Jan 1, 2024
What do punk rock and mental health have in common? That’s a question you don’t hear every day. But for alum Jason Scheurs, it was an almost natural question.
Jason is a journalism alum who graduated in 1993. When he was at Langara he was part of the student newspapers The Gleaner (now defunct) and The Voice. After graduating, he continued to write for different publications and even helped launch the Terminal City newspaper, an alternative to a weekly newspaper that is still around!
He continued to write for several punk magazines worldwide and wrote about the arts, music and culture for other print publications. Jason soon found himself writing what would be his book, Scream Therapy. We sat down with Jason to discuss his new book and why he chose punk rock. Here’s his story.
Scream Therapy
Jason has been a punk rocker all of his life. He felt like he had found his identity. The energy and being around like-minded people were calming for him, and in a way, meditative. “To me, punk gave me a creative outlet to formulate opinions and feel comfortable in my own skin,” said Jason. Everything from the raw guitar sounds to the angst vibrating through the lyrics, punk rock felt like home.
He continues, “It was a place where it was okay to scream about injustice and mental health with others who shared in the same struggles. This was a place for me to go when I felt unstable or needed a place to feel like I fit in.”
Punk helped him get through his mental journey and because of this, he has become a better and healthier person. Jason found his place in the punk scene, found like-minded people, and learned how to use that energy to carry on.
This feeling of belonging, and being able to feel the energy around him, led him to write his book, Scream Therapy: A Punk Journey through Mental Health (May 2023). Scream Therapy is a memoir (and more) that links the community-minded punk rock scene with the mental wellness of the punks who belong to it. The book has found much success and has led Jason to be recognized by The New York Times best-selling authors.
When he’s not writing, and jamming out to punk rock, Jason facilitates a province-wide group for bi-polar with MDABC (Mood Disorder Association BC). He’s also a health coach for Self-Management BC, and provides crisis responding for Kids Help Phone.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health please call 310-6789 or visit BC Crisis Centre for more support avenues.