Strange Places: A Journey in Poetry (Courageous Heart Press) by Katie Giletto is a collection of soul-bearing poems that spans almost 10 years of mental health challenges, substance abuse, rock bottoms and recovery.
Giletto has been using poetry to process her thoughts and emotions since she was a young teen. Her poems offer insight into what it’s like to live with schizophrenia, anxiety and depression. Like so many people who live with mental health issues, Giletto turned to self-medicating to cope, which only made the symptoms worse.
The 2022 statistics reported by Mental Health America (MHA) indicate that almost 20% of Americans (nearly 50 million people) deal with mental health issues, and 4.91% of people in the United States live with serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression.
Self-medication is a dangerous but common practice for many. The American Addiction Centers reports:
- 22% of Americans dealing with mental health issues self-medicate with drugs and alcohol.
- More than 21% of people with post-traumatic stress disorder use alcohol or drugs to cope.
- Approximately 23% of people with major depression and 41% of those with bipolar disorder self-medicate.
Giletto’s poetry offers hope to those who are dealing with mental health issues and substance abuse. “Most of the time, I have to remind myself that just because things are hard doesn’t mean I can’t do them,” Giletto says. “Sometimes it’s hard to go where you need to. Especially when where you need to go seems unattainable.”
Her goal in sharing her work is to assure others, particularly teens and young adults, that they are not alone. Most importantly, she wants people to know that even in the midst of daily challenges, it’s possible to have a beautiful life.
Community members are invited to a poetry reading and booking signing event with author Katie Giletto on Saturday, February 4, from 4 to 7 p.m. at The Village Café in Downtown Bryan.
Courtesy of Courageous Heart Press
