Equilibrium Winter/ Spring Issue 55, 2015

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MAGAZINE FOR WELLBEING

Winter/Spring Issue 55

2015

>> Wellbeing News Roundup >> Arts For All >> Stigma >> Therapy: A Personal experience >> The Three Principles >> Art, News & Reviews

ISSUE 55

Literature Special


Equilibrium Patron Dr Liz Miller Mind Champion 2008

Front cover: Kate Massey-Chase

web alerts If you know anyone who would like to be on our mailing list and get the magazine four times a year (no spam!) please email: equilibriumteam@hotmail.co.uk (www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium). Equilibrium is devised, created, and produced entirely by team members with experience of the mental health system. Photo copyright remains with all individual artists and Equilibrium. All rights reserved. 2011

Design: www.parkegraphics.co.uk

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editorial Hello and welcome to our first issue of 2015! This time we’ve brought you a special, themed issue, borne out of a collaboration with Clarendon Recovery College’s Book Review Group. So, behold: our Literature Special! Also packed with the usual articles, reviews and art. We hope you enjoy it and would love to hear your feedback; please do tweet us @teamequilibrium. If you’d like to join the editorial team, contribute an article, some art, photos or creative writing, please do get in touch via equilibriumteam@hotmail.co.uk. Kate, Editor/Team Facilitator

disclaimer Equilibrium is produced by service users. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly forbidden without the prior permission of the Equilibrium team. Products, articles and services advertised in this publication do not necessarily carry the endorsement of Equilibrium or any of our partners. Equilibrium is published and circulated electronically four times a year to a database of subscribers; if you do not wish to receive Equilibrium or have received it by mistake, please email unsubscribe to equilibriumteam@hotmail.co.uk

the team Facilitator/ Editor: Kate Massey-Chase. Editorial team: Angela, Dev, Ian, Alan, Nigel, Paul and Richard. Graphic design: Anthony Parké.

contact us Equilibrium, Clarendon Recovery College, Clarendon Road, London, N8 ODJ. 02084894860, equilibriumteam@hotmail.co.uk. We are in the office on Friday afternoons 2.30-4.30, but you can leave a message at other times and we’ll get back to you.

contributions Wanted: contributions to Equilibrium! Please email us with your news, views, poems, photos, plus articles. Anonymity guaranteed if required.

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Arts for All

Wednesday 25th February marked 50

arts. In it, she argues that the arts must

years since Jennie Lee’s white paper:

occupy a central place in British life and

A Policy for the Arts - First Steps. Lee

be part of everyday life for children and

was the arts minister in the 1964 Labour

adults, be embedded in our educa-

government of Harold Wilson, and it was

tion system, recognised as an important

the first (and is so far the only!) white

industry, widely accessible, properly

paper that had been written on the

funded, and valued by society.

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Summer/ Issue 38


Kate Massey-Chase

So, 50 years have passed. How far

Cheerful reading. So, what shall we

have we come? Mid February saw

do? Make some noise! Make some

the publication of Warwick Commis-

art! DO SOMETHING! That was the call

sion’s report on The Future of Cultural

of Devoted and Disgruntled, spear-

Value, which - although demonstrating

headed by Stella Duffy. With a twitter

that the arts are a significant contribu-

handle #ArtsPolicy50 ready to go viral

tor to the economy - also shows that

(which, YAY, on 25/02/15 it DID!), the

arts and culture are being ‘systematically removed from the UK education system’. Under our current government, the Education Secretary, Nicky Morgan, has said that ‘Arts subjects limit career choices’; we’ve watched Arts subjects being devalued, undermined and squeezed out of the curriculum, and

mission was clear: mark the anniversary; let people know why you think it’s important; make a fuss. I think it’s important, so I celebrated, discussed and responded with two groups I was working with that week: a group of adults in recovery from various forms of addiction, who I do Creative

at the same time provision outside

Writing with at The Living Room, and a

of formal education reduced and

group of young migrant/refugee teen-

dismantled due to funding cuts (from a

agers in South London, who I do Drama

regime of austerity which consistently

with for Attic Theatre Company.

harms the younger generation). As Paul Collard, Chief Executive at Creative

With my group at The Living Room, I

Culture and Education, recently said:

decided to challenge both them and myself, and worked with them to write a

‘What is clear now is that young people,

group villanelle. A villanelle is a poetic

especially those in the less affluent

form that is supposed to be one of the

areas, are not getting any opportunities

very hardest to write, and I thought this

at all, because arts... access for young

would not only give my group a lift,

people has been swept away. And it

knowing how capable and talented

will only get worse.’

they are, once we had written one, but cont.

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cont.

would also be a nice way of demonstrating that a community group, gathered together for the purpose of recovery (rather than because they

Before they left, many of them said they had felt ‘lifted’ by the experience, that they were ‘proud’ of what they’d

had chosen to attend an arts-based

achieved, that they felt ‘lighter’, ‘invig-

class) could be damn creative, that the

orated’, that they’d had ‘fun’. Arts for all.

arts could be of value to ANY commu-

It does matter.

nity. And they did bloody well, so I’m going to let their work provide all the evidence I need....

Then on the day itself, I ran our Drama group with my colleague, Rob

Arts for All We feel as if we’re up against the wall, This generation is under duress. Art is for everyone. Art is for us all.

Lehmann, at SCOLA, with the young migrants. Many of the students have very little English, and come from all across the globe. Some have come

So we shall answer our heart’s secret call

from war-torn countries, some have

With a tight grip or with a sweet caress.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, most are

We feel as if we’re up against the wall. We know we’re got the gumption and the gall The talent, deep inside us, to impress. Art is for everyone. Art is for us all.

in foster care. All agreed the arts are a fundamental part of their lives. We we had some fun, took some photos, and celebrated the importance of the arts in

It’s not as if the order’s very tall, We’re tired of giving more and getting less.

all of their lives.

We feel as if we’re up against the wall From Cornish coast up to remote Rockall We will push for proper, fair access. Art is for everyone. Art is for us all. Inside our schools and every village hall. Fifty year’s since Jennie Lee’s address, We feel as if we’re up against the wall. Art is for everyone. Art is for us all.

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Summer/ Issue 38


Wise Words

Marco Lanzarote

Leafing through a copy of Stylist magazine I came across a selection of “Wise Words” by Caroline Corcoran and selected a few that appealed to me. The following are the ones I picked out as ones I thought might appeal to our readers:

‘Nothing is a waste of time, if you use the experience wisely.’ August Rodin ‘No-one has ever become poor by giving.’ Anne Frank ‘Life is ours to be spent not saved.’ D H Lawrence ‘You have to really believe not only in yourself; you have to believe that the world is actually worth your sacrifices.’ Zaha Hadid ‘To know what is right, and not do it, is the worst cowardice.’ Confucius ‘Give the ones you love wings to fly, roots to come back and reasons to stay.’ Dalai Lama ‘Let us forget with generosity those who cannot love us.’ Pablo Neruda ‘Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.’ Winston Churchill. ‘The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.’ E.E. Cummings ‘The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.’ Dorothy Parker

www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium

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POETRY Z O N E My Wellbeing… by Jiten Patel Well, being that my wellbeing has been

Me??

through hell, seeing

My equilibrium hasn’t calibrated,

Fires of ‘death’, and illusory rollercoasters,

nor cerebral cortex vortexed,

I, now, toast,

to a decalcified pineal gland.

With samosa’s,

That’s why I hang

In front of a log-fire roast,

with lovely dozens of tough, trojan soldiers that,

Languaging dreams with queens, of owning

to the world,

a testarosa, no-way near Novia Scotia.

shoulder criticisms, that they have never amounted to nothin’,

Knocked back?!

but, are ones that can build homes with their

Like a Witness of Jehovah.

hands!

What does it matter to you?

Exhaaaallleee… :)

-I keep coming back…

In there, there is something.

forward,

As, rainbows appears in skies after rain falls,

Like Del Boy tryna flog a dodgy motor!

my reign falls, and I return to loving…

Horses for courses, and fools are ‘dime a

…The Essence of who I Am!

dozen!’ The ignorant ones get nowhere without rushing. The wise Ones move in silence to Lifes percussion.

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The Backseat by Hermione Absinthe There aside the green neon clock, The backseat of thoughts, this murky Void,

9.45, your presence revealed,

A land off-territory and carved wild in paths,

I peered into You and saw the truth, Me

An apparent nothingness, yet filled

Loitering in poor thoughts, I held the reigns.

With all there ever is, and all there ever will be. Who am I? I asked the Void Laying in a double bed, beside a neon clock

You are beyond all measure, if you choose

I stare into the Void,

Your thoughts are a Universe,

The echoes of distant Ancients, lingering,

You, the sculptor of your own existence.

Whispering hints of wonder. You, a land of eternal wealth, Void! A crushing city life conceals you: Waitings, meetings and overtimes Houses, bills and redundant petty frills.

www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium

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Book Review

The Center Cannot Hold My journey through madness

by Elyn. R. Saks / Review by Michael Trifourkis

Most people associate schizophre-

her brain was her best friend but also

nia with a life of misery, isolation and

her worst enemy.

suffering. Yet as Elyn Saks narrates her journey through madness, the

Elyn Saks writes with precision and

reader becomes aware that here

passion avoiding academic or

is no ordinary person. She showed

medical jargon, making the book

that with determination, courage,

easy to read. The reader is gripped

academic discipline and a loving

by how she endured her constant

relationship that this awful illness

setbacks, due to her hatred of taking

need not be so permanently debili-

medication. Finally, she accepted

tating.

the undeniable fact that she had a mental illness and that changed

Elyn describes her terrible symp-

everything for her.

toms in great detail and with brutal honesty. Her turbulent behaviour

In a world where there is so much

and outrageous dialogue with her

stigma, Elyn continues to stress that

talk therapist Mrs. Jones stands out

“illness of any kind need not define

vividly and yet despite illness Elyn

an individual”. Her candid and

achieved a master’s degree at

brave autobiography has made her

Oxford. Later, despite psychosis, she

a celebrity and has given hope to

became a law professor after study-

fellow sufferers.

ing at Yale. She famously said that

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Artwork by John Wood

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Summer/ Issue 38


and bold to the eye, but also there’s a funky, trippy tree that pulls you out of the background and into the beauty of nature. The tree has intricacies and repetitions that remind me of my own early work, and has a wonderful attention to detail. The colour schemes in the tree, apart from the obvious greens of nature, are purples, blues and reds. But I don’t want to ignore his other beautifully put together mixture of still Art Review: I have started reassess-

life and nature, trees and rodents,

ing how I look at art recently, due to

farm houses, dark and bright horses

my own ongoing projects, both short

grazing, rivers and men fishing, and

and long term. Now I must say right

one picture of a flower in a vase,

at the offset, I started in scenic art,

that springs to life with a multitude

as a young boy and then teenager,

of soothing, gelling colours: blues,

and so when I turned up to write my

greys and browns, yellows, greens

second piece for Equilibrium, I was

and reds, and purple.

delighted to be focusing on the art work of an artist named John Wood.

In my opinion, John’s art is a breath of fresh air. Please continue!

The first picture that screams out at me is a joy to look at because the

Richard Honan (a.k.a. mohecan,

background is covered in the verti-

raphecan, touché, punt, lsd, kudos,

cal and horizontal lines of a build-

cara2che)

ing, but in the brightest of colours, lifting the colour scheme to a daring dimension that I feel is very feminine

www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium

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THE THREE PRINCIPLES

Nigel Prestatyn

principles are interconnected. But it is the thought principle which has really been my gateway into these ideas. By ‘principles’, Pransky is referring to something which is an indisputable fact about our human nature. Much like the theory of gravity, it is an undisputable fact of our existence. The three principles are therefore not questionable, but simply how lfe is.

Now rather than hijack the book paragraph by paragraph, likely One may call it serendipity, but at a

bemusing myself and you the reader

recent gathering I struck up a conver-

in the process, I will tell it how I see it.

sation with an woman who coaches

Thought! We think. Of course we

individuals who want to reach life

do. But this might seem a little differ-

goals. Apart from the fantastic

ent when we begin to recognise that

conversation we had, she left me

our entire reality is made up of our

with a great recommendation, which

thoughts. We generally think that the

came in the form of a book called

outside world happens to us, and

Somebody Should Have Told Us,

effects us, and we then feel a certain

about the ‘three principles’.

way. For example, the weather may be bad, therefore I feel low; the crazy

Now the three principles are Mind,

car driver cut me up, therefore I feel

Consciousness & Thought, and these

angry; I was fired unreasonably from

Photo: Anthony

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my job, so I feel depressed; my

is making me feel angry, NOT the

addiction to drugs has hounded me

errant car driver.

all my life, therefore I am filled with

Yes, I was fired unreasonably from

guilt and shame.

my job, therefore I feel depressed – But note: It’s my own thinking which

This can be said to be an outside-

is making me feel depressed, NOT

inside world. What happens on the

being fired.

outside, effects us in the inside. The three principles rather sees our

Yes, my addiction to drugs has

experience as an inside-outside

hounded me all my life, I am filled

experience, not as an outside-

with guilt and shame – But note: It’s

inside experience. Therefore what

my own thinking which is making

happens on the inside creates our

me feel the guilt and shame, NOT

experience.

the drugs.

So what does this mean in concrete

So you may say, of course I feel

terms? Well, let’s take the above

angry, the driver cut me up, what

examples and review them in light

else am I suppose to think? Well,

of the Principles. In an inside-outside

actually, there are any number of

world, yes, the weather may be

ways of thinking about this event.

bad, and yes, I may be feeling low –

And it is down to you, which way

But note: It’s my own thinking which

you choose to think about the

is making me feel bad, NOT the

event. Let’s say the Dalai Lama was

weather. Yes, the crazy car driver

driving the car, and he was cut up,

cut me up, and yes, I feel angry –

would he feel angry? Well likely he

But note: It’s my own thinking which

would feel something completely

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different. He may choose to feel

thinking negative thoughts. Well, yes

happy, or he may regard the other

you have. Why? Because there can

driver as a novice and so understand

be no feeling without a thought first

it; he may pity the driver as someone

generating it.

unable to control his emotions, etc. We are, what we think. Our thinking In fact there are thousands of ways

creates our experience of the world.

of thinking about these event, or

So this is a revelation. If you can see

any other event which happens out

it. Not everyone can. It may take

there. How we choose to filter this

time. If we know that our thinking can

information, by our thinking about it

create a negative experience of the

in certain ways, determines how we

world for us, we can also know that

feel.

by choosing to think good thoughts, we can create a fantastic experi-

Underpinning every negative feel-

ence of the world for ourselves!

ing is a negative thought. There can be no feeling, which doesn’t have a

Well, that’s the book and its basic

thought hidden beneath it. The way

theory. How does this translate into

we think, determines how we feel.

realtime? I guess that’s for you to

Therefore, if we are feeling nega-

discover - or not.

tive, we can be sure that there are negative thoughts lingering behind the feeling. Sometimes our thoughts happen so quickly, we aren’t even aware that they’ve happened. Why am I feeling this way? I haven’t been

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www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium

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Book Review

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl (1929-1945) Review by Maura Sartori

The book is about a young Jewish girl whose diary of her time hiding from the Nazis entranced the world. Anne and her family were forced to leave home, when the situation in Germany had become intolerable, and they fled to Amsterdam when Hitler came to power. It was a happy time for Anne at the start; she loved her school and her home life on the Merwedeplein. But the outbreak of World War II in 1939 and Hitler’s invasion of Holland in 1940 forced Anne and her family to go into hiding in a Secret Annexe. Sadly they were betrayed and were sent to the concentration camps, were Annie died on an illness. I thought that Anne Frank and her family were very brave and that her father was right to publish her diary, for she was a very good writer.

Anne Frank – inspirational quotes: ‘Who would ever think that so much

misery and death.’

went on in the soul of a young girl?’

‘Everyone has inside of him a piece

‘Whoever is happy will make others

of good news. The good news is that

happy too’

you don’t know how great you can

‘How wonderful it is that nobody need

be! How much you can love! What

wait a single moment before starting

you can accomplish! And what your

to improve the world.’

potential is!’

‘We all live with the objective of being

‘The final forming of a person’s char-

happy; our lives are all different and

acter lies in their own hands.’

yet the same.’

‘No one has ever become poor by

‘In spite of everything I still believe

giving.’

that people are really good at heart.

‘I must uphold my ideals, for perhaps

I simply can’t build up my hopes on

the time will come when I shall be

a foundation consisting of confusion,

able to carry them out.’

www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium

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Theatre Review by Kate Massey-Chase

Skin Like Butter by Leah Cowan

The Etcetera Theatre, Camden

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Summer/ Issue 38


The Thelmas’ mission statement reads:

intense and energetic performance as the lead character, Jerome. Cowan’s

As a result of the gender imbalance in

writing is poetic and biting, and this

British theatre, The Thelmas are taking

play presents a well-drawn collec-

matters into their own hands, promot-

tion of characters, from the comedy

ing and supporting rising female talent.

double-act of hopeless immigration

They are passionate about seeing

officers, to an infuriating woman in

more work commissioned that is writ-

the Home Office, to Jerome’s fiercely

ten by women, for women, and their

independent, itinerant girlfriend.

work reflects this. This play raises important questions, Thus they have brought to the stage an excellent new play by Leah Cowan, Skin Like Butter, which details the story of a young man trying to seek refuge in the UK. The stories and characters in the play were all developed from first-

not just about the stories that we tell about ourselves, but also how we tell them. In Skin Like Butter, Jerome is increasingly encouraged to ‘play the system’, despite his protestations

hand accounts, lending an authentic-

that ‘this isn’t a game’. Without ever

ity to the piece, which carefully navi-

preaching or presenting easy answers,

gated the terrain between harrowing

Cowan poses multiple questions about

detail, personal narrative and political

the systems in our society, and not

comment, with a refreshing dose of

only how we respond to those in need,

humour, prudently used.

but also how we attempt control the

Clever and sensitive direction from

narratives of those dilemmas.

Madelaine Moore, brought the script to life, and John Omole gave an

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Stigma

by Dev

Summer/ Issue 38


Wikipedia describes it as: “the extreme

you when it comes to making decisions.

disapproval of (or discontent with) a person or group on socially characteristic

This is all very well and good to mention,

grounds that are perceived, and serve

but there is also another important form

to distinguish them, from other members

of stigma called ‘self stigma’. Person-

of a society. Stigma may then be affixed

ally, I think this causes more damage to

to such a person, by the greater society,

a person with mental health problem, on

who differs from their cultural norms.” To

top of their existing problems. A Stigma

put it into simpler terms, it is when people

Shout survey that was carried out showed

or society disapproves of you or your

that almost nine out of ten people with

behaviour on the grounds that it is differ-

mental health problems (87%) reported

ent from the norm.

the negative impact of stigma and discrimination on their lives (source: Time

Stigma can be found anywhere – in the

to Change).

office, at home, with friends, in public places. When it comes to mental health,

At the end of February 2013, the Mental

it seems that there is a lack of knowl-

Health Discrimination Act became law.

edge when it comes to this area. Time to

The Act repeals or amends three laws that

Change is a charity trying to combat this

have previously prevented people with

stigma, and their website mentions that

experience of mental health problems

“the research also showed that the way

from taking, or continuing to hold, public

family, friends, neighbors and colleagues

office. This makes it easier people with

behave can have a big impact on the

mental health problems to bring in some

lives of people with mental health prob-

positive changes within the government.

lems.” In some cases, it causes negative

Challenging stigma can have a positive

reprisals from friends, family and people

effect, as it means the person who you

you may work with, not to mention the

are explaining what you are really like

public. People may find it difficult to

to, beyond the label that they may have

speak to you; they might leave you alone

given you, will become more informed

or leave you out to one side, speak down

and hopefully treat you and others better

to you as if you were a child, or just leave

in the future.

www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium

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Folie a Deux: An experience of one-to-one therapy (Or the Pitfalls of Transference)

Mickey Christian

This is an account by Rosie Alexan-

Many of us have entered into psychother-

der, a British woman, of her difficult and

apy treatments; or have thought about it;

traumatic journey through a course of

or are involved in one right now. Whatever

psychotherapy in Paris. This was where

the dilemma, it’s always a rocky road; we

she lived and worked at the time. Pursuing

can only hope or pray for a reasonably

a goal to become ‘more self-confident,

contented outcome at the end of it, out of

assertive, less anxious and guilt-ridden’,

the tunnel.

she at first tried various therapists of mixed ability or competence. Finally she settled

Writing with clarity and precision, Ms.

on one, Luc, and there her travails began.

Alexander describes her imperceptibly

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Summer/ Issue 38


swift descent into unbearable depend-

for this debacle. As with many practi-

ence, obsession and unrequited lust

tioners of his trade, he remained rigidly

for this man. This was exacerbated by

attached to his own particular ideol-

their having to meet at his home for the

ogy and doctrine. The treatment must

sessions, as he has no separate facili-

be correct, even if the patient suffers an

ties. Inevitably she picks up on traces

ocean of pain in the cause of personal

and signs of his private life there. These

enlightenment. Often casual or cava-

include glimpses into his bathroom

lier in his attitude and behaviour, he

and bedroom, etc. and then of course

neglected to alter or monitor the ever-

his current girlfriend in person. This

fading boundaries between himself and

propels her further into a vortex of jeal-

his client.

ously, rage, frustrated sexual desire and despair.

This book is informative, revealing, often amusing and frequently very explicit

The hapless author had fallen into a

in its narrative. Ms Alexander’s written

massive and helpless state of erotic

English is flawless and immaculately

transference for the therapist. However

eloquent. One wonders, though, how

tempting it may be to think Ms. Alexan-

natural her spoken French was, and

der as possibly too critical and analyti-

whether she may have fared better

cal for her own good, she didn’t deserve

back home with a British therapist. Many

this. An emotional car-crash. Despite

people do benefit psychotherapy, but

only having her version of events, it is

evidently an unknown number become

abundantly clear that the therapist Luc

the casualties of therapy.

bears his own measure of responsibility

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C’mon Baby Light My… Livingroom!

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Nigel Prestatyn

Looking out of our front room window, I

Granted, not everyone is as fortunate to

have to remind myself each and every

have such a skyline. But then not every-

day that I am truly blessed. A hazy,

one would want to live on the 8th floor of

indistinct horizon extends for miles, dare

a tiny apartment in a block of flats either.

I hazard a guess and say 2-300 hundred

But the importance of light in one’s living

miles? It’s almost impossible to tell in

space cannot be over estimated. Even

fact, as it changes by the clarity (or not)

the smallest window spaces can emit a

of the sky each day. This expanse of sky,

wonderful spirit-enhancing light. But it’s

this blanket of light, really does make up

all too easy to forget. Quite soon these

for the horrendously small living space

light portals (a fancy name for windows)

our family has to contend with. But the

become overgrown with the weeds of

outside, brings its own space into our

home living: curtains, flowerpots, photof-

living environment.

rames, bits of furniture, all clogging up this opportunity for essential light. Given

Let’s be clear, there is no room to swing

that we spend an inordinate amount of

a cat where we live, no room for an

time in buildings, and particularly with

extra set of drawers, no room for an

the advent of home offices, it seems

additional sofa, no room for a spare

evermore important to receive those

toaster! But what a skyline can do is give

much needed D vitamin light rays.

an incredible ‘sense’ of space to one’s living environment.

We can all feel a little low in the winter cont.

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months, darkness coming at 4-5 in

So before logging on to your Ebay

the evening, also darkness in parts

account and considering the latest

of our journey to work. But oh how

state of the art SAD lamp, I would

we need our light. Imagine a poor

suggest looking a little closer to

plant kept in a darkened cupboard.

home. When was the last time you

How could it possibly be expected

washed your windows? Grime can

to thrive? It would become limp and

build up, eventually suppressing light.

listless in no time, eventually meeting

Also grimy curtains can suppress light

its demise. We are no different.

coming in! Windows should be sparkling clean, free from obstructions,

Now we have SAD lamps. But these

and preferable close to one’s seat-

are poor substitutes in my opinion

ing, or office desk. Yes, I am begin-

for the real thing. Granted they can

ning to sound like that lady from the

fill in the gaps when there is no other

TV who goes around people’s houses

opportunity. SAD (Seasonal Effective

giving unwanted cleaning advice.

Disorder) is thought to be caused by

Anyway, rather than buy a SAD

lack of the neurotransmitter serot-

lamp, maybe begin with Mr Sheen,

onin due to decreasing daylight and

or perhaps a new set of curtains – or

dropping temperatures. Light treat-

preferable none at all. Consider the

ment, where the patient is exposed

layout of your living space, look for

to a special lamp for a certain

the optimum method for getting light

amount of hours per day for two

into your home, and soak up those

weeks, is effective in some cases. But

feelgood rays.

I think a good window can work just as well.

EQUILIBRIUM 28


BOOK REVIEW: A View from the Bridge, Arthur Miller John Dawson ‘A View from

work. The story continues to unfold when

the Bridge’ is a

Beatrice announces that her two cous-

play by Arthur

ins, brothers Marco and Rodolpho, have

Miller and was

arrived safely in New York but as illegal

first staged in

immigrants.

America in 1955. The story is set in

The story takes another twist as Rodol-

an Italian Ameri-

pho and Catherine start dating, much

can neighbour-

to Eddie’s dislike. Both men start to have

hood, the small

different ideas about which way their

Brooklyn community of Red Hook, near

lives will go. Eddie, due to his protective

Brooklyn Bridge, back in 1950’s New York.

nature, has worries that Rodolpho, with his

The story itself is somewhat of a tragedy.

talent in singing and acting, is planning

Arthur Miller attempts to show what life

to marry his niece so that he can gain

was like in the docks of Brooklyn, focusing

citizenship. This leads him to send them

on the life of a family who live there.

to live in the flat above with other illegal immigrants. Eddie goes on to take some

The book starts of with a couple: Eddie

big steps that lead to a tragic end.

Carbone and his wife Beatrice, and their

I remember the book of this play years

niece, Catherine. Eddie, the main char-

ago for an assignment. The book and its

acter, works as a poor longshoreman in

storyline has remained one of my favour-

the docks of Brooklyn. Catherine is learn-

ite books. The Arthur Miller makes a very

ing to be a stenographer (someone who

good job of the story and you find yourself

types what people say). Catherine, being

entangled in the lives of the characters.

an Independent Woman, decides against Eddie’s wishes to quit studying and start

EQUILIBRIUM 28


EQUILIBRIUM EQUILIBRIUM 29

Summer/ Issue 38


Book Review

Foundation by Isaac Asimov /

Review by Michael Trifourkis

Foundation is the first part of a clas-

intended, it is clear and to the point.

sic trilogy written by Isaac Asimov.

The novel has no female charac-

A great mathematician, Hari Seldon,

ters and is therefore uncluttered by

an expert in psychohistory, predicts

romantic relationships.

that the vast Julactic Empire, consisting of a million worlds will collapse

The characters are unpretentious

into barbarism. He sets up a founda-

with nothing martial about them.

tion to preserve as much knowledge

Results are achieved peacefully

as possible to shorten the coming

when a predicted crisis occurs, as

Dark Age.

Mayor Salvor Hardin says: “Violence is the last refuge of the

However, there is an ulterior motive

incompetent�.

for setting up the Foundation. Psychohistorical solutions can only

There are many twists and turns to

be achieved if the participants are

the plot that makes this timeless

ignorant of the overall plan.

novel a compelling and exciting read. The foundation trilogy, with

Some critics have said that the plot

Foundation and Empire, and Second

develops only in conversation and

Foundation, is for me, prophetic

there is very little action or descrip-

science fiction at its very best.

tive colour and the dialogue is at best functional. Also, the style of writing is unpoetical but as Asimov

www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium

EQUILIBRIUM EQUILIBRIUM 30


Liver for Life

implies she doesn’t think they’ll ever be normal again, I thought, despairing.

There were only two options for

me. One: Give up on life, continue to drink thirty units a day, die like George Best. Two: Recover, embrace life and try to achieve my potential, albeit with a clapped-out vital organ. After some deliberation, I decided on the latter. “This is your final wake-up call,” sang an “Drink does damage you can’t see.” These words, from a government-issued health warning, echoed around my skull as I trudged out of the doctor’s surgery.

Drink does damage you can’t see.

It’s true, you know. On the outside, I didn’t look too bad; my skin wasn’t yellow or shrivelled. Inside, however, one of my major organs was in a sorry state. My liver was inflamed, and certain enzyme levels were six times too high.

“Some parts can recover,” my GP

had said. “But for other parts, unfortunately, the damage will have been done. You need to cut out alcohol, and try to bring those enzyme levels to as close to normal as possible.”

“As close to normal as possible”

EQUILIBRIUM EQUILIBRIUM 31

inner voice, “so answer it, because there won’t be another one after this.”

As was usual for after a bender,

I’d been “weaning off” alcohol by drinking beer instead of spirits, decreasing the amount by one unit each day. I’d drunk a pint of lager that morning to get me out of bed, and I could have drunk more upon my return from the surgery. But by some miracle, I chose not to. I was panicking about my liver.

Once home, I Googled “foods

good for liver” and made lists entitled Eat and Don’t Eat. One doesn’t need a degree in Nutrition to create a liverfriendly diet, just a bit of common sense. My Eat list basically comprised fruit, veg and salad, with a few types of nut; my

Summer/ Issue 38


Lando Hilton

Don’t Eats were anything fatty or salty.

before, practically making arrange-

I cut out cheese, crisps and ice-cream.

ments for my own funeral! I felt relieved,

I replaced pork products with Quorn

but I couldn’t get complacent. See,

equivalents, and swapped semi-

after fatty liver disease (which is prob-

skimmed milk for skimmed. I also intro-

ably what I had), the next step toward

duced a daily concoction of vitamins.

the demise of this vital organ is hepati-

This included Milk Thistle tablets, which

tis. After hepatitis comes cirrhosis. And if

are known to benefit the liver.

a liver becomes cirrhotic, then it really

Getting back into a regular, diurnal

is time to make funeral arrangements.

sleep pattern took almost a week

I’ve seen pictures of cirrhotic livers.

and required Zopiclone. Once that

Compared to the healthy liver, which

was sorted, I started going to the gym

is smooth and pink, the cirrhotic liver is

again. (Alcohol had sent my exercise

dark brown, shrunken and wrinkled, like

habits out of the window, along with my

something from a coral reef.

sanity.)

wake-up call. I’ve had plenty of

Five weeks of this monkish life-

I still treat this as my final

style later, I had my GP on the phone to

other warnings in the past, which I

discuss the latest blood test and ultra-

ignored. There have been times when

sound.

I drenched a laptop in Newcastle

Brown Ale, melted a microwave, and of

“Well, I don’t know what you’ve

been doing,” she said, “but you’ve

course, lost friends.

reversed a lot of the damage. Your

enzyme levels are back to what they

waves can be purchased, and new

should be, and your liver is a normal

friends can be made. But you only

size. There’s some evidence of fatty

get one liver. And unless you’re lucky

infiltration, though. You’ll need to keep

enough to receive a successful trans-

eating well and exercising, to make

plant, this one liver cannot be replaced.

sure that doesn’t get any worse.”

So that is why I am still taking great care

of mine.

And there was me, a few weeks

www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium

Replacement laptops and micro-

EQUILIBRIUM EQUILIBRIUM 32



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