How Poetry Is Breaking Down The Stigma Around Mental Health

WHY POETRY IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF SELF-EXPRESSION

By Jo Boustead

Poetry: a beautiful formation of words and phrases that cause us to stop and think. There is so much emotion to be found within a few lines of written word; you can feel it rippling off the pages. This is exactly why in the last year, when I have struggled to come to terms with my poor mental health, or if I have found myself in extremely stressful situations, I have turned to poetry as an escape. Thoughts that I cannot put into speech have flowed from my fingertips into notebooks and onto scrap pieces of paper. The breath that I have been holding for years has finally whistled free.

“Poetry has enabled us to connect on a deeper level and to have discussions about feelings and emotions that without poetry, most likely would not be possible. ”

Let’s be honest here, a conversation about mental health is still a difficult discussion to have. I was never taught in school how to keep my mind and thoughts healthy, or how to perceive difficult situations as opportunities to improve. That’s probably why it has taken me so long to come to terms with the fact that what others might be able to do with a snap of their fingers, for me can be much more complicated and challenging. Despite my obvious struggles, I was always told to ‘just get on with it’, ‘stop worrying over nothing’ or to ‘move on.’ But in the reality we live in, where we are constantly pushed and shoved to improve and do better and do more than what we can realistically achieve, there is no hiding. There is no denying the obvious fact that we, as a community, as a world, are sparring with our mental health. Yet it is difficult for us to speak out and to make our voices heard when there is such an oppressive stigma surrounding the topic; people would rather turn a blind eye.

So why am I talking about poetry as if it is a saving grace? Well, let me make this clear: it isn’t. However, poetry has enabled us to connect on a deeper level and to have discussions about feelings and emotions that without poetry, most likely would not be possible. Poetry has opened the door for writers like myself, who find comfort on the page, to express how we truly feel. This writing medium has opened up so many doors to conversations about mental illness and the isolation it pulls us into: because the isolation is real. The loneliness, the bitterness, the uncertainty, is forever real. But this is slowly changing. I spoke above about how we have begun to connect with each other through the written word, so let me now tell you how much of an impact this has genuinely had on breaking down the stigma affecting mental health.

“There is an undeniable beauty in unburdening yourself on the page. The sense of release you feel after writing about the confusion and darkness, the misunderstanding and fear, is just captivating.”

For starters, everyday people (not just writers and poets) have been sharing their poems. They have bravely put their words out into the world. Whether that’s through showing their poems to friends and family, or by uploading it to social media sites and other various platforms, the taboo circling mental health is beginning to decline. Every word, every line, every verse, and every poem are pushing back against the darkness and isolation. It has finally come to light that we are not alone in this harsh world; we are finally communicating with each other. What makes this even more beautiful is the fact that, when writing these poems, you do not have to name yourself or make yourself the subject. Poetry can be anonymous. You can write about all the emotions swirling about your head, and you never have to reveal that the person feeling this is you. For many of us who find talking about our mental health difficult, this can be a way for us to finally open up, knowing that we are safe behind the anonymity of our written words. But it is important to remember that we cannot have these open discussions if we first do not have the conversation with ourselves.

“ Every person is affected by mental health in various ways, so it is only right that every poem is eclectic in subject and emotion, and this is exactly why poetry is breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health.”

There is an undeniable beauty in unburdening yourself on the page. The sense of release you feel after writing about the confusion and darkness, the misunderstanding and fear, is just captivating. Whenever I write a poem about my mental health, I take a moment to let the words sink in, because sometimes the words I have written shock me. What I could not say out loud, I have said with pride in verse. You see, there’s something you need to understand about poetry. No matter what you write, whether the emotions you convey are good or bad, there is always a feeling of release once it has been written. Those thoughts that were too confusing to talk to others about have just become clearer. In essence, poetry enables us to confront the inner demons that we fear to face. We can achieve personal growth and a sense of accomplishment when we open up about how we truly feel.

Poetry is an intense exploration of feelings and ideas in the soul. It is, without a doubt, a type of literature that speaks to the masses on a spiritual level. Every person is affected by mental health in various ways, so it is only right that every poem is eclectic in subject and emotion, and this is exactly why poetry is breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health.

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Jo is a poet and creative writing student from the UK. A lot of her work focuses on mental health, nature, and the impact we are having on our planet. When she’s not writing poems or drafting stories, you can find her baking and singing her heart out. She spends her downtime reading fantasy and dystopian novels, and obsessing over cute cats.