MASK It is an African
tribal expression of the paradox of joy and
sorrow Inspired by Kahlil
Gibran's writings on Joy and Sorrow The depth of my
joy/happiness is the measure of my sadness
The mask depicts the
existence of a simultaneous duality The one side is
affirming and speaks of Life, Love and Light, while the
other side belongs to Self starvation and anorexia. Self
starvation and Anorexia want me to close my eyes to life and
dis-affirms my right to live as I choose. The third eye
symbolizes INSIGHT: It means I am able to see beyond the
duality and to accept MY truth as MY RIGHT to live. The
truth is that Self starvation feeds on half-truths and
poorly disguised lies. I can accept the truth
"The truth will set me free (like prune
juice!)" The truth is I am
scared of going home from the clinic, so Self starvation
convinces me that if I eat the way it wants to, the voices
and images will remain alive..... Bulimia wants me to eat
and eat and eat as overeating is a gateway to the symptoms
of illness, e.g. self harm and voices. Anorexia/Bulimia
would isolate me from my loved ones and chain me in fear of
perfection......the nurses will not understand and inject me
with more sedatives, resulting in a longer hospital stay.
It wants me to miss my work opportunities and become an
invalid. I REFUSE TO COMPLY
WITH YOU, ANOREXIA/BULIMIA/SELF STARVATION/SELF
HARM Perfectionism expects
me to participate 100% once I am home, BUT I
won't: I choose to accept my
current reality I will not be able to
drive my car for a while I will accept
challenges at my own pace because I will still be slightly
affected by the long acting medications I have received in
the clinic I will take my
time I accept my home will
be in a bit of a mess; but I will manage it in my own way
and at my own pace I choose to be with my
husband and my children; in my own space IT IS MY RIGHT TO LIVE
IN MY OWN HOME AND TO DO MY JOB.