Here is the next of the beautiful, inspiring, special contributions coming in to the #MandalasForMarinke remembrance project. I am grateful for each and every amazing contribution.
Contributions should be postmarked by October 15, 2015. Learn more here. If you absolutely can’t meet that deadline but want to participate, please email me at kathryn.vercillo (gmail).
Beautiful Crochet Mandala
This sweet crochet mandala was made using the Summer Hearts Mandala pattern by Wink. The bright blue adds a pop of color that complements the shades of pink and white throughout the rest of the piece.
Meet the Maker
This precious mandala comes from Sarah Hepworth, a knitter and crocheter from West Yorkshire, UK who shared:
She said on Ravelry:
“I made this mandala in memory of Marinke. I know the struggle. I am sorry that Wink lost her fight. Rest in peace.”
Connect with Sarah as sehepworth on Ravelry and @sarahhepworth on Instagram.
Words by Wink
Wink cheekily shared the fun fact on Instagram:
“Did you know Durex (yes, that one) used to make knitting needles in the 40’s? :)”
About Depression
One purpose of this project is to raise awareness about depression so each post ends with some facts, thoughts or quotes about depression, suicide and/or mental health. Today let’s talk a little about mental health as it relates to technology.
On the one hand, technology can be a stressor for mental health issues. Lorena Nessi, PhD has a recent article on techno-stress, which explains how excessive use of smartphones, Internet, etc is related to high levels of anxiety, fatigue and low self-belief. Likewise, Olinka Koster reports on research that shows that “Sitting in front of a computer screen for five hours a day can dramatically increase the risk of depression and insomnia, new research suggests.”
That said, there are also many ways that technology can be used to help with mental health issues. Online counseling opportunities bring mental health support to rural areas and other people without as much access to that kind of therapeutic care. And there are a lot of phone apps these days that are designed to help with the tracking, diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders including depression. The efficacy of these is highly debated by experts but a general consensus seems to be that it may not be the ideal option when other treatments are needed but that something is better than nothing and smartphone technology can be an adjunct to other options.
All contributions to Mandalas for Marinke are so appreciated. They help raise awareness about depression while honoring her work in the same way that this great contribution has done today.
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