Monthly Project- October 2019

The book I chose to read for my mental health theme this month was (Don’t) Call me Crazy: 33 Voices Start the Conversation about Mental Health, edited by Kelly Jenson. What initially drew me to the book was the variety of authors and the diversity of their experiences, woven with a common thread. I was also interested because it is marketed as a young adult book, and I am always on the quest for accessible and relatable material about important topics that affect our young people. (Don’t) Call me Crazy features excerpts from well-known celebrities such as Kristen Bell and Nancy Kerrigan, as well as from lesser-known artists and writers.

I believe listening to someone’s personal narrative is one of the most powerful catalysts for empathy, especially in terms of mental health. With such a broad and misunderstood topic, listening to someone’s personal experience with mental illness helps us to understand the enormity of this disease. This book does that well. The essays are personal, vulnerable, and sometimes hard to read. But please read them. They are about people’s lives and they are important.

Jensen compiled essays from accomplished figures who come from a variety of backgrounds and have been affected by mental illness in different capacities. One powerful essay was written by a former Marine suffering from PTSD, a story of vulnerability and strength that we need to hear more often. An actor shared his battle with body dysmorphia, and the pain from ensuing plastic surgeries that he became addicted to. There are essays about struggles (and triumphs!) with bipolar disorder, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, OCD, and more.

I really appreciate that Jensen included stories from people with diverse backgrounds and upbringings. Our identity and how we feel we belong in the world will impact how our mental illness is perceived and the type of care we will receive (if we receive treatment at all). I read this book a few weeks ago now and while I think all of the essays are equally as powerful, one has stuck with me the most. Meredith Russo bravely writes about her time in a psychiatric ward to treat severe depression and hypomania. Russo is trans and nurses and doctors kept using the wrong pronouns and calling her by her dead name (name given at birth). They refused to give her a razor to shave her face, and as the days went by she suffered more, frequently experiencing suicidal ideation. Finally an administrator at the hospital steps in and ensures Russo is properly cared for. Slowly, with the right care and therapy, Russo is strong enough to go home. What hit me the hardest was that in a time of crisis, Russo’s caretakers were not respecting her humanity and causing her a great deal of pain. My heart wrenched for her reading that essay.

The essays in this book are honest, sometimes upsetting, but they are real, and they are also full of hope. The common theme is clear- everyone feels better once they seek treatment. Everyone feels better when they are treated with dignity and respect, and able to live their lives in the way that suits them best. One essay states that there IS no normal. No one brain or perspective or experience is the same. Our sensitivities and challenges are part of what makes us US. I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from the book by actress Lisa Jakub. I like it so much because I SO relate to it, and it’s a good reminder for me and for us all:

“It took me a long time, but I finally understood that all the things I felt I needed to hide were actually my superpowers. My sensitivity was something to be proud of. The fact that I feel things so deeply means I’m compassionate. I care. I’m engaged and alive and invested in the world…When I learned to accept the things that I was ashamed of and worked with them instead of constantly fighting against them- I could do anything. – pg. 155

Friend, I encourage you to read these essays. Beyond that, I encourage you to listen. Listen to your friends and strangers experiences with mental illness. Listen to the way mental illness is talked about (or ignored) on TV, in the lunchroom, on Capitol Hill. Together we can make the world a more understanding and empathetic place.