SHERMIN LEE

The human spirit is limitless. When you trap it in a cage, staying at home all day, or sitting in a ward in a mental hospital all week, month, year(s), what do you expect happens to the human spirit? Neglected, or not taught how to embrace, harness and channel your spirit into 'fulfilling' activities and tasks, the mental and spiritual faculties decline from lack of use, or misuse. Instead of putting your mind, body and will to good work that could potentially benefit yourself and other people, we sit staring out the window from within the confines of the mental institution's ward... The same can be said to be true of staying home, consuming entertainment media all day. We are all spiritual beings. We are capable of healing our spirit the same way a bird let loose from its cage has the option of flying away, learning how to, or to stay grounded. The choice is ours, how we want to harness and channel our living essence. We can read, research, ask for guidanc

Something happened to me today that turned my understanding of myself and my emotions on its ear. I began to understand why I'd checked myself into a mental hospital, to cry and grieve and scream and generally act like a mentally insane person. I was denied the release of my emotions (i.e. my anger, my sadness, frustration and fears) when I was under my parents' tutelage. It became apparent to me, after how they handled the situation today: instead of owning up to their emotions of sadness (which I suspect was their primary emotion, seconded by frustration, perhaps), they responded to my 3-year old daughter's tears and frustration with anger. She'd wanted to go swimming, but she wanted to go to sleep. She'd wanted to go out for a fun excursion, but she also wanted to be carried to the car. And so, in her confusion and ambivalence, she released her emotions the only way she knows how: by talking through tears and screams of loud frustration. And ho

As a child, I was touched inappropriately. After that, I repressed the memory for the rest of my life, until now. Perhaps my childhood trauma is one of the reasons why I spiraled out of control and ended up in a mental hospital, and possibly why I overeat.