Tag Archives: mental health
Layer Cake: Misery, Meditation and the Panic Monster
[TW: some content inappropriate for those in a precarious state] I am in a state: I am in sea of agitation and panic. It is easy to see, but impossible to tame. I can’t make decisions. I can’t speak fluently. … Continue reading
Russell Brand preaches revolution, but will disenfranchise the vulnerable.
Who will guarantee those with mental health conditions legitimate representation? A few months ago I posted a short piece discussing Russell Brand’s revolution narrative. I criticized him for essential duplicity: he calls for revolution, he calls for disengagement with the … Continue reading
Bipolar Wars: Failure to Compartmentalise
Recently I have had to confront the consequences of my ill health and begin to tackle a huge element of the sickness that falls upon me with ever-increasing frequency: my inability to compartmentalize the good from the bad. This is … Continue reading
The Art of Shame: ‘What do you regard as most humane? To spare someone shame.’ (Friedrich Nietzsche)
Since writing my last blog post I have begun to think about the roots of shame; the cunning tendrils of guilt that invade the mind and poison the fabric of one’s being. At least that is how it has felt … Continue reading
The Great Emoti-Con: well-being and emotional intelligence
It occurred to me this past weekend that I have lost traction on my emotions. I went to see Captain Phillips. It was a packed cinema and you could sense the tension and anxiety in the audience: I could sense … Continue reading
The Commodification of Mental Distress: voyeurism and value in the public sphere
As the debate about Thorpe Park’s Asylum experiences is on the cusp of moving into its second week, I am beginning to reflect on the value of mental distress to a culture predicated on image and entertainment. I want to … Continue reading
Masks, Fear and Thorpe Park
“No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true.” The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne It is much easier to hide … Continue reading
“I’m not quite right at all…am I?”
“Here I stand, foot in hand, talking to my wall, I’m not quite right at all…am I?” ‘All the Madmen’ David Bowie All the Madmen (YouTube) Ever since I can remember, I have felt out of step with reality; I’m … Continue reading
Gulliver Unravelled 