Evening Strumpets,
as many of you may already know, my day job, and the one that puts food on the table, involves working with people with health problems, and specifically mental health problems. As a result I meet a lot of people experiencing symptoms of depression.
Depression is an illness born from hopelessness. The individual finds themselves in a numb state, not necessarily crying all the time, but bereft of any emotional feelings, because there is no point. It is brutal and indiscriminant in who it picks, but like most illnesses it can be treated. The art of the therapist is to allow the person to discover hope. In discovering hope, the person can begin to appraise their thought patterns differently, and as a result begin to understand why they are feeling the way in which they do.
It is not the therapist`s role to tell them what hope is. That is for the individual to reacquaint themselves with. And there`s the rub. The therapist can use guided discovery techniques to assist, but it is far more effective in the long term for the person to find hope for themselves. This should lead to a questioning of the appraisal of thoughts, which in turn leads the person to effective treatment. I call it the "Red Mini Syndrome". You never see a red mini until you buy one, in the same way, once you begin reintroducing hope into your life, you may start to see it everywhere.
I was asked by a colleague what hope was to a person experiencing depression, and I immediately replied "Hope was Crosby`s Partner". albeit a cheap and throwaway line, I thought about it later and wrote a song, which hopefully outline the paradoxical universe a person with mental health can find themselves in.
Hope you like it.
Till the next one, learn something new.
Mark.
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ReplyDeleteHi Mark, Danny here.
ReplyDeleteI'm Pete's son, also the idiot that started UK Folkies. I'd like to thank you for talking about mental health on your blog. I suffer from depression and have done all my life, albeit I was only diagnosed at the age of 18 (curretly 29, where I intend to stay for at least 5 years)
This illness is HORRIBLE, I'm disabled, my mum is my carer and even being able to function at the most basic of human levels is harder than most people can imagine.
It's because of people like you that people like me don't kill themselves and go on to live their lives.
Thanks Mark,
From all of us
P.S. I Couldn't heard what you where singing. Ay chance of you recording it agai with the mic a bit closer to your mouth so I can hear the words?
ReplyDeleteCheers mate
Danny
that should have read ANY chace..... sorry mate
ReplyDeleteThis is spooky-and confirms what I think about the "Strikes a Chorders" having more in common than they think!
ReplyDeleteI am by trade an AMHP/senior practitioner in a CMHT when not in my musical ego role(s)-I have shared this with Andy and Chris "off Blog"- also I believe that most people with an ounce of intelligence and sensitivity -e.g most musos-will get depressed at least once in their lives and it's only luck which side of the counter we end up on.
Evening chaps,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments, it really makes such a difference. PeeBee, I could not agree more, and Danny, My heart goes out to you and yours, Just remember hope is an incredible thing.
Unfortunately this is as techno as I can get, but I might have a chance at an audacity thing one weekend so may have a chance to record the songs a bit clearer.
"I hate myself because I drink, but I drink because I hate myself.
And as it is, and so it was , and so will always be.
Hope was Crosbys partner.
I can`t slepp cos I think too much, but I think too much because I don`t sleep.
And as it was, and so it is, and so will always be.
Hope was Crosbys Partner.
It doesn`t have to end this this way.
Help me, help me, help me with my issues.
I`ve got to stop this thinking got to stop this drinking got to stop this sinking.
And as it was and so it is, and so will always be,
Hope was Crosbys partner."