Is it any Wonder That We're Struggling?

 

- Dan Flavin, The Nominal Three (to William of Ockham)

"Crucifixion is the easy life."

- Richey Edwards of the Manic Street Preachers,
 'Doors Closing Slowly'.

A dear friend of mine posted earlier today on his social media that this week is mental health awareness week. I was listening to an interview with Bret Easton Ellis yesterday, and he said something that really struck me: he said that we are currently living through our very own equivalent of the Great Plague of 1838-40, only the plague of our time is mental health issues. I couldn't help but feel that this was a pretty accurate way of describing things. It also struck me that it coincided with a Ted talk I was listening to last week where the speaker argued that we are currently, as individuals, probably the loneliest and most isolated from each other than we've ever been in human history. And, of course, part of the reason for this is the very medium I'm using to communicate about this: the internet. It's funny how porn is dismissed as crap lonely sex, yet Facebook isn't comparatively described as crap lonely socialising. But there you go. Anyway, mental health week. I have issues with my mind, as those close to me are aware. I hear lots of advice, i.e., meditate, spend time in nature, do what you love, etc, some of which is no doubt helpful, but much of which is so nebulous as to be meaningless. But after almost ten years of Tory neoliberal austerity, it really is no surprise that we are facing this crisis. People are increasingly living empty, meaningless, lonely, anxiety driven lives. In a world of zero hour contracts, welfare cuts, homelessness, the demonising and scorn of the lower orders (which led to the suicide of a participant on that horror fest that is The Jeremy Kyle Show), and the destruction of the planet through global warming, it's really not very surprising that we have a crisis of mental health, is it? Not everyone is able to travel the world and spend three months every year visiting Buddhist temples and attempting to "find themselves" in Thailand, ("what do you think you're going to find out there, that you can't find here?" Johnny in Mike Leigh's Naked), or live a full life, feel like they are worthwhile and contributing and making a difference. But people are increasingly scared, cut off, lonely, frustrated and desperate. What do we expect? Of course, I spend as much time as I can in the world of art, and as is always the case, true artists are aware of things far before it becomes obvious to the unimaginative mainstream majority. The Manic Street Preachers, whose lyric I opened this post with, give voice to and have explored this crushing of the soul in a way few other artists dare. And so, to anyone suffering from mental health issues out there, I dearly hope you are finding a way to work your way through the pain. You're not alone.