Butterfly – The process of metamorphosis from a caterpillar to a ever so delicate cocoon, then emerging from a cocoon after so much affliction to break free and transform into something that was so unstable and vulnerable at one point in time gives a person with mental illness an insurmountable bundle of hope. It demonstrates the resilience to navigate and persist through such suffering, pain, affliction and limitations and processes thoughts of such beautiful hope to those inhibited by mental health struggles. The butterfly gives the gift of hope.

Butterflies are often reverently represented by people with mental illness as a symbol of hope, peace, and freedom from such dark, demonic, debilitating and uncontrollable place that feel nearly impossible for some of those with mental illness to learn how to cope with. Learning to cope is a struggle and part of the journey. Learning to cope is an excruciating process and many feel very alone doing so, because it’s just too painful to explain to anyone to understand.

Just like the butterfly struggling to break free to become something peaceful, it, too, has to learn the struggle, the movements, and process it needs to do to break free from such constriction and confinement. Learning to cope can be indescribably painful. Just like the butterfly, people with mental illness experience pain and suffering to break free which humans can’t visually see. People who have mental illness identify with the butterfly that experiences the invisible pain representing a beautiful journey to hang on to, press forward, look ahead…step by step metamorphosize to a place of with a bright and peaceful future filled with freedom and inner peace.