crazy a thirteen year old makes the very wise observation:

"OCD doesn’t define who I am. I like music, I like playing the guitar, I like bands, I like the colour yellow, I like chocolate… I don’t like them because I have OCD. I like them because I am Emma"

So here's a question I'm throwing out there - taking into account that even those with something chronic can create coping mechanisms and a support network that will help them recover from a hopeless place: 

What have you learned from your experience with mental illness?