Sometimes, I read a theory about something online (I do that a lot), and the absurdity of it sticks with me. I enjoy reading conspiracy theories because I enjoy following the logic of the people thinking of them, and I enjoy the attempts to support theories with fact. They often illuminate ideas and facts that we just take for granted.
When Mental Health Is a Laughing Matter
By David Granirer, Counselor, Stand-Up Comic, and Founder of Stand Up For Mental Health (David Granirer will present during Mental Health America's 2013 Annual Conference at The Clifford Beers Awards Dinner).
Most people think you have to be nuts to do stand-up comedy. I offer it as a form of therapy. And it’s not as crazy as it seems. Stand Up For Mental Health is my program where I teach stand-up comedy to people with mental health issues as a way of building confidence, promoting recovery and fighting public stigma.
Comedy and mental health have always gone hand in hand. There’s an old saying that comedians need to be miserable to be funny. In recent years, more comedians have been vocal about what’s making them miserable. Comedians have been more open about their mental health conditions and trauma they’ve suffered. Maria Bamford’s Special Special Special takes it to a new level, though.
This week, I went back in time to take a look at a story that comes up in discussions of mental health in literature, “The Yellow Wallpaper,” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. I’ve read the story a bunch of times in various settings, particularly in a class on American Literature, and I always see something different in it. This time, the need for autonomy came to the front.
“The Yellow Wallpaper” was written in 1890 in response to Gilman’s experience with postpartum depression following the birth of her daughter. The story is about a woman who is locked in a room by her husband (who is also her doctor) following the birth of their child. She is driven to distraction by the ugly yellow wallpaper in the room, which eventually causes her to have a nervous breakdown.
This week, some MHA staff members and I had the chance to see Jason Invisible, a new play co-commissioned by the Kennedy Center and VSA, the international organization on arts and disability. The drama, which focuses on a young boy dealing with his father’s mental health conditions, is a terrific way to educate middle schoolers about mental health.
Coping with plenty of leisure activities and sense of purpose in life
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