MAGAZINE FOR WELLBEING
Winter/Spring Issue 55
2015
>> Wellbeing News Roundup >> Arts For All >> Stigma >> Therapy: A Personal experience >> The Three Principles >> Art, News & Reviews
ISSUE 55
Literature Special
Equilibrium Patron Dr Liz Miller Mind Champion 2008
Front cover: Kate Massey-Chase
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editorial Hello and welcome to our first issue of 2015! This time we’ve brought you a special, themed issue, borne out of a collaboration with Clarendon Recovery College’s Book Review Group. So, behold: our Literature Special! Also packed with the usual articles, reviews and art. We hope you enjoy it and would love to hear your feedback; please do tweet us @teamequilibrium. If you’d like to join the editorial team, contribute an article, some art, photos or creative writing, please do get in touch via equilibriumteam@hotmail.co.uk. Kate, Editor/Team Facilitator
disclaimer Equilibrium is produced by service users. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly forbidden without the prior permission of the Equilibrium team. Products, articles and services advertised in this publication do not necessarily carry the endorsement of Equilibrium or any of our partners. Equilibrium is published and circulated electronically four times a year to a database of subscribers; if you do not wish to receive Equilibrium or have received it by mistake, please email unsubscribe to equilibriumteam@hotmail.co.uk
the team Facilitator/ Editor: Kate Massey-Chase. Editorial team: Angela, Dev, Ian, Alan, Nigel, Paul and Richard. Graphic design: Anthony Parké.
contact us Equilibrium, Clarendon Recovery College, Clarendon Road, London, N8 ODJ. 02084894860, equilibriumteam@hotmail.co.uk. We are in the office on Friday afternoons 2.30-4.30, but you can leave a message at other times and we’ll get back to you.
contributions Wanted: contributions to Equilibrium! Please email us with your news, views, poems, photos, plus articles. Anonymity guaranteed if required.
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Arts for All
Wednesday 25th February marked 50
arts. In it, she argues that the arts must
years since Jennie Lee’s white paper:
occupy a central place in British life and
A Policy for the Arts - First Steps. Lee
be part of everyday life for children and
was the arts minister in the 1964 Labour
adults, be embedded in our educa-
government of Harold Wilson, and it was
tion system, recognised as an important
the first (and is so far the only!) white
industry, widely accessible, properly
paper that had been written on the
funded, and valued by society.
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Summer/ Issue 38
Kate Massey-Chase
So, 50 years have passed. How far
Cheerful reading. So, what shall we
have we come? Mid February saw
do? Make some noise! Make some
the publication of Warwick Commis-
art! DO SOMETHING! That was the call
sion’s report on The Future of Cultural
of Devoted and Disgruntled, spear-
Value, which - although demonstrating
headed by Stella Duffy. With a twitter
that the arts are a significant contribu-
handle #ArtsPolicy50 ready to go viral
tor to the economy - also shows that
(which, YAY, on 25/02/15 it DID!), the
arts and culture are being ‘systematically removed from the UK education system’. Under our current government, the Education Secretary, Nicky Morgan, has said that ‘Arts subjects limit career choices’; we’ve watched Arts subjects being devalued, undermined and squeezed out of the curriculum, and
mission was clear: mark the anniversary; let people know why you think it’s important; make a fuss. I think it’s important, so I celebrated, discussed and responded with two groups I was working with that week: a group of adults in recovery from various forms of addiction, who I do Creative
at the same time provision outside
Writing with at The Living Room, and a
of formal education reduced and
group of young migrant/refugee teen-
dismantled due to funding cuts (from a
agers in South London, who I do Drama
regime of austerity which consistently
with for Attic Theatre Company.
harms the younger generation). As Paul Collard, Chief Executive at Creative
With my group at The Living Room, I
Culture and Education, recently said:
decided to challenge both them and myself, and worked with them to write a
‘What is clear now is that young people,
group villanelle. A villanelle is a poetic
especially those in the less affluent
form that is supposed to be one of the
areas, are not getting any opportunities
very hardest to write, and I thought this
at all, because arts... access for young
would not only give my group a lift,
people has been swept away. And it
knowing how capable and talented
will only get worse.’
they are, once we had written one, but cont.
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cont.
would also be a nice way of demonstrating that a community group, gathered together for the purpose of recovery (rather than because they
Before they left, many of them said they had felt ‘lifted’ by the experience, that they were ‘proud’ of what they’d
had chosen to attend an arts-based
achieved, that they felt ‘lighter’, ‘invig-
class) could be damn creative, that the
orated’, that they’d had ‘fun’. Arts for all.
arts could be of value to ANY commu-
It does matter.
nity. And they did bloody well, so I’m going to let their work provide all the evidence I need....
Then on the day itself, I ran our Drama group with my colleague, Rob
Arts for All We feel as if we’re up against the wall, This generation is under duress. Art is for everyone. Art is for us all.
Lehmann, at SCOLA, with the young migrants. Many of the students have very little English, and come from all across the globe. Some have come
So we shall answer our heart’s secret call
from war-torn countries, some have
With a tight grip or with a sweet caress.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, most are
We feel as if we’re up against the wall. We know we’re got the gumption and the gall The talent, deep inside us, to impress. Art is for everyone. Art is for us all.
in foster care. All agreed the arts are a fundamental part of their lives. We we had some fun, took some photos, and celebrated the importance of the arts in
It’s not as if the order’s very tall, We’re tired of giving more and getting less.
all of their lives.
We feel as if we’re up against the wall From Cornish coast up to remote Rockall We will push for proper, fair access. Art is for everyone. Art is for us all. Inside our schools and every village hall. Fifty year’s since Jennie Lee’s address, We feel as if we’re up against the wall. Art is for everyone. Art is for us all.
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Summer/ Issue 38
Wise Words
Marco Lanzarote
Leafing through a copy of Stylist magazine I came across a selection of “Wise Words” by Caroline Corcoran and selected a few that appealed to me. The following are the ones I picked out as ones I thought might appeal to our readers:
‘Nothing is a waste of time, if you use the experience wisely.’ August Rodin ‘No-one has ever become poor by giving.’ Anne Frank ‘Life is ours to be spent not saved.’ D H Lawrence ‘You have to really believe not only in yourself; you have to believe that the world is actually worth your sacrifices.’ Zaha Hadid ‘To know what is right, and not do it, is the worst cowardice.’ Confucius ‘Give the ones you love wings to fly, roots to come back and reasons to stay.’ Dalai Lama ‘Let us forget with generosity those who cannot love us.’ Pablo Neruda ‘Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.’ Winston Churchill. ‘The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.’ E.E. Cummings ‘The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.’ Dorothy Parker
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POETRY Z O N E My Wellbeing… by Jiten Patel Well, being that my wellbeing has been
Me??
through hell, seeing
My equilibrium hasn’t calibrated,
Fires of ‘death’, and illusory rollercoasters,
nor cerebral cortex vortexed,
I, now, toast,
to a decalcified pineal gland.
With samosa’s,
That’s why I hang
In front of a log-fire roast,
with lovely dozens of tough, trojan soldiers that,
Languaging dreams with queens, of owning
to the world,
a testarosa, no-way near Novia Scotia.
shoulder criticisms, that they have never amounted to nothin’,
Knocked back?!
but, are ones that can build homes with their
Like a Witness of Jehovah.
hands!
What does it matter to you?
Exhaaaallleee… :)
-I keep coming back…
In there, there is something.
forward,
As, rainbows appears in skies after rain falls,
Like Del Boy tryna flog a dodgy motor!
my reign falls, and I return to loving…
Horses for courses, and fools are ‘dime a
…The Essence of who I Am!
dozen!’ The ignorant ones get nowhere without rushing. The wise Ones move in silence to Lifes percussion.
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Summer/ Issue 38
The Backseat by Hermione Absinthe There aside the green neon clock, The backseat of thoughts, this murky Void,
9.45, your presence revealed,
A land off-territory and carved wild in paths,
I peered into You and saw the truth, Me
An apparent nothingness, yet filled
Loitering in poor thoughts, I held the reigns.
With all there ever is, and all there ever will be. Who am I? I asked the Void Laying in a double bed, beside a neon clock
You are beyond all measure, if you choose
I stare into the Void,
Your thoughts are a Universe,
The echoes of distant Ancients, lingering,
You, the sculptor of your own existence.
Whispering hints of wonder. You, a land of eternal wealth, Void! A crushing city life conceals you: Waitings, meetings and overtimes Houses, bills and redundant petty frills.
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Summer/ Issue 38
Book Review
The Center Cannot Hold My journey through madness
by Elyn. R. Saks / Review by Michael Trifourkis
Most people associate schizophre-
her brain was her best friend but also
nia with a life of misery, isolation and
her worst enemy.
suffering. Yet as Elyn Saks narrates her journey through madness, the
Elyn Saks writes with precision and
reader becomes aware that here
passion avoiding academic or
is no ordinary person. She showed
medical jargon, making the book
that with determination, courage,
easy to read. The reader is gripped
academic discipline and a loving
by how she endured her constant
relationship that this awful illness
setbacks, due to her hatred of taking
need not be so permanently debili-
medication. Finally, she accepted
tating.
the undeniable fact that she had a mental illness and that changed
Elyn describes her terrible symp-
everything for her.
toms in great detail and with brutal honesty. Her turbulent behaviour
In a world where there is so much
and outrageous dialogue with her
stigma, Elyn continues to stress that
talk therapist Mrs. Jones stands out
“illness of any kind need not define
vividly and yet despite illness Elyn
an individual”. Her candid and
achieved a master’s degree at
brave autobiography has made her
Oxford. Later, despite psychosis, she
a celebrity and has given hope to
became a law professor after study-
fellow sufferers.
ing at Yale. She famously said that
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Artwork by John Wood
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Summer/ Issue 38
and bold to the eye, but also there’s a funky, trippy tree that pulls you out of the background and into the beauty of nature. The tree has intricacies and repetitions that remind me of my own early work, and has a wonderful attention to detail. The colour schemes in the tree, apart from the obvious greens of nature, are purples, blues and reds. But I don’t want to ignore his other beautifully put together mixture of still Art Review: I have started reassess-
life and nature, trees and rodents,
ing how I look at art recently, due to
farm houses, dark and bright horses
my own ongoing projects, both short
grazing, rivers and men fishing, and
and long term. Now I must say right
one picture of a flower in a vase,
at the offset, I started in scenic art,
that springs to life with a multitude
as a young boy and then teenager,
of soothing, gelling colours: blues,
and so when I turned up to write my
greys and browns, yellows, greens
second piece for Equilibrium, I was
and reds, and purple.
delighted to be focusing on the art work of an artist named John Wood.
In my opinion, John’s art is a breath of fresh air. Please continue!
The first picture that screams out at me is a joy to look at because the
Richard Honan (a.k.a. mohecan,
background is covered in the verti-
raphecan, touché, punt, lsd, kudos,
cal and horizontal lines of a build-
cara2che)
ing, but in the brightest of colours, lifting the colour scheme to a daring dimension that I feel is very feminine
www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium
EQUILIBRIUM
THE THREE PRINCIPLES
Nigel Prestatyn
principles are interconnected. But it is the thought principle which has really been my gateway into these ideas. By ‘principles’, Pransky is referring to something which is an indisputable fact about our human nature. Much like the theory of gravity, it is an undisputable fact of our existence. The three principles are therefore not questionable, but simply how lfe is.
Now rather than hijack the book paragraph by paragraph, likely One may call it serendipity, but at a
bemusing myself and you the reader
recent gathering I struck up a conver-
in the process, I will tell it how I see it.
sation with an woman who coaches
Thought! We think. Of course we
individuals who want to reach life
do. But this might seem a little differ-
goals. Apart from the fantastic
ent when we begin to recognise that
conversation we had, she left me
our entire reality is made up of our
with a great recommendation, which
thoughts. We generally think that the
came in the form of a book called
outside world happens to us, and
Somebody Should Have Told Us,
effects us, and we then feel a certain
about the ‘three principles’.
way. For example, the weather may be bad, therefore I feel low; the crazy
Now the three principles are Mind,
car driver cut me up, therefore I feel
Consciousness & Thought, and these
angry; I was fired unreasonably from
Photo: Anthony
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Summer/ Issue 38
my job, so I feel depressed; my
is making me feel angry, NOT the
addiction to drugs has hounded me
errant car driver.
all my life, therefore I am filled with
Yes, I was fired unreasonably from
guilt and shame.
my job, therefore I feel depressed – But note: It’s my own thinking which
This can be said to be an outside-
is making me feel depressed, NOT
inside world. What happens on the
being fired.
outside, effects us in the inside. The three principles rather sees our
Yes, my addiction to drugs has
experience as an inside-outside
hounded me all my life, I am filled
experience, not as an outside-
with guilt and shame – But note: It’s
inside experience. Therefore what
my own thinking which is making
happens on the inside creates our
me feel the guilt and shame, NOT
experience.
the drugs.
So what does this mean in concrete
So you may say, of course I feel
terms? Well, let’s take the above
angry, the driver cut me up, what
examples and review them in light
else am I suppose to think? Well,
of the Principles. In an inside-outside
actually, there are any number of
world, yes, the weather may be
ways of thinking about this event.
bad, and yes, I may be feeling low –
And it is down to you, which way
But note: It’s my own thinking which
you choose to think about the
is making me feel bad, NOT the
event. Let’s say the Dalai Lama was
weather. Yes, the crazy car driver
driving the car, and he was cut up,
cut me up, and yes, I feel angry –
would he feel angry? Well likely he
But note: It’s my own thinking which
would feel something completely
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EQUILIBRIUM EQUILIBRIUM 15
different. He may choose to feel
thinking negative thoughts. Well, yes
happy, or he may regard the other
you have. Why? Because there can
driver as a novice and so understand
be no feeling without a thought first
it; he may pity the driver as someone
generating it.
unable to control his emotions, etc. We are, what we think. Our thinking In fact there are thousands of ways
creates our experience of the world.
of thinking about these event, or
So this is a revelation. If you can see
any other event which happens out
it. Not everyone can. It may take
there. How we choose to filter this
time. If we know that our thinking can
information, by our thinking about it
create a negative experience of the
in certain ways, determines how we
world for us, we can also know that
feel.
by choosing to think good thoughts, we can create a fantastic experi-
Underpinning every negative feel-
ence of the world for ourselves!
ing is a negative thought. There can be no feeling, which doesn’t have a
Well, that’s the book and its basic
thought hidden beneath it. The way
theory. How does this translate into
we think, determines how we feel.
realtime? I guess that’s for you to
Therefore, if we are feeling nega-
discover - or not.
tive, we can be sure that there are negative thoughts lingering behind the feeling. Sometimes our thoughts happen so quickly, we aren’t even aware that they’ve happened. Why am I feeling this way? I haven’t been
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Summer/ Issue 38
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Summer/ Issue 38
Book Review
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl (1929-1945) Review by Maura Sartori
The book is about a young Jewish girl whose diary of her time hiding from the Nazis entranced the world. Anne and her family were forced to leave home, when the situation in Germany had become intolerable, and they fled to Amsterdam when Hitler came to power. It was a happy time for Anne at the start; she loved her school and her home life on the Merwedeplein. But the outbreak of World War II in 1939 and Hitler’s invasion of Holland in 1940 forced Anne and her family to go into hiding in a Secret Annexe. Sadly they were betrayed and were sent to the concentration camps, were Annie died on an illness. I thought that Anne Frank and her family were very brave and that her father was right to publish her diary, for she was a very good writer.
Anne Frank – inspirational quotes: ‘Who would ever think that so much
misery and death.’
went on in the soul of a young girl?’
‘Everyone has inside of him a piece
‘Whoever is happy will make others
of good news. The good news is that
happy too’
you don’t know how great you can
‘How wonderful it is that nobody need
be! How much you can love! What
wait a single moment before starting
you can accomplish! And what your
to improve the world.’
potential is!’
‘We all live with the objective of being
‘The final forming of a person’s char-
happy; our lives are all different and
acter lies in their own hands.’
yet the same.’
‘No one has ever become poor by
‘In spite of everything I still believe
giving.’
that people are really good at heart.
‘I must uphold my ideals, for perhaps
I simply can’t build up my hopes on
the time will come when I shall be
a foundation consisting of confusion,
able to carry them out.’
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Theatre Review by Kate Massey-Chase
Skin Like Butter by Leah Cowan
The Etcetera Theatre, Camden
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Summer/ Issue 38
The Thelmas’ mission statement reads:
intense and energetic performance as the lead character, Jerome. Cowan’s
As a result of the gender imbalance in
writing is poetic and biting, and this
British theatre, The Thelmas are taking
play presents a well-drawn collec-
matters into their own hands, promot-
tion of characters, from the comedy
ing and supporting rising female talent.
double-act of hopeless immigration
They are passionate about seeing
officers, to an infuriating woman in
more work commissioned that is writ-
the Home Office, to Jerome’s fiercely
ten by women, for women, and their
independent, itinerant girlfriend.
work reflects this. This play raises important questions, Thus they have brought to the stage an excellent new play by Leah Cowan, Skin Like Butter, which details the story of a young man trying to seek refuge in the UK. The stories and characters in the play were all developed from first-
not just about the stories that we tell about ourselves, but also how we tell them. In Skin Like Butter, Jerome is increasingly encouraged to ‘play the system’, despite his protestations
hand accounts, lending an authentic-
that ‘this isn’t a game’. Without ever
ity to the piece, which carefully navi-
preaching or presenting easy answers,
gated the terrain between harrowing
Cowan poses multiple questions about
detail, personal narrative and political
the systems in our society, and not
comment, with a refreshing dose of
only how we respond to those in need,
humour, prudently used.
but also how we attempt control the
Clever and sensitive direction from
narratives of those dilemmas.
Madelaine Moore, brought the script to life, and John Omole gave an
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Stigma
by Dev
Summer/ Issue 38
Wikipedia describes it as: “the extreme
you when it comes to making decisions.
disapproval of (or discontent with) a person or group on socially characteristic
This is all very well and good to mention,
grounds that are perceived, and serve
but there is also another important form
to distinguish them, from other members
of stigma called ‘self stigma’. Person-
of a society. Stigma may then be affixed
ally, I think this causes more damage to
to such a person, by the greater society,
a person with mental health problem, on
who differs from their cultural norms.” To
top of their existing problems. A Stigma
put it into simpler terms, it is when people
Shout survey that was carried out showed
or society disapproves of you or your
that almost nine out of ten people with
behaviour on the grounds that it is differ-
mental health problems (87%) reported
ent from the norm.
the negative impact of stigma and discrimination on their lives (source: Time
Stigma can be found anywhere – in the
to Change).
office, at home, with friends, in public places. When it comes to mental health,
At the end of February 2013, the Mental
it seems that there is a lack of knowl-
Health Discrimination Act became law.
edge when it comes to this area. Time to
The Act repeals or amends three laws that
Change is a charity trying to combat this
have previously prevented people with
stigma, and their website mentions that
experience of mental health problems
“the research also showed that the way
from taking, or continuing to hold, public
family, friends, neighbors and colleagues
office. This makes it easier people with
behave can have a big impact on the
mental health problems to bring in some
lives of people with mental health prob-
positive changes within the government.
lems.” In some cases, it causes negative
Challenging stigma can have a positive
reprisals from friends, family and people
effect, as it means the person who you
you may work with, not to mention the
are explaining what you are really like
public. People may find it difficult to
to, beyond the label that they may have
speak to you; they might leave you alone
given you, will become more informed
or leave you out to one side, speak down
and hopefully treat you and others better
to you as if you were a child, or just leave
in the future.
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Folie a Deux: An experience of one-to-one therapy (Or the Pitfalls of Transference)
Mickey Christian
This is an account by Rosie Alexan-
Many of us have entered into psychother-
der, a British woman, of her difficult and
apy treatments; or have thought about it;
traumatic journey through a course of
or are involved in one right now. Whatever
psychotherapy in Paris. This was where
the dilemma, it’s always a rocky road; we
she lived and worked at the time. Pursuing
can only hope or pray for a reasonably
a goal to become ‘more self-confident,
contented outcome at the end of it, out of
assertive, less anxious and guilt-ridden’,
the tunnel.
she at first tried various therapists of mixed ability or competence. Finally she settled
Writing with clarity and precision, Ms.
on one, Luc, and there her travails began.
Alexander describes her imperceptibly
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Summer/ Issue 38
swift descent into unbearable depend-
for this debacle. As with many practi-
ence, obsession and unrequited lust
tioners of his trade, he remained rigidly
for this man. This was exacerbated by
attached to his own particular ideol-
their having to meet at his home for the
ogy and doctrine. The treatment must
sessions, as he has no separate facili-
be correct, even if the patient suffers an
ties. Inevitably she picks up on traces
ocean of pain in the cause of personal
and signs of his private life there. These
enlightenment. Often casual or cava-
include glimpses into his bathroom
lier in his attitude and behaviour, he
and bedroom, etc. and then of course
neglected to alter or monitor the ever-
his current girlfriend in person. This
fading boundaries between himself and
propels her further into a vortex of jeal-
his client.
ously, rage, frustrated sexual desire and despair.
This book is informative, revealing, often amusing and frequently very explicit
The hapless author had fallen into a
in its narrative. Ms Alexander’s written
massive and helpless state of erotic
English is flawless and immaculately
transference for the therapist. However
eloquent. One wonders, though, how
tempting it may be to think Ms. Alexan-
natural her spoken French was, and
der as possibly too critical and analyti-
whether she may have fared better
cal for her own good, she didn’t deserve
back home with a British therapist. Many
this. An emotional car-crash. Despite
people do benefit psychotherapy, but
only having her version of events, it is
evidently an unknown number become
abundantly clear that the therapist Luc
the casualties of therapy.
bears his own measure of responsibility
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C’mon Baby Light My… Livingroom!
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Nigel Prestatyn
Looking out of our front room window, I
Granted, not everyone is as fortunate to
have to remind myself each and every
have such a skyline. But then not every-
day that I am truly blessed. A hazy,
one would want to live on the 8th floor of
indistinct horizon extends for miles, dare
a tiny apartment in a block of flats either.
I hazard a guess and say 2-300 hundred
But the importance of light in one’s living
miles? It’s almost impossible to tell in
space cannot be over estimated. Even
fact, as it changes by the clarity (or not)
the smallest window spaces can emit a
of the sky each day. This expanse of sky,
wonderful spirit-enhancing light. But it’s
this blanket of light, really does make up
all too easy to forget. Quite soon these
for the horrendously small living space
light portals (a fancy name for windows)
our family has to contend with. But the
become overgrown with the weeds of
outside, brings its own space into our
home living: curtains, flowerpots, photof-
living environment.
rames, bits of furniture, all clogging up this opportunity for essential light. Given
Let’s be clear, there is no room to swing
that we spend an inordinate amount of
a cat where we live, no room for an
time in buildings, and particularly with
extra set of drawers, no room for an
the advent of home offices, it seems
additional sofa, no room for a spare
evermore important to receive those
toaster! But what a skyline can do is give
much needed D vitamin light rays.
an incredible ‘sense’ of space to one’s living environment.
We can all feel a little low in the winter cont.
EQUILIBRIUM 27
months, darkness coming at 4-5 in
So before logging on to your Ebay
the evening, also darkness in parts
account and considering the latest
of our journey to work. But oh how
state of the art SAD lamp, I would
we need our light. Imagine a poor
suggest looking a little closer to
plant kept in a darkened cupboard.
home. When was the last time you
How could it possibly be expected
washed your windows? Grime can
to thrive? It would become limp and
build up, eventually suppressing light.
listless in no time, eventually meeting
Also grimy curtains can suppress light
its demise. We are no different.
coming in! Windows should be sparkling clean, free from obstructions,
Now we have SAD lamps. But these
and preferable close to one’s seat-
are poor substitutes in my opinion
ing, or office desk. Yes, I am begin-
for the real thing. Granted they can
ning to sound like that lady from the
fill in the gaps when there is no other
TV who goes around people’s houses
opportunity. SAD (Seasonal Effective
giving unwanted cleaning advice.
Disorder) is thought to be caused by
Anyway, rather than buy a SAD
lack of the neurotransmitter serot-
lamp, maybe begin with Mr Sheen,
onin due to decreasing daylight and
or perhaps a new set of curtains – or
dropping temperatures. Light treat-
preferable none at all. Consider the
ment, where the patient is exposed
layout of your living space, look for
to a special lamp for a certain
the optimum method for getting light
amount of hours per day for two
into your home, and soak up those
weeks, is effective in some cases. But
feelgood rays.
I think a good window can work just as well.
EQUILIBRIUM 28
BOOK REVIEW: A View from the Bridge, Arthur Miller John Dawson ‘A View from
work. The story continues to unfold when
the Bridge’ is a
Beatrice announces that her two cous-
play by Arthur
ins, brothers Marco and Rodolpho, have
Miller and was
arrived safely in New York but as illegal
first staged in
immigrants.
America in 1955. The story is set in
The story takes another twist as Rodol-
an Italian Ameri-
pho and Catherine start dating, much
can neighbour-
to Eddie’s dislike. Both men start to have
hood, the small
different ideas about which way their
Brooklyn community of Red Hook, near
lives will go. Eddie, due to his protective
Brooklyn Bridge, back in 1950’s New York.
nature, has worries that Rodolpho, with his
The story itself is somewhat of a tragedy.
talent in singing and acting, is planning
Arthur Miller attempts to show what life
to marry his niece so that he can gain
was like in the docks of Brooklyn, focusing
citizenship. This leads him to send them
on the life of a family who live there.
to live in the flat above with other illegal immigrants. Eddie goes on to take some
The book starts of with a couple: Eddie
big steps that lead to a tragic end.
Carbone and his wife Beatrice, and their
I remember the book of this play years
niece, Catherine. Eddie, the main char-
ago for an assignment. The book and its
acter, works as a poor longshoreman in
storyline has remained one of my favour-
the docks of Brooklyn. Catherine is learn-
ite books. The Arthur Miller makes a very
ing to be a stenographer (someone who
good job of the story and you find yourself
types what people say). Catherine, being
entangled in the lives of the characters.
an Independent Woman, decides against Eddie’s wishes to quit studying and start
EQUILIBRIUM 28
EQUILIBRIUM EQUILIBRIUM 29
Summer/ Issue 38
Book Review
Foundation by Isaac Asimov /
Review by Michael Trifourkis
Foundation is the first part of a clas-
intended, it is clear and to the point.
sic trilogy written by Isaac Asimov.
The novel has no female charac-
A great mathematician, Hari Seldon,
ters and is therefore uncluttered by
an expert in psychohistory, predicts
romantic relationships.
that the vast Julactic Empire, consisting of a million worlds will collapse
The characters are unpretentious
into barbarism. He sets up a founda-
with nothing martial about them.
tion to preserve as much knowledge
Results are achieved peacefully
as possible to shorten the coming
when a predicted crisis occurs, as
Dark Age.
Mayor Salvor Hardin says: “Violence is the last refuge of the
However, there is an ulterior motive
incompetent�.
for setting up the Foundation. Psychohistorical solutions can only
There are many twists and turns to
be achieved if the participants are
the plot that makes this timeless
ignorant of the overall plan.
novel a compelling and exciting read. The foundation trilogy, with
Some critics have said that the plot
Foundation and Empire, and Second
develops only in conversation and
Foundation, is for me, prophetic
there is very little action or descrip-
science fiction at its very best.
tive colour and the dialogue is at best functional. Also, the style of writing is unpoetical but as Asimov
www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium
EQUILIBRIUM EQUILIBRIUM 30
Liver for Life
implies she doesn’t think they’ll ever be normal again, I thought, despairing.
There were only two options for
me. One: Give up on life, continue to drink thirty units a day, die like George Best. Two: Recover, embrace life and try to achieve my potential, albeit with a clapped-out vital organ. After some deliberation, I decided on the latter. “This is your final wake-up call,” sang an “Drink does damage you can’t see.” These words, from a government-issued health warning, echoed around my skull as I trudged out of the doctor’s surgery.
Drink does damage you can’t see.
It’s true, you know. On the outside, I didn’t look too bad; my skin wasn’t yellow or shrivelled. Inside, however, one of my major organs was in a sorry state. My liver was inflamed, and certain enzyme levels were six times too high.
“Some parts can recover,” my GP
had said. “But for other parts, unfortunately, the damage will have been done. You need to cut out alcohol, and try to bring those enzyme levels to as close to normal as possible.”
“As close to normal as possible”
EQUILIBRIUM EQUILIBRIUM 31
inner voice, “so answer it, because there won’t be another one after this.”
As was usual for after a bender,
I’d been “weaning off” alcohol by drinking beer instead of spirits, decreasing the amount by one unit each day. I’d drunk a pint of lager that morning to get me out of bed, and I could have drunk more upon my return from the surgery. But by some miracle, I chose not to. I was panicking about my liver.
Once home, I Googled “foods
good for liver” and made lists entitled Eat and Don’t Eat. One doesn’t need a degree in Nutrition to create a liverfriendly diet, just a bit of common sense. My Eat list basically comprised fruit, veg and salad, with a few types of nut; my
Summer/ Issue 38
Lando Hilton
Don’t Eats were anything fatty or salty.
before, practically making arrange-
I cut out cheese, crisps and ice-cream.
ments for my own funeral! I felt relieved,
I replaced pork products with Quorn
but I couldn’t get complacent. See,
equivalents, and swapped semi-
after fatty liver disease (which is prob-
skimmed milk for skimmed. I also intro-
ably what I had), the next step toward
duced a daily concoction of vitamins.
the demise of this vital organ is hepati-
This included Milk Thistle tablets, which
tis. After hepatitis comes cirrhosis. And if
are known to benefit the liver.
a liver becomes cirrhotic, then it really
Getting back into a regular, diurnal
is time to make funeral arrangements.
sleep pattern took almost a week
I’ve seen pictures of cirrhotic livers.
and required Zopiclone. Once that
Compared to the healthy liver, which
was sorted, I started going to the gym
is smooth and pink, the cirrhotic liver is
again. (Alcohol had sent my exercise
dark brown, shrunken and wrinkled, like
habits out of the window, along with my
something from a coral reef.
sanity.)
wake-up call. I’ve had plenty of
Five weeks of this monkish life-
I still treat this as my final
style later, I had my GP on the phone to
other warnings in the past, which I
discuss the latest blood test and ultra-
ignored. There have been times when
sound.
I drenched a laptop in Newcastle
Brown Ale, melted a microwave, and of
“Well, I don’t know what you’ve
been doing,” she said, “but you’ve
course, lost friends.
reversed a lot of the damage. Your
enzyme levels are back to what they
waves can be purchased, and new
should be, and your liver is a normal
friends can be made. But you only
size. There’s some evidence of fatty
get one liver. And unless you’re lucky
infiltration, though. You’ll need to keep
enough to receive a successful trans-
eating well and exercising, to make
plant, this one liver cannot be replaced.
sure that doesn’t get any worse.”
So that is why I am still taking great care
of mine.
And there was me, a few weeks
www.haringey.gov.uk/equilibrium
Replacement laptops and micro-
EQUILIBRIUM EQUILIBRIUM 32