“Shame dies when stories are told in safe spaces.” – Ann Voskamp
After three years, I have arrived at my final year of graduate school at MSU Denver. This process has been arduous and overwhelming at times, but overall, it has been the most transformative and meaningful experience in my life thus far. Being a final year graduate student means I must complete a yearlong internship that promotes me to take what I have learned in the classroom over the last three years and use it in a real and supported learning environment. I spent the last five years working in substance abuse treatment. Within that work, I was often confronted with this truth – I cannot fully treat substance use without addressing mental health issues as well. This gap in my clinical and experiential wheelhouse led me to Karis Community. Severe mental illness was a blind spot in my clinical experience, and I knew I wanted to immerse myself in the therapeutic work offered at Karis. I have now interned for almost three months, and the work has greatly impacted me. I am in the Community, working with some of the most brilliant, resilient, and purpose-driven folks I have had the pleasure of meeting. One of the things I am most passionate about is increasing knowledge and decreasing the stigma around substance abuse and mental illness. I believe the ideas below can be a catalyst for that work. They confront some common misconceptions and are advocacy points within social work, mental health, and substance use treatment. I hope these cause a deeper reflection within you and serve as a shift in narrative around these issues.
1. Healing is best accomplished within a community.
One of the enduring themes I have heard through my work in substance abuse treatment, and now at Karis, is how isolated individuals have felt. Many times, this isolation led to symptoms appearing or increasing in severity and frequency. We, as humans, are made for community. We are made to be in relationships and thrive when we feel connected to others. Social work teaches us that environment matters and that we become a product of our backgrounds in many ways. So, if this is true, it means we can also heal and recover if we are provided with an environment that fosters connection, presents opportunities for self-reflection and growth, and meets individuals with empathy, compassion, and understanding. This concept has been the most meaningful thing for me to witness and be a part of at Karis. I see clearly how relationships are the channel; relationships are the lab in which healing can occur. Healthy and adaptive behaviors, thoughts, and emotions can be modeled, mirrored, and validated in experiential ways that are integrated more fully over the long term. Many of the traumas experienced by Community Members occurred within relationships, indicating that healing must take place there as well. Author Ann Voskamp states that “Shame dies when stories are told in safe places.” This truth is something I witness each day at Karis.
2. Community Members are more than their diagnoses.
There is so much stigma around mental illness. What we find online, watch on TV, or read on social media impacts how we see or perceive mental illness and those who are affected by it. These fears, opinions, and biases disconnect us, create labels that separate us, keep people “othered,” and maintain us at arms distance. This disconnection further perpetuates the shame and isolation many of those navigating mental illness already experience. Many people not personally impacted by mental health or substance use disorders have an underlying assumption that those who struggle with these issues are inherently flawed or do not want to change, heal, or recover. At Karis, I have witnessed that Community Members are inclined toward actualization and growth. They possess an enormous potential and have the capacity to overcome adversity in many forms. We cannot fix or rescue individuals but simply come alongside the person’s desire for growth and change while providing empathy, understanding, and non-judgment, holding a safe space for them to grow and heal. The capacity, potential, drive, and desire are there. It is crucial as clinicians, family members, friends, partners, and community members, to explore, address, and challenge our biases, beliefs, and opinions. They influence how we show up and provide support. The way to truly challenge these underlying beliefs and ideas is to spend time with and hold space for those different from us, who may live or present themselves differently. When we are brave and intentional about challenging and dismantling our fears and biases, we soon discover, those who struggle with mental illness are not their diagnosis. They are not their trauma or substance use. They are simply human, trying to navigate a sometimes dark and scary world.
I am honored to be here at Karis, in a community with residents as they navigate their growth and healing journey. It has truly increased my level of empathy, understanding, and compassion for those struggling with serious and persistent mental illness. In this, I encourage all of us to step out of our comfort zone, challenge our limiting beliefs and stereotypes, and lean in – building bridges of connection through relationship, knowledge, and compassion. This very act of leaning in will go a long way and could be a catalyst to healing for those struggling and reduce the stigma that profoundly impacts this population.
If you are interested in learning more about mental health advocacy and how your can get involved, click the links below:
By Sicily, Karis Community Coordinator Intern