The Gates Of Creativity, That Helps Make Mental Health Consumers Survive, What "Birks House Artists" Does For For Me!

Here I am at the close of 2007 and I find myself totally dependant on McGill University Medical Services for my survival. As much as I have bashed the Hospital System for their treatment of me as a person with schizophrenia, I depend on them whole heartedly and the Hospital copes and deals with my anger as Mental Health Consumer. Yes I have bashed the Hospital system in my blog, but we both learned from the experience. I know that I am not a lone, even although I feel it a lot of the time. I love the Montreal General Hospital and the Allan Memorial Insitute, as much as they love their one and only Doctor Goober Mickeal. I took a lot of anger out on the Hospital System through my blog, but I love McGill Medical Services with my whole heart and soul, for they have stood by me through thick and thin. Even although I carry a lot of hatred for being a Mental Health Consumer, the Montreal General Hospital and the Allan Memorial

Institute does everything for me to help me deal with this complex. (Taking a break from writing about McGill Medical Services that stood by me, to help me succeed as an Artist/Writer in Psychiatry, going for a beer and shedding a tear for how the Hospital will do anything for me) So I am back writing, McGill Medical is something really special for how they stood by me. My Psychiatrist and I coped a deal, that I am to have a New Years resolution as to not take my anger out on her, she is a good Doctor that cares about me, she even bought some art off me to support the Hospital Art Group this Christmas. Yes, Mental Health Consumers can carry a lot of anger due to the stigma of Psychiatry and I often shed a tear for what I have been through in the system, battling it out being me. Over all, Doctors, Nurses, Orderlies, Research Assistants and patients, supported the Hospital Art Group by buying art off us this Christmas. It was not just me making money, it was other members of the Art Group as well and I send out a special thanks to the Hospital Staff for supporting the Hospital Art Group! I remember when a Psychiatrist one Christmas, had to have my greeting cards, for he is a very special fan of mine and my efforts to succeed as as a Mental Health Consumer in the Arts. Over all, I feel really touched by the Hospital Staff 's efforts in supporting the Art Group. The image displayed in this posting are the doors to psychiatric patients success at the Montreal General Hospital's Day Center for Mental Health Consumers. When I have nothing else and need someone to talk to late at night when I am alone, I aways have a telephone answering machine at the Day Center or with my Doctor's Research Assistant's extension phone number. Psychiatry is the hardest of all medical professions, for it is not an exact science but a guess and by gosh for treatment to deal with the mind. The Art Group at the Hospital gives me a forum for my creative outlet and gets me out of the house once a week to be stimulated my our Animatrise. The Art Group made some money this Christmas thanks to Hospital Staff being so supportive of us! As I close this posting, once again a special thanks goes out to Psychiatric Staff for coping and dealing with my anger with me being a Mental Health Consumer as the person that I am. Here is the link to the art group's website:

http://www.freewebs.com/birkshouseartists

Art Group At Montreal General Hospital, Is Having A Christmas Art Sale, To Help Raise Funds For Art Group And Putting Some Money Into Psychiatric Out Patients' Pockets

The Animatrise of the Art Group at the Hospital has organised for us out patients to have a table to sell some art for pre-Christmas. We have made Christmas cards along with some Christmas tree decorations. Some of us have some of our own art to sell as well. The Animatrise that runs the Art Group puts a lot of work and effort into our group and she wants to see some of us learn the ropes with selling art and put back into the Art Group. As host of the sale, the Animatrise will get 25% of the total sales, to put money back into the pocket of the Hospital to pay for art supplies during the semester. We only have a small group of patients in the Art Group and we do not have a whole lot of stock to sell, of course part of the problem is the Animatrise having a lack of resources and dedicated out patients to produce art for the Christmas table. Things always take time and building the Art Group has been a constant struggle for the Animatrise. At times I was the only patient she had attending Group but the numbers slowly grew in attendance as out patients became aware of the class at the Hospital. It is surprising hope much talent is actually out there in the Mental Health System and more has to be done to get these patients involved in structured art programs so that they can produce under guidance to learn what is involved in being an Artist trying to make a buck at at. Rumour around the Hospital is such that, Employees intend to supportive of the Christmas card and art sale at our table. Our Animatrise really needs some returns on host of the sale to put much needed money back into the system for art supplies for fellow patients. Last year, I gave the Animatrise about $25.00 from Christmas card sales, her 25% as curator of the table. This year I am a bit more prepared and have miniature clay mandelas along with art done in different mediums. Some of the art was done in group while some of it was done on my own at home. Hopefully we will have a good day selling our wares and the Art Group will get some money put back into it with support from Hospital Staff and the general public. Hope to see you there at the Hospital table sale, for the locals that read my blog and I thank the Hospital Staff and the Animatrise for their support throughout the year as we prepared for this occasion.