The voices in my head | Eleanor Longden

Prevodilac: Aleksandra Krstić Lektor: Mile Živković

The day I left home for the first time

Dan kada sam prvi put napustila dom

to go to university was a bright day

da bih otišla na fakultet, bio je lep dan

brimming with hope and optimism.

prepun nade i optimizma.

I'd done well at school. Expectations for me were high,

Bila sam dobra u školi. Od mene se mnogo očekivalo

and I gleefully entered the student life

i radosno sam ušla u studentski život

of lectures, parties and traffic cone theft.

predavanja, žurki i krađa saobraćajnih čunjeva.

Now appearances, of course, can be deceptive,

Izgled, naravno, može da vara,

and to an extent, this feisty, energetic persona

i u određenoj meri ova impulsivna, energična persona

of lecture-going and traffic cone stealing was a veneer,

koja prisustvuje predavanjima i krade saobraćajne čunjeve bila je paravan,

albeit a very well-crafted and convincing one.

iako jako dobro napravljen i ubedljiv.

Underneath, I was actually deeply unhappy, insecure

Ispod površine, ja sam zapravo bila veoma nesrećna, nesigurna

and fundamentally frightened --

i u osnovi uplašena -

frightened of other people, of the future, of failure

uplašena od drugih ljudi, budućnosti, neuspeha

and of the emptiness that I felt was within me.

i praznine koju sam osećala u sebi.

But I was skilled at hiding it, and from the outside

Ali bila sam vešta u sakrivanju toga i spolja sam

appeared to be someone with everything to hope for

izgledala kao neko ko se može nadati

and aspire to.

i težiti svemu.

This fantasy of invulnerability was so complete

Ova fantazija neranjivosti je bila toliko stvarna

that I even deceived myself,

da sam čak obmanula sebe,

and as the first semester ended and the second began,

i kako je prvi semestar prošao i drugi počeo,

there was no way that anyone could have predicted

nije bilo šansi da iko predvidi

what was just about to happen.

šta će se upravo desiti.

I was leaving a seminar when it started,

Napuštala sam seminar kada je počelo,

humming to myself, fumbling with my bag

mumlajući u sebi, čačkajući svoju torbu,

just as I'd done a hundred times before,

kako sam radila i sto puta pre toga,

when suddenly I heard a voice calmly observe,

kada sam iznenada čula glas kako mirno izgovara:

"She is leaving the room."

"Ona napušta sobu."

I looked around, and there was no one there,

Pogledala sam okolo i nisam nikoga videla,

but the clarity and decisiveness of the comment

ali jasnoća i odlučnost komentara

was unmistakable.

su bili očiti.

Shaken, I left my books on the stairs and hurried home,

Uzdrmana, ostavila sam knjige na stepenicama i požurila kući

and there it was again.

i glas se ponovo javio.

"She is opening the door."

"Ona otvara vrata."

This was the beginning. The voice had arrived.

Ovo je bio početak. Glas je došao.

And the voice persisted,

I bio je uporan,

days and then weeks of it, on and on,

danima, a zatim i nedeljama, dalje i dalje,

narrating everything I did in the third person.

govoreći sve što sam radila u trećem licu.

"She is going to the library."

"Ona ide u biblioteku."

"She is going to a lecture."

"Ona ide na predavanje."

It was neutral, impassive and even, after a while,

Bio je neutralan, neosetljiv, čak i posle nekog vremena,

strangely companionate and reassuring,

čudno druželjubiv i uveravajuć,

although I did notice that its calm exterior sometimes slipped

iako sam primetila da je njegova mirna spoljašnost ponekad prešla

and that it occasionally mirrored my own unexpressed emotion.

i povremeno prikazivala odraz moje neiskazane emocije.

So, for example, if I was angry and had to hide it,

Tako na primer, kada sam bila ljuta i morala to da sakrijem,

which I often did, being very adept at concealing how I really felt,

što i jesam često, bila sam jako vešta u prikrivanju onog što sam zaista osećala,

then the voice would sound frustrated.

i tada bi zvučao isfrustrirano.

Otherwise, it was neither sinister nor disturbing,

Inače, nije bio ni zlokoban ni uznemiravajuć,

although even at that point it was clear

iako je čak bilo jasno da

that it had something to communicate to me

ima nešto da mi da do znanja

about my emotions, particularly emotions

o mojim osećanjima, naročito osećanjima

which were remote and inaccessible.

koja su bila udaljena i nedostižna.

Now it was then that I made a fatal mistake,

Ali tada sam napravila jednu fatalnu grešku

in that I told a friend about the voice, and she was horrified.

kada sam prijateljici rekla o glasu i ona je bila užasnuta.

A subtle conditioning process had begun,

Počeo je suptilan proces uslovljavanja,

the implication that normal people don't hear voices

implikacija da normalni ljudi ne čuju glasove,

and the fact that I did meant that something was very seriously wrong.

a činjenica da ja čujem značila je da nešto ozbiljno nije u redu sa mnom.

Such fear and mistrust was infectious.

Takav strah i nepoverenje su bili zarazni.

Suddenly the voice didn't seem quite so benign anymore,

Odjednom glas nije delovao tako dobroćudno,

and when she insisted that I seek medical attention,

a kada je drugarica insistirala da potražim medicinsku pomoć,

I duly complied, and which proved to be

što sam ja u potpunosti poštovala, ispostavilo se da je to bilo

mistake number two.

greška broj dva.

I spent some time telling the college G.P.

Provela sam neko vreme razgovarajući sa fakultetskim psihologom

about what I perceived to be the real problem:

o tome šta sam mislila da je glavni problem:

nervoza, nisko samopoštovanje, strah od budućnosti,

anxiety, low self-worth, fears about the future,

and was met with bored indifference

što je bilo suočeno sa ravnodušnošću

until I mentioned the voice,

sve dok nisam spomenula glas,

upon which he dropped his pen, swung round

na šta je on spustio olovku, zamahnuo okolo

and began to question me with a show of real interest.

i počeo da me ispituje sa znacima pravog interesovanja.

And to be fair, I was desperate for interest and help,

A da budemo iskreni, bila sam očajna za interesovanjem i za pomoći,

and I began to tell him about my strange commentator.

i počela sam da mu govorim o mom čudnom komentatoru.

And I always wish, at this point, the voice had said,

I oduvek sam želela da je u tom trenutku glas rekao:

"Ona kopa svoj grob."

"She is digging her own grave."

I was referred to a psychiatrist, who likewise

Preporučen mi je psihijatar, koji je na isti način

took a grim view of the voice's presence,

strogo pogledao prisustvo glasa,

subsequently interpreting everything I said

zatim tumačio sve što sam rekla

kroz objektiv skrivenog ludila.

through a lens of latent insanity.

For example, I was part of a student TV station

Na primer, bila sam deo studentske TV stanice

that broadcast news bulletins around the campus,

koja je prenosila vesti kroz studentski grad

and during an appointment which was running very late,

i za vreme sastanka koji je bio jako kasno

I said, "I'm sorry, doctor, I've got to go.

rekla sam: "Izvinite, doktore, moram da idem.

I'm reading the news at six."

Čitam vesti u šest."

Now it's down on my medical records that Eleanor

Sada piše u mom medicinskom kartonu da Elenor

ima iluzije da je komentator televizijskih vesti.

has delusions that she's a television news broadcaster.

It was at this point that events began

U tom trenutku su događaji počeli

to rapidly overtake me.

da me brzo obuzimaju.

A hospital admission followed, the first of many,

Usledila je prijava u bolnicu, prva od mnogo njih,

a diagnosis of schizophrenia came next,

dijagnoza šizofrenije je bila sledeća,

and then, worst of all, a toxic, tormenting sense

a onda, najgore od svega, otrovan, mučni osećaj

of hopelessness, humiliation and despair

beznadežnosti, ponižavanja i očajanja

about myself and my prospects.

u vezi sa sobom i svojim mogućnostima.

But having been encouraged to see the voice

Ali kako sam bila ohrabrena da vidim glas

not as an experience but as a symptom,

ne kao iskustvo već kao simptom,

my fear and resistance towards it intensified.

moj strah i odbojnost su se prema njemu pooštrili.

Now essentially, this represented taking

U suštini, ovo predstavlja preuzimanje

an aggressive stance towards my own mind,

agresivnog stava prema sopstvenom umu,

a kind of psychic civil war,

jednu vrstu psihičkog građanskog rata,

and in turn this caused the number of voices to increase

a zauzvrat je izazvalo povećanje broja glasova

and grow progressively hostile and menacing.

koji su postepeno postajali sve više neprijateljski i preteći.

Helplessly and hopelessly, I began to retreat

Bespomoćno i beznadežno, počela sam da se povlačim

into this nightmarish inner world

u ovaj unutrašnji svet noćne more

in which the voices were destined to become

u kom su glasovi predodređeni da budu

both my persecutors and my only perceived companions.

oboje: i progonitelji i moji jedini poznati drugovi.

They told me, for example, that if I proved myself worthy

Rekli su mi, na primer, da ako dokažem da sam vredna

of their help, then they could change my life

njihove pomoći, moći će da mi vrate život

back to how it had been,

u onakav kakav je ranije bio,

and a series of increasingly bizarre tasks was set,

i zadati su mi nizovi sve bizarnijih zadataka,

a kind of labor of Hercules.

jedna vrsta Herkulesovog rada.

It started off quite small, for example,

Počeli su kao mali zadaci, tipa,

pull out three strands of hair,

izvući tri dlake kose,

but gradually it grew more extreme,

ali postepeno je preraslo u ekstremno,

culminating in commands to harm myself,

kulminirajući u komande da povredim sebe,

and a particularly dramatic instruction:

i posebno dramatične instrukcije tipa:

"You see that tutor over there?

"Vidiš onog tutora tamo?

You see that glass of water?

Vidiš tu čašu vode?

Well, you have to go over and pour it over him in front of the other students."

Pa, moraš da odeš tamo i poliješ ga tom vodom pred svim studentima."

Which I actually did, and which needless to say

Što sam zapravo i učinila i za šta je bespotrebno reći

did not endear me to the faculty.

da nije doprinelo da se dopadnem fakultetu.

In effect, a vicious cycle of fear, avoidance,

Bukvalno je nastao zloban krug straha, izbegavanja,

mistrust and misunderstanding had been established,

nepoverenja i nerazumevanja

and this was a battle in which I felt powerless

i ovo je bila bitka u kojoj sam se osećala nemoćnom

and incapable of establishing any kind of peace or reconciliation.

i nesposobnom da uspostavim bilo kakav mir ili pomirenje.

Two years later, and the deterioration was dramatic.

Dve godine kasnije, i pogoršanje je bilo dramatično.

By now, I had the whole frenzied repertoire:

Do tada, imala sam ceo pomahnitao repertoar:

terrifying voices, grotesque visions,

zastrašujuće glasove, groteskna priviđenja,

bizarre, intractable delusions.

bizarne, tvrdoglave zablude.

My mental health status had been a catalyst

Moje stanje mentalnog zdravlja je bilo katalizator

for discrimination, verbal abuse,

za diskriminaciju, verbalno zlostavljanje,

and physical and sexual assault,

fizičko i seksualno zlostavljanje,

and I'd been told by my psychiatrist,

i psihijatar mi je rekao:

"Eleanor, you'd be better off with cancer,

"Elenor, bilo bi ti lakše da boluješ od raka,

because cancer is easier to cure than schizophrenia."

jer je lakše izlečiti rak nego šizofreniju."

I'd been diagnosed, drugged and discarded,

Postavljena mi je dijagnoza, bila sam na lekovima i odbačena,

and was by now so tormented by the voices

i do sada toliko izmučena glasovima

that I attempted to drill a hole in my head

da sam nameravala da iskopam rupu u svojoj glavi

in order to get them out.

da bih ih se otarasila.

Now looking back on the wreckage and despair of those years,

Sada kada pogledam unazad na brodolom i očaj tih godina,

it seems to me now as if someone died in that place,

čini mi se kao da je neko umro na tom mestu,

and yet, someone else was saved.

a ipak, neko drugi sačuvan.

A broken and haunted person began that journey,

Polomljena i ukleta osoba počela je to putovanje,

but the person who emerged was a survivor

ali osoba koja se pojavila bila je preživeli

and would ultimately grow into the person

i na kraju postala osoba

I was destined to be.

za koju sam bila predodređena.

Many people have harmed me in my life,

Mnogo me je ljudi povredilo u mom životu,

and I remember them all,

i sve njih pamtim,

but the memories grow pale and faint

ali sećanja su izbledela i izgubila se

in comparison with the people who've helped me.

u poređenju sa ljudima koji su mi pomogli.

The fellow survivors, the fellow voice-hearers,

Drugovi preživeli, drugovi koji čuju glas,

the comrades and collaborators;

prijatelji i saradnici:

the mother who never gave up on me,

majka koja nikada nije odustala od mene,

who knew that one day I would come back to her

koja je znala da ću joj se jednog dana vratiti

and was willing to wait for me for as long as it took;

i bila voljna da me čeka koliko god je trebalo;

the doctor who only worked with me for a brief time

doktor koji je radio sa mnom samo na kratko vreme,

but who reinforced his belief that recovery

ali koji je jako verovao da oporavak

was not only possible but inevitable,

nije bio samo moguć već i neizbežan,

and during a devastating period of relapse

i tokom poražavajućeg perioda vraćanja

told my terrified family, "Don't give up hope.

govorio mojoj prestravljenoj porodici: "Nemojte gubiti nadu.

I believe that Eleanor can get through this.

Verujem da Elenor može da prođe kroz ovo.

Sometimes, you know, it snows as late as May,

Znate, ponekad sneg pada i u maju,

but summer always comes eventually."

ali leto uvek dođe."

Fourteen minutes is not enough time

Četrnaest minuta nije dovoljno

to fully credit those good and generous people

da u potpunosti navedem sve dobre i velikodušne ljude

who fought with me and for me

koji su se borili sa mnom i za mene

and who waited to welcome me back

i koji su čekali da mi požele dobrodošlicu

from that agonized, lonely place.

iz tog očajnog, usamljenog mesta.

But together, they forged a blend of courage,

Ali zajedno, stvorili su mešavinu hrabrosti,

creativity, integrity, and an unshakeable belief

kreativnosti, integriteta i jedno nepokolebljivo verovanje

that my shattered self could become healed and whole.

da oštećena ja mogu biti izlečena i zaceljena.

I used to say that these people saved me,

Obično sam govorila kako su me ovi ljudi spasili,

but what I now know is they did something

ali ono što sada znam je da su učinili nešto

even more important in that they empowered me

dosta važnije na taj način da su me naterali da

to save myself,

spasim sebe,

and crucially, they helped me to understand something

i presudno, pomogli su mi da razumem nešto

which I'd always suspected:

u šta sam uvek sumnjala:

that my voices were a meaningful response

da su moji glasovi bili smislen odgovor

to traumatic life events, particularly childhood events,

na traumatična životna dešavanja, naročito događaje iz detinjstva,

and as such were not my enemies

i kao takvi, nisu bili moji naprijatelji,

but a source of insight into solvable emotional problems.

nego izvor uvida u rešive emotivne probleme.

Now, at first, this was very difficult to believe,

U početku u ovo je bilo jako teško poverovati,

not least because the voices appeared so hostile

ni najmanje zato što su glasovi delovali tako neprijateljski

and menacing, so in this respect, a vital first step

i preteći, time u tom pogledu, bitan prvi korak

was learning to separate out a metaphorical meaning

je bio učenje da odvojim metaforičko značenje

from what I'd previously interpreted to be a literal truth.

od onog što sam prethodno tumačila kao bukvalnu istinu.

So for example, voices which threatened to attack my home

Na primer, glasove koji su pretili da će moj dom biti napadnut

I learned to interpret as my own sense of fear

naučila sam da tumačim kao moj lični osećaj straha

and insecurity in the world, rather than an actual, objective danger.

i nebezbednosti u ovom svetu, a ne kao pravu, objektivnu opasnost.

Now at first, I would have believed them.

U početku bih im verovala.

I remember, for example, sitting up one night

Pamtim, na primer, kako sam sedela jedne večeri

on guard outside my parents' room to protect them

i čuvala sobu svojih roditelja da bih ih zaštitila

from what I thought was a genuine threat from the voices.

od onog što sam mislila da je bilo prava opasnost mojih glasova.

Because I'd had such a bad problem with self-injury

Zbog toga što sam imala dosta problema sa samopovređivanjem

that most of the cutlery in the house had been hidden,

većina pribora za jelo je bila sakrivena,

so I ended up arming myself with a plastic fork,

pa sam se na kraju naoružala plastičnom viljuškom,

kind of like picnic ware, and sort of sat outside the room

kao escajg za piknik, sedela sam ispred sobe

stežući viljušku i čekajući da skočim ako se išta desi.

clutching it and waiting to spring into action should anything happen.

It was like, "Don't mess with me.

Nešto poput: "Nemojte da se kačite sa mnom.

I've got a plastic fork, don't you know?"

Imam plastičnu viljušku, zar ne znate?"

Strategic.

Strateški.

But a later response, and much more useful,

Ali kasniji odgovor, i mnogo korisniji,

would be to try and deconstruct the message behind the words,

bio bi da pokušam da dekonstruišem poruku iza reči,

so when the voices warned me not to leave the house,

tako kada su me glasovi upozoravali da ne napuštam kuću,

then I would thank them for drawing my attention

zahvalila bih im što mi privlače pažnju

to how unsafe I felt --

na to koliko sam se nesigurno osećala,

because if I was aware of it, then I could do something positive about it --

jer kada sam bila svesna toga mogla sam da uradim nešto pozitivno u vezi s tim -

but go on to reassure both them and myself

ali da ponovo uverim oboje, i njih i mene,

that we were safe and didn't need to feel frightened anymore.

da smo bezbedni i da više nema potrebe da se osećamo uplašenim.

I would set boundaries for the voices,

Postavila bih granice za glasove

and try to interact with them in a way that was assertive

i pokušala da komuniciram sa njima sa sigurnošću

ali i uz puno poštovanja, uspostavljajući spor proces

yet respectful, establishing a slow process

of communication and collaboration

komunikacije i saradnje

in which we could learn to work together and support one another.

na koji bismo mogli da naučimo da sarađujemo i podržavamo jedno drugo.

Throughout all of this, what I would ultimately realize

Kroz sve ovo, ono što sam na kraju shvatila

was that each voice was closely related

bilo je da je svaki glas bio usko povezan

to aspects of myself, and that each of them

sa aspektima mog života i da svaki od njih

carried overwhelming emotions that I'd never had

nosi emocije za koje nikad nisam imala

prilike da ih obradim ili ih se rešim,

an opportunity to process or resolve,

memories of sexual trauma and abuse,

sećanja seksualnih trauma i zlostavljanja,

of anger, shame, guilt, low self-worth.

besa, srama, krivice, niskog samopouzdanja.

The voices took the place of this pain

Glasovi su zauzeli mesto ovog bola

and gave words to it,

i tome dali reči,

and possibly one of the greatest revelations

a jedno od moguće najvećih otkrovenja

was when I realized that the most hostile and aggressive voices

bilo je kada sam shvatila da najneprijateljskiji i najagresivnji

actually represented the parts of me

zapravo predstavljaju delove mene

that had been hurt most profoundly,

koji su bili najdublje povređeni,

and as such, it was these voices

i kao takvima, upravo tim glasovima

that needed to be shown the greatest compassion and care.

je bilo potrebno pokazati najveće saosećanje i brigu.

It was armed with this knowledge that ultimately

Naoružana znanjem da bih na kraju

I would gather together my shattered self,

sakupila popucalu sebe,

each fragment represented by a different voice,

svaki odlomak predstavljen drugačijim glasom,

gradually withdraw from all my medication,

postepeno bih smanjivala sve svoje lekove,

and return to psychiatry, only this time from the other side.

i vratila se psihijatriji, samo ovog puta sa druge strane.

Ten years after the voice first came, I finally graduated,

Deset godina posle prve pojave glasa, konačno sam diplomirala,

this time with the highest degree in psychology

ovog puta sa najvišom ocenom iz psihologije

the university had ever given, and one year later,

koju je univerzitet ikada dao, a godinu dana kasnije,

the highest masters, which shall we say

najveći master, što, da kažemo,

isn't bad for a madwoman.

i nije tako loše za ludu ženu.

In fact, one of the voices actually dictated the answers

Zapravo, jedan od glasova je diktirao odgovore

during the exam, which technically possibly counts as cheating.

za vreme ispita, što je tehnički moguće računati kao varanje.

(Smeh)

(Laughter)

And to be honest, sometimes I quite enjoyed their attention as well.

I da budem iskrena, uživala sam ponekad u njihovoj pažnji.

As Oscar Wilde has said, the only thing worse

kao što je Oskar Vajld rekao: jedina stvar gora

od toga da se o vama govori je da se o vama ne govori.

than being talked about is not being talked about.

It also makes you very good at eavesdropping,

To te takođe čini dobrim u prisluškivanju,

zato što možeš da slušaš dva razgovora u isto vreme.

because you can listen to two conversations simultaneously.

So it's not all bad.

Dakle, nije to tako loše.

I worked in mental health services,

Radila sam u službi za mentalno zdravlje,

I spoke at conferences,

držala govore na konferencijama,

I published book chapters and academic articles,

izdavala sam poglavlja u knjigama i akademske članke,

and I argued, and continue to do so,

i zalagala se, što i nastavljam da radim,

the relevance of the following concept:

za relevantnost sledećeg koncepta:

that an important question in psychiatry

bitno pitanje u psihijatriji

shouldn't be what's wrong with you

ne bi trebalo da bude šta je nije u redu sa tobom

but rather what's happened to you.

već šta ti se desilo.

And all the while, I listened to my voices,

I sve vreme, slušala sam svoje glasove,

with whom I'd finally learned to live with peace and respect

sa kojima sam konačno naučila da živim u miru i poštovanju

and which in turn reflected a growing sense

a koji su zazvrat odrazili rastuće osećanje

of compassion, acceptance and respect towards myself.

samopoštovanja, prihvatanja i poštovanja same sebe.

And I remember the most moving and extraordinary moment

Pamtim izvanredni trenutak najvećeg napretka

when supporting another young woman who was terrorized by her voices,

kada sam podržavala drugu mladu ženu koja je bila terorizovana svojim glasovima,

and becoming fully aware, for the very first time,

i konačno shvatila u potpunosti, po prvi put,

that I no longer felt that way myself

da se više nisam osećala tako

but was finally able to help someone else who was.

već spremnom da pomognem nekom drugom ko jeste.

I'm now very proud to be a part of Intervoice,

Sada sam jako ponosna što sam deo Unutrašnjeg glasa,

the organizational body of the International Hearing Voices Movement,

organizacionog tela Međunarodnog pokreta "Hearing Vocies",

an initiative inspired by the work of Professor Marius Romme

koji je inicijativa inspirisana delom profesora Mariusa Rome

and Dr. Sandra Escher,

i dr Sandre Ešer,

which locates voice hearing as a survival strategy,

i koji smatra čujenje glasova kao strategiju preživljavanja,

a sane reaction to insane circumstances,

i zdravu reakciju na nezdrave okolnosti,

not as an aberrant symptom of schizophrenia to be endured,

ne kao nenormalni simptom šizofrenije koji treba trpeti,

but a complex, significant and meaningful experience

već kao kompleksno i značajno iskustvo

to be explored.

koje treba izučiti.

Together, we envisage and enact a society

Zajedno, predočavamo i predstavljamo društvo

that understands and respects voice hearing,

koje razume i poštuje glasove,

supports the needs of individuals who hear voices,

podržava potrebe individua koje ih čuju,

and which values them as full citizens.

i koje ih vrednuje kao punopravne građane.

This type of society is not only possible,

Ovaj tip društva nije samo moguć,

it's already on its way.

nego je već u nastanku.

To paraphrase Chavez, once social change begins,

Da parafraziram Čaveza: kada jedna drušvena promena počne,

it cannot be reversed.

ne može biti preokrenuta.

You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride.

Ne možete poniziti osobu koja se oseća ponosno.

You cannot oppress the people

Ne možete tlačiti ljude

who are not afraid anymore.

koji više nisu uplašeni.

For me, the achievements of the Hearing Voices Movement

Po meni, dostignuća pokreta "Hearing Voices"

are a reminder that empathy, fellowship,

su podsetinik da su empatija i drugarstvo,

justice and respect are more than words;

pravda i poštovanje više od reči;

they are convictions and beliefs,

oni su ubeđenja i verovanja,

and that beliefs can change the world.

i da verovanja mogu da promene svet.

In the last 20 years, the Hearing Voices Movement

U poslednjih 20 godina, pokret "Hearing Voices"

has established hearing voices networks

uspostavio je mrežu onih koji čuju glasove,

in 26 countries across five continents,

u 26 zemalja preko pet kontinenata,

working together to promote dignity, solidarity

radeći zajedno da promovišu dostojanstvo, solidarnost

and empowerment for individuals in mental distress,

i osnaživanje idividua sa mentalnim nevoljama,

to create a new language and practice of hope,

da stvore novi jezik i praksu nade,

which, at its very center, lies an unshakable belief

koja, u svom centru, leži na nepokolebljivom verovanju

in the power of the individual.

u moć pojedinca.

As Peter Levine has said, the human animal

Kao što je Piter Lavin rekao: ljudska životinja

is a unique being

je jedinstveno biće obdarenao

endowed with an instinctual capacity to heal

instinktivnim kapacitetom za izlečenjem

and the intellectual spirit to harness this innate capacity.

i intelektualnim duhom da iskoristi ovaj urođeni kapacitet.

In this respect, for members of society,

U ovom pogledu, za članove društva,

there is no greater honor or privilege

ne postoji veća čast ili privilegija

than facilitating that process of healing for someone,

od olakšavanja tog procesa izlečenja neke osobe,

to bear witness, to reach out a hand,

biti svedok, ispružiti ruku,

to share the burden of someone's suffering,

deliti teret onoga koji pati,

and to hold the hope for their recovery.

i verovati u njihov oporavak.

And likewise, for survivors of distress and adversity,

Na taj način, za preživele nevolja i nesreća,

that we remember we don't have to live our lives

pamtimo da ne moramo živeti

forever defined by the damaging things that have happened to us.

zauvek definisani oštećujućim stvarima koje su nam se desile.

We are unique. We are irreplaceable.

Mi smo jedinstveni. Mi smo nezamenljivi.

What lies within us can never be truly colonized,

Ono što leži u nama ne može nikad biti zaista kolonizovano,

contorted, or taken away.

kontrolisano ili uzeto.

The light never goes out.

Svetlo se nikad ne gasi.

As a very wonderful doctor once said to me,

Kao što mi je jednom jedan predivan doktor rekao:

"Don't tell me what other people have told you about yourself.

"Nemoj mi reći šta su ti drugi ljudi rekli o tebi.

Tell me about you."

Ti mi reci o sebi."

Thank you.

Hvala vam.

(Applause)

(Aplauz)