Celebrating creativity

Posted Tuesday 17 April 2012

Following the publication of our updated information on personality disorders, our Information Officer, Katherine, blogs about an inspiring visit to the support organisation Emergence.

I would not have anticipated coming away from a day on personality disorders feeling taller and with a spring in my step, but that is what happened.

I was updating Mind’s booklet on personality disorders recently. While checking the details of useful contacts, I discovered that support organisation Emergence was due to have an open day. 

This seemed to be just what I needed to try and inject some energy into the booklet.

I’m so glad I went! They were very welcoming and the whole atmosphere was so positive.

The speakers, who were almost all people with mental health problems, seemed so at ease with themselves. There was none of the bleakness that is so often associated with personality disorders. 

Emergence puts quite an emphasis on the arts as therapy, and as a way to break the ice for people who find social situations challenging. That really resonated with me.

Arts therapies can be helpful in so many ways - life enhancing and confidence boosting in a way that few other therapies can match.

They talked about their ongoing research programme and their very successful training programme. They also presented prizes for an art competition and a theatre group performed a scene from a play. The day ended with music from Kayla Kavanagh. 

I went home wearing seven-league boots and I think the booklet benefited quite a lot too.

Dr Katherine Darton, Information Officer

Read our information on personality disorders and find out where to find support. 

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