How Creativity Can Improve Your Mental Health

Way back in November (the previous post from this) I shared links to two blog posts from myself and Stacey Clark on depression. Today, I'm sharing Stacey's entire post as encouragement on how creativity can actually improve your mental health. The original posting can be found here at Princess Warrior Lessons.

I know this to be true because as someone who is overcoming depression I've returned back to painting and drawing after a 26 year absence and I'm flourishing! I find such peace in exploring my creative side, and I'm also learning to be more patient, to try new things, and accept mistakes as a blessing!

I hope that you benefit greatly from Stacey's post and be sure to pop over to her blog and say hello! She can be found at "mrs clark: it;s about blogs tea & me".

Paula C. Whitehouse for A Scarlet Rope of Hope

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How creativity can improve your mental health 

When Jo asked me to do a guest post on creativity I was so pleased (and shocked and over the moon)! 

And straight away I came up with the idea to post on creativity in relation to depression and my walk with God. 

You see in the last few years I have struggled in a massive way with mental illness. 

Why? 

Who knows. 

Maybe because I was married at 19. 

Had had my three children by 27. 

Maybe because I homeschool. 

Maybe because of the pressure of overseeing 2 ministries in our last church, raising a family, being a wife and remembering that there is still a wee person under all of that. 

A person that needs some love and attention. 

Me. 

Isn't that sad. 

The one person who is really the physical glue of the family being overlooked all the time. 

It's something we find so easy to do huh? 

Forget about ourselves. 

{my babies :: Zac, 3, Holli, 7 and Isabella, 5}

So I was diagnosed with severe depression, severe stress and severe anxiety in July last year. 

My life was a mess. 

I would drive down the street and want to drive into the oncoming traffic. 

It was horrific. 

I would daydream about self harming but would never actually be game enough to go ahead and do it. 

I would fantasise about dying and my husband remarrying and giving my three angels a real mother. 

One that wasn't sick. 

{shelves I made from a pallet I found}

Now I'm coming through it. 

I'm on the other side of it. 

How did I do it?

A combination of medication, a great Christian psychologist, sound advice from good friends, the Word of God and creativity. 

cre·a·tiv·i·ty

[kree-ay-tiv-i-tee]

— adj
1.	having the ability to create
2.	characterized by originality of thought; having or showing imagination: a creative mind

I'm a crafty person.

I create. It's what I do. 

To wear. 

For the house. 

For decoration. 

For use.  

{screen printed placemats}

I would rather a night of sewing, crochet, screen printing, tunes and tea to anything else.

I like to see something come from nothing. 

[You should definitely check out this amazing website, Craft for Health] 

Crafting is so amazing for a few reasons ::

• You get the joy of living in handmade. Most things around my home are homemade.  I love when my children exclaim in delight "mummy thats beautiful". It's a way of making myself feel better. For now. I love it. I used to use shopping as an outlet. And then I'd wake up the next day feeling worse than the day before. Sound familiar?
• You have the ability to express yourself in a creative way. A way of saying something that you really can't bare to utter. If you feel like throwing water balloons filled with paint at a canvas you can do that! 
• It doesn't take thought.. or it does. You have to think about following the pattern that you're following therefore you have no time or space to think about your fears or anxieties. 
• I think creating is something that is close to God's heart. Something He values. He breathed the Earth into being. Breathed. We are His canvas. The earth is His footstool. Does that not blow your mind?! 

That last point, that's what makes it all the more lovely. 

It's beautiful. 

Having a homemade home makes me feel closer to Him!

And I like that.  

{screen printing doilies for padded pot holders}

And that's my story in a nutshell!

The end.

Creatively yours,

Guest Post Series: Depression and Other Important Topics

Jo Puggioni from Princess Warrior Lessons is hosting a collection of guest bloggers over the Australian summer period.  Topics such as biblical beauty, motherhood, homeschooling, grief and loss (miscarriage, death), faith, His (God's) love, grace and depression will be covered. I hope to share the majority here, especially if the post links to the writer's journey with depression and/or anxiety.

To start the guest post ball rolling, Jo featured me and a post I wrote earlier this year about using depression as a cop out. You can find that post, titled "Using Mental Illness as a Cop Out" here. It was written at a time when I was having problems with a person whom I had to deal with every day. It's written raw and from the heart and I hope that it blesses you!

The next guest post is by the delightful Stacey Clark from Western Australia and the title tells what it's about - "How creativity can improve your mental health".  It is an open and honest post and one that I can relate to given that I've just returned to painting and drawing after a 25 year absence.  I've found that my depression/anxiety has eased off due to spending time creating, and that I only ever have down moments when I'm either tired or the "good old" female hormones are running their course.  Stacey talks in depth about her journey and how being creative has helped her immensely. You WILL be blessed by Stacey's post. Make sure you follow her for regular inspirational posts.

If, while reading this, feel a desire to share your story with depression and/or anxiety, please contact me at scarletropeofhope@gmail.com. Your story WILL bless others! 

Please continue to check back here, and over at Princess Warrior Lessons, for more guest posts!

Paula C. Whitehouse for A Scarlet Rope of Hope

What Would You Tell A Brave Girl?

This is the question that is being asked over at the Brave Girls Club this month -

"What would you tell a Brave Girl who is dealing with depression

(either her own or someone else’s)?"

Pop on over the Brave Girls Club blog post and check out what other people are saying, the pop back here and answer this question in the comments below -

"What would YOU tell a girl (or guy) about depression?"

Photo source

Paula C. Whitehouse for A Scarlet Rope of Hope

Mental Health Week, 9-15 October 2011

Mental Health Week, 9-15 October 2011

Depression and anxiety don't discriminate. Do you?

Depression and anxiety can affect anyone at any time but often, people won't talk about how they're feeling because they're worried what others will think.

Don't let discrimination and stigma stop you, or someone else, from getting help.

Depression and anxiety can affect people's thoughts, mood, behaviour and physical health. They are common illnesses - around one million Australian adults have depression and two million have an anxiety disorder. If it's not you, it could be someone you know.

People with depression and anxiety need to talk to a doctor or other health professional to get appropriate treatment.

beyondblue Acting CEO Clare Shann is encouraging everyone to make an effort during Mental Health Week, to help break down the stigma associated with depression and anxiety.

"This year, we will be aligning our awareness-raising efforts with Mental Health Week, which runs from Sunday 9 October to Saturday 15 October. Mental Health Week is a national awareness event, held every October and incorporates World Mental Health Day (Monday 10 October).

"During Mental Health Week, we are asking everyone - individuals, community groups, schools and workplaces - to help raise awareness of depression and anxiety, and reduce the associated stigma. beyondblue information materials that can be displayed in workplaces, schools or community centres during Mental Health Week can be ordered via the beyondblue website from September," says Clare.

Get the facts about depression and anxiety at www.beyondblue.org.au or call 1300 22 4636.

For more information on how to get involved with Mental Health Week, go to beyondblue: the national depression initiative - Share our newsletter article for Mental Health Week 2011

Paula C. Whitehouse for A Scarlet Rope of Hope

Becoming a Joyful Mother

Janet Camilleri, Editor of Footprints Magazine for Australian Christian Women continues with her series on her depression journey, and she shares with us about being a joyful mother while dealing with depression. (Written in approx. 2002.)
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This morning my bible reading was from Galatians 5:22 & 23 about the gifts of the Spirit.

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…"

My devotional suggested making these two verses into a personal prayer, by reading it out loud and asking God to make each fruit real in my life. I was surprised at how much I was able to pray about each fruit, and especially, JOY.

You see, I suffer from clinical depression and have been on medication for several years. I did try to go without it at one stage but I fell into the pit of despair very quickly; and it wasn't just me that suffered, my poor old husband and children got dragged down there with me.

Needless to say I wasn't a very joyful mother! My husband and I have realised that in my particular situation (with a strong family history and other variables), medication is the best way to handle my illness and who is to say that God does not sometimes use medication to heal?!

So this morning one of the things I prayed for was God's joy to fill me to overflowing. Not because it makes ME feel good (which it does!); but more because of the way my joy touches the lives of those around me, especially my family.

I have a theory that the devil is behind the epidemic proportions of depression in Christians in modern times. SATAN KNOWS THAT IF HE CAN STEAL A CHRISTIAN'S JOY, HE CAN EFFECTIVELY RENDER THAT BELIEVER USELESS!

Without joy (which is what depression is), we have no energy and are unable to serve and minister to others. Our minds become focussed on our own problems. Every little pain and ache is magnified -research shows that it's not just imagination -the part of the brain that processes pain becomes overactive in a person with chemical depression. In my case, I suffered from excruciating headaches. Now that my depression is controlled, I only get the odd headache at that time of the month.

DON'T LET THE DEVIL STEAL YOUR JOY! If you seem to have fallen into a pit of despair that has lasted more than a couple of months, seek help. If it's become an effort to mix with other people and to carry out normal tasks, talk to your husband, a trusted Christian friend or counsellor, or even your doctor. Don't be surprised if praying seems a real struggle; I found that when I had depression, all my relationships suffered and were neglected (mainly from sheer lack of energy); and that included the Lord.

Once my depression lifted, I realised how much my family had been suffering. Without joy, it was like I was in my own personal hell and couldn't seem to make real contact with anybody -let alone my husband and children. I felt so very alone, yet I needn't have. I had to take the mask off, and share with my husband that I did the bare minimum of housework and childcare, and felt like I was dragging around all day. I was irritable and I certainly wasn't a loving wife! Even my children missed out.

Oh sure, I could iron and cook and clean and wash, but without JOY, I didn't really care. What was the quickest and easiest dinner I could put on the table each night? That was what mattered. Not pleasing my family with foods they enjoyed, keeping to a budget, or preparing nutritious meals.

Sure, I cleaned the house but I was such a grump I'm sure my family would have been happier with a messy home with a happy Mummy! Once I started feeling better, I became more affectionate and "cuddly" with my children; whereas before it irritated me. I could go on and on about the difference JOY has made in my life, but I'm sure you get the picture!

Quite apart from the depression issue, my husband and I have discovered one of the things that brings the greatest JOY to our lives is GIVING. In order to give, we need to become aware of the folks around us -are they hurting? Do they seem overwhelmed? Distracted? Tired? Needy in any way? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you tune into the people around you, and how you can give to them. It doesn't have to cost a lot of money. It's the simple things that can mean the most.

For instance, this morning my sister phoned. Her first baby is just 11 weeks old and he suffers from reflux and as a result, both he and my sister are very sleep deprived! My sister was in tears, and she herself said "You are the only one I felt like phoning, I knew you'd understand". Not only can I provide a listening ear, I am probably one of the few people she knows that is available for a distress call at 10 in the morning! Everybody else is at work!

I can't tell you the JOY it gives me to be there for her at this difficult time. But it could be anything -as simple as a card or a phone call to let somebody know you're thinking of them; sharing a good book that might help in their current situation; a box of chocolates; minding their children while they go to the doctor or hairdresser; taking a homemade treat and meeting the next door neighbours. Sure, the people on the receiving end will be touched but you'll be astounded at how much JOY it will bring to your own heart.

Paula C. Whitehouse for A Scarlet Rope of Hope