Saturday, December 12, 2015

What's In Your Dirty Sock Drawer?



Paramedic Rob Gladney - " Sock Drawer Portraits"Artist - Teresa Coulter


The relationship between art and mental health issues have long been very important to me, being an artist and someone who has been affected by friends, family and the troubled youth I worked with as a youth Care worker for 20 years, and watched them suffer from PTSD and mental health issues.


Today I listened to White Coat Black Art on CBC Radio with Dr. Brian Goldman, which I regularly do. His program is so insightful, and refreshingly honest, that gives an inside look at the medical profession, and all that it entails. Myths surrounding physicians and the world of medicine are dispelled and he shines a light on the darker and often troubling side of the medical profession. It's a wonderful show that I never miss listening to.

There are many positive and significant aspects of Dr. Goldman's show, and today was no different, but it was a stellar program. Although he has had a few programs about Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome, today's particular show entitled Sock Drawer Stories was exceptional, and really caught my interest because it was about art, PTSD, hope and healing.

Artist and Emergency Service Worker Teresa Coulter created 12 powerful portraits of her fellow paramedics which are intimately and powerfully moving. 

2 comments:

thesycamoretree said...

Thank you for sharing this Catherine; I hear often about PTSD in soldiers and those who've gone through a traumatic experience, but not so much about paramedics and others who are there to help. Great analogy the first fellow had about the sock drawer. And what a great tool art was for healing some of that hidden pain.

Unknown said...

I'm happy to be able to pass this info along Bev. The more mainstream media talks about this serious issue, the more the problem will hopefully be addressed.

The other day I heard an item about the high incidence of suicide among doctors( residents and interns) because of PTSD as no one prepares them for what's ahead.

It is more common than we know. Well all have a few dirty sock drawers I'm sure!

Thanks Bev for your great comment.