mental health
Table of Contents Anxious Generation
Words and Illustrations by Margarita Louka
Art as a Healer
Words and Illustrations by Jenni Tilson
Growing With Depression
Words by Srishti Gupta & Illustrations by Amy Perkins
Bipolar Disorder
Words and Illustrations by Anna Stone
Moral Fatigue
Words and Illustrations by Rachel Middleton
Assortment of Illustrations Illustrations by Rachel Sawyer & Amy Perkins Cover and Endpapers: Margarita Louka Editor: Anna Stone
By: Margarita Louka
Anxious Generation
When it comes to daily life, young people are told by their parents and their grandparents that they are lucky and that they have it ‘easier’ than them. This may be true in so many ways; technology has opened our eyes to so many new possibilities and easier access to knowledge. Although there is a long road ahead, we have greater gender and racial equality than previous generations. So why are so many young people (people classed as Millennials and Generation Z) experiencing anxiety, in much greater numbers than previous generations? Some people love to say that young people nowadays are hyper-sensitive. However, there have been a lot of changes over the past decades to average lifestyles, which would lead to increased anxiety in the average person. This has a lot to do with the rapid rate of technological and economic change of everyday life in the 21st century.
It is true that millennials have a lot more choice on jobs than their parents did, however this can also lead to the anxiety of having too much choice; something called ‘analysis paralysis’, where it is not obvious which option is better than the other. In short, young people nowadays are trying to achieve it all, in an overly ambitious, fast paced, ever-changing technological age, all with prospect of an uncertain future because of climate change in the back of their mind.
A lot has changed since our parents were growing up. Divorce rates are at an alltime high, which makes Millennials the largest generation to deal with family breakups. We are always ‘switched on’ because of technology and social media. We have so much more access to content compared to previous generations, and we constantly compare our lives to others’, whether it is our looks, our lifestyle, or our personal life. Money is one of the biggest concerns for Millennials, and the skyrocketing cost of living and cost of housing just adds to those worries. That has resulted to many young people still having to live with their parents, often after returning from university with huge depts. All these coupled with our constantly switched on society has caused anxiety levels to skyrocket.
On the plus side, despite anxiety in young people being at an all-time high, they are more likely to seek therapy and practice mindfulness than older generations. A sound piece of advice by Loren Soeiro [Psychology Today] to keep in mind is this: “Not everyone finds the right life partner, creates an artistic masterpiece or founds a successful company before the age of 30.” This reminds young people that they are allowed to make mistakes, something our society does not teach them.
Our society is unfair in telling kids that they can achieve anything regardless of their economic background, gender or race. Of course, it is possible to achieve a lot; however, this statement makes kids blind to the competitive nature of our society, and the fact that some people face obstacles that others would never encounter in their life.
Illustration By: Margarita Louka
Illustration By: Jenni Tilson
By: Jenni Tilson
Art as a Healer
There have been times throughout my life, and I am sure through many other people’s lives too, where my mind has gotten the better of me. I let so much negativity into my head. I felt that being different from everyone else just came with that. Being different, being a little nerdy, being me, meant that I have never managed to meet people I could fit in with, especially in secondary school and college. Because of this, I was often finding myself left out in group projects, being sat alone in class and over time that started to eat away at me. I thought I had to change, to be more like everyone else so that I could join in and not always feel like someone at the side lines that meant nothing at all. Eventually, college began to change this for me. I went to an arts college, and this was my first time studying art because my GCSEs were very academic. I’d always known that I was drawn to art, when I was feeling down I would do some doodles or even just some colouring in. Yes, I still struggled with my mental health those two years, I still felt left out, I went through things that I never wanted to experience which only made me doubt myself more and feel even worse but even my counsellor couldn’t help me as much as making new art did. I threw myself into that artwork. I spent hours and hours doing paintings, drawings, collages, screen prints, lino cuts, everything I could get my hands on. I realised in those two years that I could express myself through my work and it gave me something to really focus on that wasn’t my dark thoughts, that wasn’t my social anxiety and that allowed me to grow as a person, and as an artist. Art got me though my lowest, and takes me to my highest. I believe that through all forms of art, whether its something you study or not, you
can learn to take control of your thoughts and plough them onto paper, or digital media too. So next time you want to escape, next time you are doubting yourself or the next time you feel you’re at a rock bottom… Just try letting it out. Scribble all over a page, throw some paint at it, cover it in glue and stick things to it, whatever you have around you, use it to make something. It might just be your new favourite thing.
Growing with Depression
By: Srishti Gupta
I say growing WITH depression simply because for some of us, it will be with us for a long time. I have re-written this article so many times to think of the best ways to tell a person how you can grow with depression. That is hard - we all are different and we respond to our emotions differently. I am also not a professional to tell you what will help. So, while this actionable list may not benefit everyone, it is helpful for me to tell you that as a person with depression, these are the things that helped me grow:
4. Accept AND make the time you need to take a break
1. Identify what depression looks like to you
5. Reward yourself when you accomplish your goals
While many of us may do similar things when we are depressed, we still have our own unique way of responding to it. Do you sleep a lot? Do you eat more or less? It is important to recognize what those patterns look like so you know when you are falling into it. 2. Identify what self-care looks like to you It is alright if you do not feel up to doing activities that used to be fun for you. You still have to figure out the little things you can do that can make you feel better in the moment; activities that may not require investing too much time like facial care, or yoga. By practicing them daily, they can help improve your mood. 3. Listen to your body Your body responds to how unwell or well you feel mentally; it could be more fatigued, it could be craving certain foods, or it could be in pain. See how your body is feeling and what is causing it - is it your depression? Is it hunger?
This may not be easy for everyone - we juggle with different responsibilities and a lot of us come from backgrounds that allow us more or less free time. Taking out time each day to focus on you and what your break will look like. Whether that looks like fifteen minutes of yoga, or two hours of reading, it can help you revitalize your energy and add some stability to your life.
Just do it. Treat yourself after finishing your task. ‘Life is short’ (or insert some life-changing quote) but the reality is no one is going to care about your happiness more than you. Be proud of yourself when you achieve the things you want! Have that ice cream, put on that facial mask or watch that show for 20 minutes! However, keep it something accessible so you can do it with minimal effort. 6. Start journaling and recording events in your day Record how your day went and if you felt like something went wrong, record what it was. I found that as I started to rate my days and talk about my highs and lows, I could pinpoint how I felt after each experience and how that was affecting me. 7. Make boundaries when, where, and with whom you may need them with When you start identifying things that bring you down, you can work towards creating
boundaries accordingly. This is a step I think is also hard to define and something I still struggle with. Putting it generically as advice is never enough as it all comes down to examining yourself, in different scenarios and thinking of what boundaries are helpful to you. If I really had to boil down my thoughts on living with depression, it is all about observing yourself as an outsider, taking conscious actions to better yourself and accepting that some days, you will regress. It is a learning process, as with everything, and while I would never wish any kind of mental illness on a person, it gives you a journey which you can choose to grow and appreciate yourself in more ways than one.
Illustration By: Amy Perkins
By: Anna Stone
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar Disorder is one of the hardest mental health conditions to diagnose. You can be hyperactive and full of energy one moment, and then feel very low and lethargic the next. Quite often the doctors might lean more towards the darker side of your emotions, and diagnose you with clinical depression. However, there is still that ‘manic’ part to how you act and feel. Unlike simple mood swings, each extreme episode of bipolar disorder can last for several weeks (or sometimes even longer than that!) During the period of time when you are feeling depressed, you may feel overwhelmingly worthless, which could possibly lead to thoughts of suicide. If you are, please speak to someone you trust, or at least tell your doctor about it, and then they can help you with finding a counsellor. Contrastingly, during your manic period, you may feel incredibly happy, have lots of energy, have ambitious plans and ideas, and spend lots of money on things you are not able to afford, and may not usually want to buy. You may also not feel like eating or sleeping, you may talk really fast, or become easily annoyed. During this time period, you might also feel very creative and enjoy this ‘manic’ part of your bipolar disorder. When you are going through all these extreme emotions, you should go and see a doctor and work out which treatment is the best for you, ranging from finding the right medicine to help with balancing the chemicals in your brain to balance your mood, to having psychological treatment to help you become more aware of the triggers and signs of an episode, and to help deal with everyday life.
Usually a combination of both will help you control the bipolar disorder. Some possible causes of bipolar is having extreme stress, overwhelming problems in your life, life-changing events, or genetic and chemical factors. Being a fairly common mental health condition, 1 in every 100 people will be diagnosed with it at some point in their life. Ranging from men and women alike from all sorts of backgrounds, between the ages of 15 and 19, and rarely developing after 40 years old. If you are going through it, then please talk to your friends and family about it. And if you know someone who is going through it, then help them feel supported in talking about their experiences of it. There is always someone who can help you, when you’re ready to reach out, even if you feel alone.
Illustration By: Anna Stone
Illustration By: Rachel Middleton
By: Rachel Middleton
Moral Fatigue
Before all of the changes that the pandemic made to our lives, we made simple choices that didn’t seem to need much thought, like visiting your family, getting together with friends regularly, going to a concert or bar, why not? Then after the very confusing influx of rules and advice from national governments, we have all had to prioritise our choices for the sake of the population’s health. The way we think about doing the most mundane activities, now have several extra steps of thought and preparation. While some might just be common sense like washing our hands more, wearing a mask when we are ill, cleaning surfaces, some are more jarring when it comes to socialising. Some things that we wouldn’t have blinked an eye about before, all have to have a mental stop sign to think carefully about. If everyone were to follow these steps, and abide by these personal responsibilities, we would have far less stress about the situation, and be more trusting of our future. But public responsibility is a difficult quantity to grasp. Surely everyone else is following the rules just as we are? Sadly, we have started to realise the reality that this collective mindset is not shared by everyone. This is where it becomes exhausting. Whether trying to decide if you should visit a sick family member, use public tranport, or take a trip to the shops, we now have to think through the potential ripple that our everyday actions could make, because of how they could effect others. Tiring isn’t it? It’s called “Moral Fatigue”.
For some, perhaps the moral strain isn’t so strong, they may not know those who have caught the virus, or don’t have family or friends who are shielding, but for many, catching the virus could mean losing the ones they love. This increases the anxiety we already have for catching it ourselves, the butterfly effect that can wreck an entire community is constantly on our minds. And to see people who are being reckless, spreading doubts and conspiracies through the public, even just thinking, “Well I’ll be fine if I catch it.”, this can cage so many into a depressed and anxious state. The reckless decisions of a few can leave an entire nation to deal with the aftermath. Moral fatigue has taken a toll on our mental health, but its something we are not talking about. It leaves many feeling not only exhausted, but on edge. Until we see the light at the end of the tunnel, there are ways to cope with moral fatigue. Perhaps it’s something that we all need to apply to our stressful lives. Firstly, we need to recognise and acknowledge that these decisions are tough, and we are not the only ones who are struggling to deal with the current conditions. Talking with others who are supportive can uncover similar experiences and worries about the situation, processing feelings and fears will relieve the build up of thoughts. Avoid making too many decisions at once, breaking it up into one at a time can help pace your thoughts. We have to take the time to acknowledge that we need to be kinder to ourselves. We have been so used to the bustling world of urgent decisions and actions that we forget that we are vulnerable. We have to give ourselves the chance to exist as we are.
DAISY MEADOW Illustration By: Amy Perkins
KIMMERIDGE SUNSET Illustration By: Rachel Sawyer
Copyright Š 2020 by Margarita Louka, Jenni Tilson, Srishti Gupta, Anna Stone, Rachel Middleton, Rachel Sawyer, and Amy Perkins. All rights reserved. This publication or any portion thereof may not be reproduced, copied, reprinted, reworked, redistributed, or used in any manner whatsoever without the explicit written permission of the copyright holders.