Lexie Manion
Plus size fashion, body positive
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⋆ Mental Health Advocate ⋆ Future Art Therapist ⋆ Founder of #BoycottTheBefore
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In this blog post, Lexie Manion, mental health advocate and future art therapist, and Emma Demar, LMSW, therapist on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, share some of the coping strategies they’ve been utilizing to help get through these uncertain times. I’ve found on social media and just in my personal life that many people are feeling like they “should “ be doing certain things or feeling a certain way. As a future art therapist and someone who loves art, I love telling people that yes, you can do art; anyone can be good at art. Whether you are a therapist, a future therapist, or know nothing about therapy or mental health, this time is incredibly challenging and we all need coping strategies to get through it!
I think if people don’t know the full story or realize there is a much deeper root, it can easily be misunderstood and seen as a threat, instead of a human emotion that requires love, kindness and attention. Of course we want to remain calm in situations it is called for and of course we want to be sure we are coping effectively when we feel anger coming on, but it is also natural; anger is a valid emotion and part of the human experience. We all know those tropes of how a man can be viewed as “powerful” or “taking control” for expressing anger, while a woman doing the same can be viewed as “overly emotional” or “crazy”, so I appreciated that Taylor addressed anger in an honest way because it makes me feel like I can talk about mine, too. I think in a way you can separate them out; violence is wrong, while expressing anger can be scary for ourselves and others, but safely expressing anger is very important for all people to find.
I haven’t posted on here in a month but I’ve still been creating. I wanted to share this poem and sketch that are close to my heart right now. 🌄
“When they distinguish your name It may extinguish your flame So trade those ashes for a crown” - Cage On The Ground by Flyleaf
It’s true.
There were a few years of my life as a teenager where I craved validation and support, and would act out or sometimes ask for it directly, but I would almost always pull back and then act like I didn’t need it. It wasn’t that I didn’t need it, because as a human being and someone struggling with mental illness, I did. I strongly felt I didn’t deserve to feel better back then. I was really my own worst enemy. It took many hurdles and time to feel like I deserve to feel better now. We may view validation as needing attention, which carries negative connotations. “Attention-seeker”. “Selfish”. “Crazy”. But I think validation is actually a beautiful thing. It’s so innately human. And I think needing attention should be seen as the human need it is rather than some unknown selfish act. It can be known in a different light if you allow it to be. With this platform, I receive a lot of validation. Some may think it’s “too much” or that it is somehow wrong. With support on and off the screen, I take the pieces I need. I’m appreciative of it. I believe it’s vital every human being receives support, validation and attention; it’s how we heal. While some may view it negatively, I’ve found it’s one of my ways to healing. Perhaps this time now I receive support is here to make up for the years I refused to let it into my heart. That amount of pain and distress doesn’t just go away, but I think it can heal with time and validation. Seeing and acknowledging someone else’s pain are two very different things. I hope we all choose to acknowledge more, rather than look the other way, maybe hoping someone else will say something or telling ourselves that they’ll be fine. They likely need validation just like you do. We all want to know we are loved. We all want to know we did good. Regardless of struggle, validation is important. It’s an important part of relationships and being there for others. It reminds us we are not alone. The healing reaches places in our hearts we weren’t even aware were thirsty for it. #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #validation #arttherapy
I wrote this blog post about a song I discovered last week that already means a lot to me! I have so many songs I could explore in relating to mental illness or my life so I may share more in the future! (Link in my bio.) #mentalhealth #bipolardisorder #mentalillness #mentalhealthawareness #austinfrench
This first verse of “Freedom Hymn” resonates with the time I was experiencing manic episodes last year. This is my freedom hymn, my freedom hymn” It’s lyrics I’ve wanted to caption along with a photo of myself on Instagram ever since I discovered this song, but I actually wanted to explore the lyrics a bit more and explain how much it means to me. The chorus fits in my life when I discharged the hospital to the time I started feeling better taking medications and going to therapy for Bipolar Disorder. I know now that while not every person will forgive me for past mistakes or how I acted during manic episodes, I’ve done the most powerful thing: I have forgiven myself.
In my last blog post where I opened up about being diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder, I discussed how I often have to be kind to myself when I recall how I behaved when I was in manic episodes, which can cause shame and embarrassment. I wrote this letter in case I struggle with that again one day, and also to validate and comfort my past self. I wanted to share because I think it’s a good activity and could also be beneficial to have handy in a “coping skills box” to anyone who struggles with mental illness. (Link in my bio.) #bipolardisoder #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealth #blog #copingskills #dbt
For anyone who may write a letter like this to themselves the next time they may be unwell, I recommend putting your letter in a “crisis box” or “coping skills box I put my letter in my coping skills box, which has squishy toys, grounding stones, my supports phone numbers, a list of coping skills, DBT skills, a notebook and pen, and a glitter calming jar. You have Bipolar Disorder and while you are being treated for it and have felt better for some time now, you may be experiencing a manic episode right now. You may be feeling like you’re crawling out of your skin; you will feel better soon.
Last week The Mighty published my article about the importance of sharing our mental health stories, which I wrote following my recent blog post about my recovery from Bipolar Disorder. I wanted to wait until this week to share it because last week especially was about muting white voices and amplifying Black ones. This article is important to me. Let me know what you think of it! Today I also want to amplify this Black writer, Jasmin Pierre. This work of hers, “How I'm Preserving My Mental Health as a Black Woman in America” was published today and I highly recommend reading it. She has many articles on The Mighty and I’ve been enjoying reading through them. Another piece I like of hers is called, “Why There's Nothing Wrong With Saying You're in Recovery From Mental Illness”. Her voice is strong and courageous. As you can read in the first article of hers I mentioned, Jasmin created The Safe Place, a mental health app for the Black community. It’s amazing what she has done for these communities. To read these articles, check out the links in my bio.
Seeing George Floyd’s daughter, Gianna, say her daddy changed the world broke my heart and gave me so much hope all at the same time. The fundraising page for the family to continue raising and caring for Gianna is in my bio - please please please give if you can. Video from _stak5_ #justiceforgeorge #justiceforgeorgefloyd #blacklivesmatter #BLM
They are built off of harrowing stories of bloodshed and degradation, While I am built off of privilege and favoritism. As a white woman I feel pain for every new name that is added to the list of “taken too soon”, Because I know very well that it’s also a list of “taken because of the color of their skin”. I feel pain, but I do not know pain like their pain. I can’t know it. We stand here and we say things have changed, And perhaps some things have, But all I see is that we haven’t changed. We do some of the work and then stop, or worse - backtrack. We’re still racist. Internalized or blatant - it’s one in the same. We’ve learned to sweep it under the rug, We’ve learned to conceal it in our minds eye, But the fact of the matter is that we still choose the white person over the black person — In jobs, in relationships, in education systems, Because of the history, the history some of us shy away from or claim “that was so long ago, it’s different now”. Our racist ideals haven’t changed. We can’t shy away from this. Reparations must be made. See and acknowledge their pain. Listen to them. #BlackLivesMatter Highly recommend following: rachel.cargle sassy_latte sonyareneetaylor munroebergdorf theconsciouskid akilahh laylafsaad
We’re quick to see beauty in the world around us, but not always in ourselves. As I look through these photos I took, I see how the lines in tree bark curve and widen in some places and soften in others, just like my stretch marks. My hair is soft like the petals on these white flowers. The flowers open in a way that reminds me of my openness and authenticity. The leaves’ veins look like my smile lines. If a pebble was tossed in the water, it would ripple like my forehead if I’m surprised, which will one day become wrinkles. The trees don’t see their reflection in the water and hide away or punish themselves; I shouldn’t either. The colors on the flower with thorns remind me of how my skin varies with different shades, rosy cheeks and freckles. “Soft and strong” comes to mind as I compare the softer exterior to the thorny underside of the flower. The cluster of berries resembles my curvy body shape. Even when I feel anxious or afraid, I try to stand tall, just like these grasses. We are nature. We are works of art. As the sun rises, we will rise, too, and try to find the beauty in ourselves that we so easily spot in the world around us.
The same lighthouse stood forlorn today, Lonely and quiet as she once was. All these years later, The same human stood braver - Carrying new perspectives and healed wounds, Leaving behind anguish that once stole the rhythm of her own heartbeat, Remembering that time has great powers of reconciling past and present. May your light shine on the lost, the broken, the left behind. May it envelop us in comfort and safety. May it guide us to where we always belonged.