Brain Through The Meat Grinder

Some time ago I saw an update on social media concerning a book that was going to be released soon. Added to this news was the pleasant surprise that it was written by a person known to me (and all the more reason for me to add his name to my "brag-list" of authors that I personally know). In the quest to get myself a copy, a happy situation ensued. Through the generosity and kindness of a friend I was gifted one for which I am mighty grateful. 

So on to the book. Kevitho Kera in his debut book Brain Through The Meat Grinder recounts and writes of his journey through a difficult stage of life, of having to battle mental illness. It is a reminder that this journey is primarily traveled in solitary (though others around us are also affected). The book is a personal story which offers an insider view and is therefore significant in the local context where such discussions are tabooed or hushed away, neither of which helps pave the way for deep honest engagement in the larger community or foster possible solutions. Therefore I consider this a brave book for bringing out in the open a reality that is often times kept confined in the shadows and denied a voice. 

In the opening of the book, Kera points to the cause that eventually built the way for his mental illness-the need to live out the expectations of others, and particularly the parents. One might then ask, but is it not legitimate for parents to have expectations from us? I would think that it is reasonable for them to have expectations, expectations that are also rooted in the hope that their children will lead a better life than them. However, maybe how these expectations are communicated becomes the issue. A child can choose to rebel against the expectations and choose to go her or his own way. Whether this child becomes successful or not, we will have our own share of say, whether valid or invalid for we are susceptible to being judgmental, of jumping to irresponsible conclusions towards the whole matter. But how do we respond to a scenario where a child "in obedience" chooses to work to measure up but eventually is dragged down in to a miry pit of dejection? There is no easy cure to mental illness, but there is an easy response: that we acknowledge truthfully its existence and refrain from being passive onlookers with judgmental brows. In the penultimate chapter, Kera offers his take on how we can respond and these are insights worth considering. Something that stood out for me in the book is the camaraderie that Kera found in people beyond our own geographical borders, people who as fellow-sufferers helped him. That we learn to empathize is a crucial response; ostracizing, abandoning, ridiculing only shows how much more we need to learn about the illness.

I am not an authority on mental illness and that was one reason why I wanted to read the book to see from the eyes of another who has lived through it. I can only imagine the terrors that torment, for these for me are not "lived" realities or experiences. The book does point to the notion that there are no quick or short-fixes. If mental illness can be likened to a journey, hope arises in completing the journey with the right help. It is also not only the person who suffers alone, but along with him or her the family is also in pain. However, it is the family where the potential for strength can also be realized. 

In term of its content, the book is on the leaner side and I for one wanted a little more. But for its brevity, I think Kera has broken the ground to offer a good conversation starter. On a general  note, I recently saw two different announcements for seminars on mental health and these are good signs and hopefully such efforts gains momentum. I hope that we develop a culture of compassion and empathy towards those who suffer from mental illness of various kinds. As it was stated earlier, this is a brave book.

To you my friend, strength and blessings!