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Headcase: LGBTQ
Writers and Artists on Mental Health and Wellness,
edited by Stephanie Schroeder and Teresa Theophano
c.2019, Oxford University Press
$29.95 / $36.95 Canada
287 pages
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Truth Contributor
You had a flu shot this year.
You watch your cholesterol, eat better, stay active, and
brush twice a day. So why do you feel so rotten? In
Headcase, edited by Stephanie Schroeder and Teresa
Theophano, you’ll see that taking care of your mind is
as essential as taking care of your body.
If someone on the street saw you today, he might think you
were at the peak of health.
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He can’t see what’s inside, though.
“Real or perceived minority status and… disenfranchisement
make us vulnerable to being labeled as sick,” say Schroeder
and Theophano. In other words, living as a member of the
LGBTQ community may affect your mental health. Furthermore,
Christian Huygen, one of the contributors to this book,
says, “Research shows that, while LGBTQ people seek mental
healthcare more often than our non-LGBTQ counterparts, we
are more likely to leave care prematurely…”
Today, therapy is easier to get, if you feel hopeless or
empty but not all practitioners understand LGBTQ health
issues. Mainstream healthcare has only relatively recently
decided that homosexuality was not a disease in need of a
“cure.” Too many healthcare practitioners don’t understand
that insurance is sometimes iffy. Never mind those
who believe “conversion therapy” is the right “fix.”
Have we evolved, when it comes to mental wellness for the
LGBTQ community? You might think so, after reading the
chapters here: of a lesbian who received comfort from a
therapist when her long-time friend wouldn’t stop bringing
religion up. Of veterans who no longer have to conceal their
sexuality. On fitting in with the local Mom’s Group when
you’re the only “queer” mother and, by the way, you’ve
already conquered postpartum depression. On being a lesbian
daughter of a lesbian mother who was hospitalized against
her will decades ago, only because she dared love another
woman.
“Mental illness can be scary for anyone,” says writer Lance
Hicks. “… you choose between asking for help, knowing you’re
being judged, or suffering alone.”
That latter option doesn’t sound like so much of an option,
does it? No, and Headcase, a title that comes from
“reclamation” of a negative word, takes a real-life look at
the first parts of Hicks’s sentiments: mental health, mental
help, and the history of it all within the LGBTQ community.
What you’ll learn won’t come easy, though.
There are several distinct kinds of chapters inside
Headcase, some easier to read than others. Readers will
find arty things, poetry and drawings here. There are
mini-memoirs of relevance. You’ll find short stories, too,
many of which have a disjointed feel, as though you just
wandered into a half-conversation. There are chapters that
are plainly meant for physicians, which might not appeal to
laypersons. And you’ll find history in this book, some of
which – fair warning – will chill you.
Overall, Headcase could offer comfort but it’s not a
substitute for a doctor. It’s got subtle advice, but it’s
not a therapist. It’s not even a good stand-in for a
sympathetic friend but if you need direction, it’s worth a
shot.
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