What's Helping Today?

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I think that one of the things that really stands out to me about your journalism and work is how you reject a very common framework, which is that this is something that happens to those people over there. But you have also spent a lot of attention and time thinking about the less dramatic practices that we can all do to take care of our mind. So when you think about taking care of your own mind, what is helping you today? I played piano and sang before we started this recording, which definitely helped me burn off some energy, sang a little under pressure, Freddy of Bowie.

It feels like talking about mental health, in our workplaces, homes and schools, is not as unusual – or as risky – as it may have been until very recently. But what do we really mean when we talk about de-stigmatizing mental health – and what gets left out of the public conversation? Sandy Allen is a writer, mental health advocate, and the author of the book “A Kind of Mirraculas Paradise: A True Story About Schizophrenia”. In this episode, Sandy speaks about the experience of writing a memoir about his uncle who lived with schizophrenia and what the process showed him about the diversity of the human mind and experience. Sandy then shares how he thinks and rethinks what “mental health” means, and imagines some of the ways we could begin to restructure society so everyone’s spirits and minds have access to equitable and dignified care. For the full text transcript, visit go.ted.com/BHTranscripts