Always. Already. Enough: Flipping the Switch on Mental Illness

Always. Already. Enough: Flipping the Switch on Mental Illness

To help raise awareness about mental health, the nonprofit organization Fluvanna County Arts Council presented “Always. Already. Enough: Flipping the Switch on Mental Illness” on May 6, 2023, at the Carysbrook Performing Arts Center in the small rural community of Fork Union, Virginia.

This storytelling event harnessed the power in sharing stories of lived experience with mental illness, as well as provided compelling testimony to the recovery process. During the program, six storytellers shared their mental health and wellness journeys through monologues, music, poetry and visual art.

The purpose of the program was to help reduce the stigma around mental illness and encourage both individual and collective wellness in the surrounding rural community. In addition, the Fluvanna County Arts Council aimed to offer hope and motivate healing for people struggling with mental health challenges, letting them know that they are not alone and recovery is possible.

The event also provided an opportunity for Rural Minds to collaborate with the Fluvanna Arts Council by providing them with mental health information and resources to share with rural community members. These resources included Rural Minds’ Rural Mental Health Crisis Fact Sheet, Suicide Prevention Educational PDF and Suicide Prevention Flyer, which were printed and handed out at the performance.

Watch “Always. Already. Enough: Flipping the Script on Mental Illness” below.

Do you have a personal mental health journey that you would like to share? Click here to learn more about topic ideas and guidelines for sharing your lived experience in a Rural Minds blog.