Express Yourself and Improve Your Mental Health

Winged Freedom, by
William Shepherd,
VA Wichita, Kansas

Expressing our feelings and thoughts through written and visual artistic expression allows us to get our feelings out, memorialize them through art and hold them up to examine, reflect on and use to foster healthy change. That’s it!

Outlet for Thoughts and Feelings

From my perspective, the unique importance of Veterans’ Voices is that it provides an outlet for veterans’ expression of their thoughts and feelings through writing (stories, essays, poetry) and, in recent years, the visual arts (painting, drawing, photography).

Those of us professionally involved with improving mental health know that every person struggling with mental health issues must participate vigorously in their treatment plan, which includes learning to better cope with the stresses that living imposes on all of us.

Self-healing Encompasses Totality of One’s Being

Self-healing, starting with mental health, encompasses the totality of one’s being, from physical health through spiritual health. Everyone’s environmental and societal challenges and stresses are different; some are extremely severe, and everyone has different built-in coping skills.

But, as veterans, we can reduce our stress burden, and we can strengthen our coping skills and learn new ones, which will make us more resilient in managing life’s problems. In addition to getting expert help when we need it, participating in real-world activities, such as provided by Veterans’ Voices, will offer both joy and healing.

Dr. Robert Rubin is a psychiatrist, a Vietnam veteran (MC, USNR, 1967-69), and formerly Chief of Psychiatry at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System for eight years (2005-2013). While serving at the VA, Dr. Rubin recognized the unique importance of Veterans’ Voices and has for some years supported and helped sustain the magazine.