featuring The Green Ribbon Campaign
* This is Jimmy’s story. A story of mental illness, stigma, ambitions and finding peace*
‘So I’m supposed to tell you my story, no guidelines… That’s going to be hard! I do not know where to start.
My father passed away when I was ten years old and I was brought up by my mum and my two older sisters. They moved out of home and I went into boarding school for a while. My father had been my best friend.
At age of 16 I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I started taking medication. The meds were so powerful that they affected my eyesight and made me hyper.
But I did really well in Art. I got a distinction. Other things I couldn’t really focus on; just my art and music. I got firsts, which is really good. You don’t get a first in History of Fine Art, they don’t give them away.
When I left University I had no one. And then, about nine years ago, I met a girl at the bar I was working at.
We loved each other very much. We still do, but we have come to understand that we cannot be together. She has seen me go through… you know, major episodes. Like there was this one time where I poured a bucket of paint all over myself and walked around the streets naked, you know, as an art piece. So my behaviour became quite extreme but I always just thought that was my artistic temperament. That was how I justified it to myself.
And after we broke up, I lived on the streets of London for a long time.
At some point, I met people in the film industry and I was telling them how passionate I was about art and, well, I got a job on a commercial set. That was fantastic because from there I ended up working in the Commercials Art Department. So, all of a sudden, my life had turned around. And because of those experiences, I was determined to never go back to my previous situation. So I pushed myself very hard to maintain….’
An equilibrium, say?
‘Not even an equilibrium, just to maintain my work, because I knew that if I maintained my work, I could be whatever I wanted to be, and at least I’d have … some normality. A place to stay, some money coming in and, in time, everything else. And that drove me for years.
So that went OK for a while, working, doing lots of fun things and feeling appreciated. The film industry’s quite a hard place though and I’m not a tough guy, so… I became more and more stressed, with no one to turn to, no one to understand. People stopped inviting me to parties because I’d get too emotional…
By then I had accepted that my personal life would always be a mess – people just don’t understand why you’re so odd. With my career unravelling too… I became unwell again.
Just look after yourself!
This new girl that I was going out with left. But before she did, she actually said: ‘you know, just look after yourself!’
So I left the film industry. Went to work at a call centre. That was such a good experience, of socialising… of no agendas… I kept thinking back to what the girl had said and decided to ask for help. I saw a psychiatrist. I started telling people who I was. I was told I needed support. But most importantly, people started to understand.’
I met Jimmy at the supported accommodation I was working at the time. He was setting up his own business and, in his own words, felt at peace with the past.
*Part of Jimmy’s story was featured in my PhD. Here is where you can read more about him on the blog.
This post was inspired by an incredibly powerful campaign taking place this Spring in London.
THE GREEN RIBBON CAMPAIGN
Many of you may know that mental health and removing the stigma around mental health stay very close to my heart.
The Green Ribbon Campaign is an initiative of London’s Lord Mayor Appeal. The campaign urge that as many people as possible wear a green ribbon during Mental Health Awareness Week, between the 14th – 18th of May 2018.
Their belief is that the only way to #endthestigma of mental illness is to work together. By wearing the green ribbon, you show that you too believe there should be more openness around mental health, so that people feel able to disclose if they are feeling different to how they usually feel or if they feel they might be in need of support. The more we talk about our emotional and mental well-being, the more we can do something about it. Not giving it attention can often lead to dramatic effects or to changes in our lives which are irreversible.
I am convinced that every single ribbon makes a big difference. The Green Ribbon Campaign need the support of as many people and organisations as possible. Only by working together and creating a community of like minded individuals can we #endthestigma.
If you believe we should #endthestigma of mental illness, check out the campaign’s Twitter feed and Instagram account. Share their news, blog about it, but most importantly, wear the ribbons during Mental Health Week! More information on their website, particularly on how to order your ribbons in time.