Michael Kimber’s visual poem tells the story of his battle with anxiety. Diagnosed at 25, Kimber explains how counseling and the support from his loved…
Katje Kaase’s poem “Autistic Wonder” describes the unique worldview of a person with autism. The author’s imagery helps the audience develop a picture of how…
Neil Hilborn struggled with OCD for years. Now, he has decided to speak out about the disorder through poetry. He performed during the Individual Finals…
This poem by Kelly Cherry was written about her father, who was a professional musician that succumbed to Alzheimer’s Disease. The poem guides the reader…
“Cabrini Bridge” by Sam Gordon uses beautiful imagery to showcase the power of mindfulness and relaxation. The author’s internal struggles are juxtaposed with the calmness…
“I Am” was written by John Clare in 1844 while he was at the Northampton General Lunatic Asylum. Clare suffered from numerous psychological conditions, which…
Like many, when faced with tribulations and life’s numerous problems, Patrick Roche resorts to a creative means of self-expression. He explores healing through a creative…
Theodore Roethke was a celebrated poet who won the Pulitzer Prize in poetry for his book The Waking. Roethke was a heavy drinker and experienced…
Anne Sexton suffered from bipolar depression, and was treated using techniques that would, by today’s standards, be unsound. Her treatment ranged from the use of sodium…
William Blake saw ‘visions’ since a young age – experiences which we might today explain as some type of psychosis. Blake managed to transform these experiences into poetry and…
Laura Burke’s visual poem “Superhero” explains her own struggles with mental illness and all of the havoc that it played on her life. She touches upon themes…
Catalina Ferro’s poetry slam “Anxiety Group” is an excellent portrayal of how the stress of everyday life can contribute to an almost ceaseless state of…
Song, by Allen Ginsberg, is a poetic reflection on the important role of love in our lives. Ginsberg shows how love can be both a…
This timeless poem by renowned poet William Wordsworth may be familiar to many of us from grade school. Its meaning, however, is quite deep, as…
Love After Love is a poem by Derek Walcott, who received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1992. The text’s powerful imagery evokes themes of…
Mindscape Terrangrrl is a blog described as “one person’s journey surviving mental illness and recovering from substance abuse.” This particular poem is a beautiful description of…
Published by a blog called The Oblivion Catalog, “Song of Madness” offers a picturesque glimpse into the mind of a patient possibly suffering from schizophrenia….
A recollection of a girl with her “soul in division from itself.” It is up to the reader to decide whether Yeats meant to say…
This poem, written by an adult with Asperger’s, comments on the misperception that individuals on the Autism spectrum don’t feel or are incapable of empathy….
By Sylvia Plath Tulips is among Plath’s poems that deal with her experience with depression. Plath committed suicide in 1963—she was 30 years old. …
