half letter / 72 pages / $5
Mental health is one of the most important concerns of our
time, and possibly the most neglected. We live in a culture that devalues and
pathologizes everything that transcends some invisible and unspoken “norm”. We
are stressed by work, lack of work, families, interpersonal relationships,
daily events, the list is endless. And we are not taught how to deal with that
stress. Many people turn to numbing out with alcohol, drugs, and other
substances or addictive activities. Pharmaceutical companies have spent
billions peddling happy pills and psychoactive drugs. Over 10% of children aged
6 to 18 are on some kind of behavioral medication.
And … we’re not getting any better. Some days it feels like
our culture itself has become bipolar or schizophrenic. How do we stay balanced
in an unbalanced world? How do we do the hard inner growth work while coping
with outer realities that trigger us?
This is why zines like Forever Falling Sideways are
essential. Self help and peer support are the antidote to pressure from the
medical community and pharma industry to push drugs. There are times when
medication is important but it is not the magic cure. Medications only mask
symptoms, they do not remove them. Symptom management is something people need
to do for themselves, learning what works best for the individual.
Forever Falling Sideways includes graphics, poetry, and
essays. There is a wonderful piece by Tender exploring the uses of St. Johns
Wort. Tender also writes in depth about ways to take care of yourself like
finding movements, taking responsibility for your actions, harnessing your
energy, self advocacy and more. This is extremely useful information. There’s
an article about happy fats and good mood foods and a primer on sexual consent.
And this is just scratching the surface of one of the most resourceful zines I’ve
discovered in years. Even if you don’t struggle with emotional issues or a
mental “illness”, reading Forever Falling Sideways is worth your time and
energy.
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