The painting, a haunting portrait of a face, is a stark and evocative piece of art. The artist's use of dark, brooding colours and the stark contrast with the white background create a sense of unease and foreboding. The face, though partially obscured, is imbued with a sense of pain and vulnerability. The eyes, in […]
Stevie Smith (1902-1971) was an English poet and essayist known for her unique and morbid prose style. Stevie was cautious not to be exposed to modern poetry lest it influence her work, preferring older poets such as Browning and Tennyson. Not Waving but Drowning is Smith’s most famous poem, published in 1957. The poem describes […]
What seems to be the most common problem when men express their grievances about the pressures of masculinity is “suffering in secret.” Traditional gender roles benefit no one due to the lack of choice in identity. Often both men and women complain that they feel forced into these roles and have to ‘play a part'. […]
Debates continue to be had regarding MAiD for mental illness in Canada, however, most of the information is not easily accessible. As conversations continue to be had regarding this topic, it’s important understand how MAiD for mental illness impacts people and our society and our local community. In this episode, Trauma and Mental Health Report […]
Substance abuse kills hundreds of people per year from accidents such as driving under the influence, suicide, or overdose. A recent Canadian survey done in 2021 noted that 7,560 people died due to “opioid toxicity”. Far too many people in Canada and around the world suffer from substance abuse, but a majority of the time […]
Frida Kahlo was a brilliant artist whose evocative, surreal images remain well-known and popular today, but she was also a woman who spent her life in physical and emotional pain as a result of childhood polio and following a bus accident at the age of 18 when a metal handrail went through her pelvis. Not […]
Francisco De Goya is a Spanish painter who is known to have two significant periods of paintings. The first being portraits and cartoons and the second being his “black painting” period in which he depicts images of suffering and darkness. It has been assumed that his drastic change in the style of paintings is attributed […]
Being positive all the time and rejecting negative aspects of life can create unhealthy experiences. Toxic positivity is when you deny, invalidate, or minimize a negative or distressing situation by overgeneralizing the positives. Sometimes, this positivity is not realistic and can lead to emotional suppression. You may start to lose a connection with yourself and […]
In his current body of work, Mark Gagne expresses depression, anxiety and isolation. What makes his artwork unique is that he has struggled with mental illness himself and his illustrations represent his journey. After battling with depression, his work will often carry the theme of finding the light in the darkness. Among many of his […]
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom, written by Don Miguel Ruiz, is a short book based on ancient Toltec wisdom that advocates for freedom from self-limiting beliefs. He expands upon four unique ‘agreements’ for releasing oneself of suffering. These include: In this book Don Miguel Ruiz states, “We have a dysfunctional dream […]