The Big Issue

Edition 299

Four people share their experiences of mental illness: what it means to have it; finding the strength to beat it; and the reality of living with it – a carer’s anger, guilt and brief moments of optimism.

Also in this issue:

‘Close to Home’ – Rochelle Siemienowicz talks to director Elissa Down about her debut feature film The Black Balloon, a funny and authentic portrayal of a family struggling with their autistic child; ‘Loudon Clear’ – musician Loudon Wainwright III on acting, gynaecology and the family business; and Michael Corridore takes the camera off the spectacle and onto the spectators with intriguing results in ‘Roving Eye’.

Our ‘Vendor Profile’ for this edition is Mick from Brisbane. We also have ‘Streetsheet’ contributions from a former vendor who is now in prison in South Australia, Brisbane’s Pat O and the vendor known as askems911 in Melbourne.

A Huge Jigsaw Puzzle

I keep thinking about the people we left out.

Sometimes it can be a struggle getting stories together for a cover-package. Not this time. When we turned our attention to the issue of mental illness it soon became apparent that the biggest problem was going to be deciding which contributions to squeeze out. Although this made me think we were absolutely right to be addressing the topic, which touches more people than most of us imagine, I realised only recently that one of the stories I’d omitted was the one that first put mental illness on my radar. It came from a Big Issue reader who, after almost three years, was still trying to come to grips with the suicide of his son, aged 27, after a roller-coaster ride in and out of mental-health institutions. This grieving father described his son’s life and death as “a huge jigsaw puzzle that I have been trying to solve”.

In his account there was this passage: “Ideas of his that came and went were, for example, that Frank Zappa was his father and that he was Australia’s first IVF baby, that he did not have a mother, and that he was being manipulated by the CIA, ASIO and drug barons – of whom I was the mastermind. Perhaps the most shocking thing for me was the dreadful evening which began with his comment to me that ‘my time was up’, accompanied by that unnerving intense stare…”

That was one story. Another, with many elements in common, came from a woman who is also battling to comprehend the loss of a son – aged just 23. This young man had many problems, including a history of schizophrenia and depression. He died last year after a drug overdose in a Sydney hotel bathroom.

His mother had this to say about him: “My son was a good person. He was kind, intelligent and sensitive. All who knew him will attest to this. I realise that there is a lot of stigma attached to drug abuse, as well as mental illness. These topics are not popular with the general public or the media. However, my son was as valuable a person to society as any other. He had a lot of potential and possessed many good qualities. His aspirations will never be realised now. His story deserves to be told to prevent this from happening to another individual and to another family.”

This was a recurring theme: mental illness can affect anyone, and its impact is felt by everyone in contact with that individual. One story in this edition is written by the wife of a man with a mental illness. Again, there is a burning sense of pain and frustration – also a desire for others to appreciate what she is experiencing.

Although we haven’t been able to publish those first two stories in their entirety, largely because they included details or allegations germane only to the specific cases, the people who wrote them have made a significant contribution to this edition – not least because they helped me appreciate the importance of mental illness as an issue in society. I thank them for their candour. They should know, too, that there are many, many people who empathise with them and, increasingly, are prepared to talk about it.

There is less stigma attached to mental illness than there once was, largely because of a broader understanding of ways to manage it. In many respects, mental illness is no different to physical illness: there is a broad range of ailments and an equally varied range of treatments. True, there is endless debate about the efficacy or desirability of many ‘cures’, especially when drugs are involved, but it is often possible for people with a mental illness to lead productive and fulfilling lives if they can get the appropriate care.

Something else happened along the way to confirm the relevance of this topic. People within our own circle offered contributions, meaning that they, too, had personal experience of mental illness. Again, not all could be included. But they all helped. And I hope they’re not offended that here, and elsewhere in this edition, we have referred to ‘mental illness’ rather than ‘mental health’. Some would have it otherwise; to speak of ‘health’ is much more positive. But, to me, they are two sides of the same coin. ‘Mental illness’ denotes an impairment of some sort. Treatment, love and understanding can lead to improved health. And, sometimes, even happiness.