Packing to go to Seattle tomorrow and meet my grandparents, then in a couple days we will take the ferry into Canada! Always wanted to go to both places. Its funny because Ryans mom is going to be in Seattle visiting family at the same time… well I have to get Hildi a beaver and Julian a maple leaf. Anyway… my kitty wants to come with me :D
So I was half-asleep when I came up with this metaphor, but I think it makes sense, to bear with me. I may be wrong but this is just how I see it.
I think sailboats can be a good symbol for people with mental illness, or just people or life in general. Sailboats desperately need some level of balance to function… just as people with mental illness do. Sometimes, however, outside factors such as weather and wind tilt and rock the boat back and forth, causing some instability. Some days are clear and easy to manage, some days you might be faced with huge, seemingly-ceaseless storms. These factors are out of the sailor’s control… The sailor can not change the storm itself, but only adjust the ship and the sails as best as she or he can. With someone with mental illness, there are so many factors that are out of their control. They can not blame themselves. They can only adjust themselves to brave the worst parts of the cycle and know that it will pass.
Sometimes sailboats have multiple people or crews. Sometimes, these crews might be ignorant as to how to best sail and maintain a sailboat. Let’s say that the person with mental illness is the captain of the boat. Sometimes the crew may be ignorant of the ways they need to maintain the ship, such as performing routine maintenance, cleaning the deck, and adjusting the sails, being the navigator. There is so much to do, the captain can not attempt to hold down all these positions or else he or she would be under a huge amount of stress. But when these people are not doing the best job they could, this also causes the captain stress. Nobody can choose their initial family… or their “crew”… and sometimes family is ignorant of how to best raise a child. They make mistakes and continue to make mistakes unless told they are wrong. If your family, or crew, cares enough about the condition, or the ship, the sailor may talk to the crew and raise their awareness, allowing their ignorance to disperse and the ship to run more smoothly. Without important people and care in their lives, people with mental illness tend to have much more stress and much more of a struggle with their illness.
Sometimes, the crew may not care about the captain. They may only have their needs and wants in mind. Some crew members may be so cruel as to run back and forth on the boat just to cause instability. If they do this while a storm is also raging, this may just completely flip the boat over. Since it is a sailboat it is possible to rise from the water, although it would take some hard work and time, but it would probably have to wait until the storm has passed. In some cases the cruel crew may be so vicious as to not even participate in raising the ship back up… they would only stay back and laugh as the captain struggles with his or her ship. In other words, crews can sometimes be more destructive than productive. Similarly, sometimes the families we are born into can be incredibly destructive throughout our lives. There is not much anyone can do with families who won’t listen or care. In cases like this, one of the hardest tasks must be undertaken. Sometimes the boat must dock somewhere and the captain must force the crew off of his boat. Sometimes the family that people with mental illness are born into are too destructive to keep in their lives. The captain must search for a new crew. Similarly, the person with mental illness should, when he or she can, find another source of social support. He or she must find friends, or distant family, or others that care about his or her wellness, accept them for who they are, and know that who they are is not their illness. Although this venture can surely be difficult, in the end the boat will sail much more smoothly and the adventure will be much more pleasant when surrounded by pleasant people.
As I said before, without a crew the sailor would find him or herself in a great deal of stress trying to sail on their own. It is possible to sail on a sailboat on your own, for the most part. However, it is much more pleasant and rewarding with others. People with mental illness today tend to feel very alone and isolated… they need social support in order to “get better”. Many struggle alone but do not function well. Those with friends and family that care, however, fare much better than those without.
Now a sailor may take my advice and find him or herself on a well-maintained ship. He or she will hopefully find and use the knowledge to best adjust the ship in times of outer turmoil. He or she has taken control of what they can, which is adjusting the sails, and choosing the crew. The crew is often positive, caring, and listens well to the sailor. Yes, there will still be bad weather and storms, and the sailor and crew knows these are out of their control… But hopefully things will never again get so bad that the boat flips over and into the water again.
My point being, an individual with mental illness may take my advice and find him or herself with an illness that is unfortunate, but definitely manageable, especially with good social support. He or she knows what he can and cannot control. With enough positive influence in his or her life, I believe that the risk of completely losing touch with reality and life can be significantly reduced.
