Tales from a Bruised Mind

Mental illness is incredibly challenging, and I think it will always be so. It can be life changing for an individual.

There is no current cure for mental illness, but there are ways for people to get help and live better and more positive lives.

And I believe that the foundations of mental illness do come with some positives.

Mild levels of anxiousness can help us be alert and perform well at a concert, or during a speech, or during a presentation at work. Depression, although it’s largely pretty damn terrible, can be a reflective time and can actually spark creativity.

Some of the most successful creatives have serious mental illnesses. Take Kanye West, for example. Living with bipolar disorder, Kanye has gone on to say that:

“I cannot be on meds and make watch the throne level or dark fantasy level music”.

Brian Wilson of Beach Boy fame had great periods of creativity as a result of complicated mental illnesses. Interestingly, he has also said in interviews that when he was put on medication to help him, it actually caused intense writers block for years at a time.

Has my mental illness been at all positive?

It’s hard to pinpoint exact things, however, since my very first mental episode in 2019, the challenges I’ve had with my mental health have been self-inspiring and have allowed me to be open and honest about my condition and how it affects me and those around me, too.

My experience was enough for me to write a book and tell my story to many, many people over the years.

To me, that’s the positive bit. Helping others and inspiring conversation.

Love,

Zak