Meg Hutchinson

Singer-songwriter, poet, hospital chaplain, and recording artist Meg Hutchinson discusses her journey with Bipolar I Disorder over the past 23 years, from fear and shame to acceptance and health. Strong emphasis is placed on recovery as a daily practice and the unique challenges facing healthcare workers during the pandemic. Meg shares what she has learned about self-care and resiliency as a palliative care chaplain in a large Boston hospital. This presentation narrates Meg’s acceptance of the need to take medication and how meditation, yoga, creativity, and lifestyle changes help her manage illness and heal from trauma. She talks about navigating complex family issues, building a positive support network, and the value of restoring inner balance through physical, mental, and spiritual rest.

In her presentation, Meg discusses her journey with Bipolar I Disorder from the age of nineteen to the present. Her story traces the illness’ onset in college, its effects on her life and creativity while untreated, her hospitalization, and the experience of receiving diagnosis and treatment during acute and recovery phases.

This presentation combines Meg Hutchinson’s personal story with a musical performance of her original songs. She began writing songs as a teenager, during the same time that she began to struggle with early symptoms of Bipolar I. In the years since, Meg has released nine albums and become a nationally touring artist. Meg discusses how poetry and music were her primary coping mechanism for years and how creativity remains central to her healing process to this day. The format is 70 minutes direct delivery with additional time for Q&A. (This program requires a professional sound system. Tech rider available upon request.)

Meg discusses her journey with Bipolar I Disorder over the past 17 years, from fear and shame to acceptance and health. Strong emphasis is placed on recovery as a daily practice and the challenges and rewards this approach inspires. This presentation narrates Meg’s acceptance of the need to take medication, the profound effects that meditation and yoga have had on her life, the value of lifestyle changes, the risks of undiagnosed alcohol abuse, building a positive support network, and the value of honoring our inner lives. (This program may include an interfaith discussion of spirituality where applicable.)

This documentary, Pack Up Your Sorrows, is a story of illness, hope, and transformation told through the lens of singer/songwriter Meg Hutchinson. In this film, she interviews leading minds on issues of mental wellness such as Kay Redfield Jamison and Scott Stossel, and explores alternative therapies with such luminaries as Lama Migmar Tseten, Harvard Buddhist Chaplain & Director of The Sakya Institute for Buddhist Studies. Singer/songwriter Meg Hutchinson weaves together a story of Bipolar Disorder, hope and transformation, illuminated by her music and stunning images of the natural world, to guide us through this unique and moving meditation on achieving wellness.

In 2003, songwriter Meg Hutchinson read an article in The New Yorker featuring an interview with Kevin Briggs, a sergeant with the California Highway Patrol. Briggs had saved hundreds of people from jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge by asking them a few simple questions. Hutchinson wrote a song called “Gatekeeper” based on those questions and dedicated it to Briggs. Ten years later, Briggs heard the song and wrote to Hutchinson. They formed a friendship based on their dedication to mental health literacy and their shared struggles. With a deep commitment to suicide prevention, they offer two powerful perspectives on the issues that matter most in saving lives.

Meg Hutchinson is available for joint presentations with Kevin Briggs, and for panel discussions. Other supplemental programs from Meg include poetry readings, musical performances, creative writing workshops, and yoga/meditation workshops.