Trigger Warning: Video may contain sensitive topics
GUIDED MENTAL HEALTH COMMENTARY
Lilting bar music, murmurs in the background – Eva is sitting at a bar with a friend.
Here, she is starting to feel a lot more vulnerable in front of another party – openly discussing her suicidal ideations and allowing the debate to happen. We see a willingness to take off the mask, to acknowledge her issues, rather than to make a performance of her pain.
This is a sign of passive suicidality, as well as a willingness to be convinced away from a permanent ending. She is debating the notion of taking medication here – and indeed it is a sensitive question for many, and personal preferences differ across individuals.
There is a poignant statement here – ‘there is not a drug on earth that can make life meaningful’. Properly prescribed drugs, used effectively, can help reduce symptoms that makes life unbearable – but ultimately, medication is not meant to give meaning to life.
That responsibility of creating a meaningful life, which includes the work needed for recovery, lies within oneself.
We’d like to take this moment to thank all the friends who've played similar roles in this video: the caregiver, the shoulder constantly soaked through with tears, the 3am-text-message-receiver, the relentless cheerleader, the friend.
Within the deeply necessary ecosystem of a person’s mental health recovery, you are so very, very necessary. In such cases, especially with such difficult conversations – thank you for lending a listening ear.
It can be, however, rather mentally exhausting for an untrained individual to listen to friends – our advice is to nudge them towards seeking help with a mental health professional.
As we walk with you through Eva’s room, you will find “home” videos of Eva’s memories. Here, we have an actress playing Eva, reading out the words of excerpts of 4.48 Psychosis (a favourite text of ours).
2 Click on the label for guided mental health commentary from accredited psychologists
3 The orange keywords are linked to a compendium for more in-depth reading.
Here, she is starting to feel a lot more vulnerable in front of another party – openly discussing her suicidal ideations and allowing the debate to happen. We see a willingness to take off the mask, to acknowledge her issues, rather than to make a performance of her pain.
This is a sign of passive suicidality, as well as a willingness to be convinced away from a permanent ending.
She is debating the notion of taking medication here – and indeed it is a sensitive question for many, and personal preferences differ across individuals.
There is a poignant statement here – ‘there is not a drug on earth that can make life meaningful’. Properly prescribed drugs, used effectively, can help reduce symptoms that makes life unbearable – but ultimately, medication is not meant to give meaning to life.
That responsibility of creating a meaningful life, which includes the work needed for recovery, lies within oneself.
Within the deeply necessary ecosystem of a person’s mental health recovery, you are so very, very necessary. In such cases, especially with such difficult conversations – thank you for lending a listening ear.
It can be, however, rather mentally exhausting for an untrained individual to listen to friends – our advice is to nudge them towards seeking help with a mental health professional.
And remember to put on your oxygen mask first.