10/10/2024
WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY
Let us rally together and help each other’s idiosyncrasies and neurodiversity
Anyone who knows me is aware that I’ve always been a strong advocate for discussing mental health, supporting others with difficulties with their minds, and bringing this important conversation to the forefront.
I have not only supported many friends and family members through dark, anxious, or frustrating times, but I’ve also experienced my own journey with navigating my bright, shiny, unique yet complex and hurdle creating mind. I believe it’s essential to harness the strengths of our unique brains while also learning to navigate and manage our neurodiversity’s and idiosyncrasies.
This year, for the second year running, Wonderment presents, and I had the joy of inviting people to "Chalice in Wonderland" at the deeply moving Medicine Festival, an event that showcased how we can honour and celebrate our neurodiversity’s. I truly believe we all exist on some spectrum, often embodying characteristics reminiscent of the characters in Alice in Wonderland. Many friends, (myself included), have felt a connection to the mania of the Mad Hatter. But it with Mania creativity and productivity is born. Most of us have faced addiction battles like the Caterpillar. But through facing our addition demons do we find out more of our boundaries and heal our shadow. We’ve all had bouts of depression, much like the Dormouse, but it is here that we introspect and hone heal our deepest selves. And, at times, we’ve shown behaviours similar to the Red Queen, processing our low vibrational frequencies of anger, in order to resolve, pivot to joy and balance and harmony. The OCD of the March hair enables to observe our relationship to control and surrender and the anxious and ADHD tendencies of our dear friend, the White Rabbit, well help us navigate time, responsibility and getting lots of different things done at once….or not.
Personally, I’ve recently really had to come to terms with ADHD, which has given me insight into my some say creative mental landscape. I find myself juggling 22 browser tabs, moving from project to project, reviewing achievements from the summer while simultaneously planning for next summer and worrying about Halloween and Christmas. I am working hard to make my busy ADHD brain function to my advantage. It's not easy, but I am immensely grateful every day for the support of those around me who help me manage my neurodiversity. If it wasn’t for the March hairs, or Dormice or other beautiful minds I have as friends, who knows where I would be. Its about working together, for each other, to all rise together.
I truly believe the best way to combat mental health struggles is through supporting one another. My ADHD has helped me empathize with those battling depression, just as friends with OCD have helped me organize my life. We must rally in our communities, looking out for one another with compassion and kindness, so that we can all embrace and soften the challenges that come with our bright, unique, and sometimes difficult minds.
To master the mind is to master the soul, body, and life….let’s make it our life’s work….Most people know that my medicine is Joy. Laughter, play, adventure, and party….feeing the mind with love and community, one fabulous event or show at a time….this that laugh together, heal the mind together. That’s not to say to sit with shadow and mind melancholy, but let’s alchemise always to heal to the nicer, more peaceful mindscapes and mindsets.
