Culture & Identity

18
Minds Matter Magazine Volume III Issue I Culture & Identity
activities throughout weekdays, like art and
yoga classes, smoothie-making workshops,
access to the fitness center and trips to the
gym across the street to play basketball.
I spent my stay writing poetry, relaxing,
making friends, but most importantly, I
spent time being sick.
Inpatient care felt like the first time I
was allowed to be mentally ill, and for that, I
was grateful. For years leading up to my stay,
I had been denying or trying to justify the
emotions I felt, attempting to appear stable
for my friends and family. The way people
responded to my feelings in inpatient care
was different than anything I had experienced
before.
One patient saw me upset and said
only, “I’m sorry you’re crying Jessica.” That
was all. There was no questioning, no embarrassment
and no shame - only understanding.
That compassion was one of the most
helpful aspects of my stay. I was surrounded
by people going through similar things, and
had a support team of nurses, medical doctors,
dietitians, and psychiatrists who were
all there to help us.
Not all institutionalization experiences
are like mine. Around the world, some psychiatric
institutions are as horrific as some
films portray them. In recent years, institutions
in (hyperlink trigger warning) Shanghai
and Guatemala had been found to be using
the same forced injections and physical
restraints seen in popular films. This type
of abuse has been found even in California,
where a federal review in 2015 found rampant
abuse in five mental health institutions.
But the more that we discuss and normalize
conversations about institutionalization,
the more we normalize our perceptions
of what institutionalization should be. This
leads to widespread empowerment to challenge
abuse as something inherently wrong
within the mental health care system.
Curiosity and communication are
important in understanding topics like institutionalization.
It’s easy to be afraid of
the unknown and form opinions based on
movies and TV shows. Bazar points out the
importance of hearing all sides of the story,
recognizing the history and realizing that we
must “accept that (the conversation) is
uncomfortable.”
Conversations about mental health
must be open. We must understand that
while some are afraid, there are distinct reasons
behind their fear - in this case, decades
of misconception and misrepresentation.
McRorie said that in recent years,
some media representation has shifted. The
dehumanizing of people with mental illnesses
is not seen as much, and characters
are portrayed as less scary and dangerous,
but more as real people. This can be seen
in movies like Silver Linings Playbook and A
Beautiful Mind, where people with mental
illnesses are portrayed in a more realistic
way.
“We are talking more, and willing to
talk more. I think we just have miles to go,”
says Bazar.
Stories of mental illness
from the West Indies
Victoria Gibson Billings
Exploring the intersection of cultural stigma and modern mental health through
stories.
Image By Adley Lobo