Community
The link between creativity and healing is not new. In ancient Greece hospital patients would visit the theatre as part of their cure, and in many cultures, chanting is an intrinsic part of the healing ritual. In literature, from Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, to Elizabeth Wurtzel’s Prozac Nation, generations of writers have used the cathartic nature of writing to produce works which have inspired millions.
Recent medical studies demonstrate the healing power of creativity for those affected by mental illnesses, including depression. They suggest that the soothing effects of poetry are linked to the interplay of the left and right hemispheres of the brain; the visualisation of images and response to rhythm that occur when reading a poem stimulating the limbic system, which is responsible for emotion.
Depression Alliance members have long submitted their poems to quarterly newsletter A Single Step as a means of articulating previously disordered or hidden thoughts. It can also act as a reminder of what is a deeply emotional period. Depression Alliance member Jenny, from London, writes of her poetry;
Looking back to the days when I was writing prolifically it seemed the poems almost wrote themselves and I just put them down on paper and tidied them up. Writing poetry helped me articulate thoughts and feelings I could not express otherwise. Now I have a record of how I felt at that time expressed in such a way that the pain and intensity of feeling isn't lost in a morass of words. When I read what I wrote, I know how much better I am, despite my current difficulties.’
Please use this page to share your poems with others. Or if you have a favourite poem, why not send it to us for inclusion here, telling others what it means to you?
Perhaps you've written a short story. Or maybe you'd like to post a chapter of a longer work to us on a regular basis? Interested?
To have your work included please e-mail it to creative@depressionalliance.org.
Lying Here Not Knowing What I Need | Blues Cartoon | To my DA Talk friends | You Are Infinitely Precious | The Wedding Kiss | A Leap of Faith | Inside the Box | Behind the Glass | The Black Waves | Depression, confession | Contrasting questions | A Manic Life | We Are All Brave | Six Months in the life of a Hippy
Depression Alliance depends on donations to continue its vital work. To show your support please CLICK HERE to Donate using our secure donation page.