"My Art
My Therapy"
Hi, my name is not important but what i say is. I was first introduced to Jack in January 2018 for many years Jack has been battling his mental health difficulties getting treatment and educating himself to healing his pain.
Jack has been diagnosed by doctors over the years with depression, bipolar disorder, paranoia, anxiety and schizophrenia.
For many years Jack would be active getting on with his life then pain, anxiety, depression, his state of mind would make him isolate himself from friends and family for months even years.
In September 2016 Jack isolated himself again from the world removing all ties with the few friends he had, going home living with his parents staying in his room for the next sixteen months.
In January 2018 when i first met Jack he made the decision to stop taking all medication, and to stop seeing all doctors from the Mental Health Team in his home town.
"Help Yourself"
I asked jack - Why have you made this decision to stop taking the medication and to stop seeing anyone from the Mental Health Team?
" its the same thing i repeat every time i see them and tell them, the pain wont stop. The medicine don't work. I just want to know why i am not getting better. Its only in the last few times after seeing the mental heath team, as i drive home i would hear a voice in my head saying
" Help Yourself !" Weeks would go by till by next mental health appointment. After the second time of hearing " Help Yourself " when driving home from an appointment i knew.. it was now or never for me to figure out how to fix myself by Helping Myself.
Starting with stopping all medications."
After leaving the Mental Health Team and stopping all medication, Jack took the next step to quit smoking tobacco.
I meet up with Jack three months later, he was medication free and smoke free. He was staying at home only going out to get groceries. The next step he had taken was to heal his mind & body with a healthy diet and doing regular exercise.
Speaking to Jacks parents knowing there sons mental health illness for many years they kept it simple, by giving him all the support he needs and the space he needs to get himself better. They told me that he never really asks for anything and they will always be here for him when he dose.
In August 2018 one of Jacks many cousins was getting married in Bangladesh. For months his parents have been asking jack to go with them to Bangladesh. Only a few weeks before the flight to Bangladesh Jack agreed to go. Jack felt he needed to battle his fears and anxiety by getting active.
"Fix & Heal the body and the mind will follow"
A few weeks after the wedding Jack took the option to stay in Bangladesh to get a different perspective of his life and to heal himself.
He stared to travel around the country with family, after a month in Bangladesh he tried to keep himself busy by creating art. Most of his family thought he should find a job and stop doing art "again". It was difficult for him to explain his mental health illness to his family, in a country and culture were mental health issues are not talked about and doing art is a pointless objective. Jacks parents explained to the family that their son has to do what he needs to do, to get himself well and give him space to figure out what he wants to do.
After coming up with a few ideas Jack took a leap into making a sculpture.
His cousin in Dhaka City asked an Art professor at Shilpakala Art Academy the head of sculpture if he could help. The professor agreed that Jack will have some guidance from third year students in how to create his sculpture.
Jack spent a few weeks in Dhaka City and returned to his parents home town to start making his sculptures. Months passed by Jack stayed busy creating and felt he was in a better place in his mind. Finding a routine and process of staying active everyday exercising, learning and doing.
" if i didn't go throw this process of creating these sculptures and being physical everyday i would not have realized having a routine of doing, creating, learning, that my process was "THERAPY" That my anxieties became my creative drive "not" my burden. I need to continue creating and battling my fears, depression, isolation and anxieties.
Only by doing will i find the practical."
