View allAll Photos Tagged mentalillness
Success is not measured by what you accomplish, but by the opposition you have encountered, and the courage with which you have maintained the struggle against overwhelming odds.
Is this a 20th Century moment or a 21st Century moment? It's hard to tell, but in fact it's the latter. There are many small rural communities that now remind me of scenes I witnessed during my time spent in Cuba. Many of these small rural communities in America are currently ravaged by poverty and drug addiction with no identifiable path out of the situation. We are a better people than this, and our elected officials of both parties in Washington would be better advised to cease the divisive rhetoric and general political posturing and dig into real and lasting solutions for homelessness, drug addiction, immigration, poverty, mental illness, suicide, and the proliferation of false news that is destroying America.
Rural Indiana
2012
© James Rice, All Rights Reserved
This is my second instalment for the CPTSD collection, the purpose of this is to highlight not only the cruelty of constant name calling, but just how it sticks in the mind. Even as I typed, printed and stuck these all over the wall, the memories come back. School bullies, toxic relationships, toxic family members, internet trolls, tyrannical bosses, the list goes on and on. One thing is for sure, bullying, in no matter what format it may occur, you never forget it.
Now you're probably wondering about the mask, well, this photo nails two aspects in one, not only bullying in the form of name calling and/or put downs, but also a type of coping mechanism. As a way to handle the constant onslaught of verbal abuse, a young mind such as a child, will adopt a idiosyncratic identity, like a virtual character mask, i.e. act like a clown anyway and the real identity beneath is protected; but of course this has a huge back firing aspect, the true identity behind and the coping mechanism are all one and the same thing, bullies also then start to see you more so as the clown/freak they think you already are, so in essence, you become what they perceive you as, and the bullying just gets worse.
And of course, when you act like a clown, no one really takes you seriously when you complain about said bullying, as many now see you as the instigator, even though it was designed to help cope with it all, but the question remains, how the bloody hell is a bullied child supposed to explain that?!
I hope everyone is well and as always, thank you. :)
PS: been a bit slow putting up new material as I have been dealing with yet another episode of depression this week. Urgh! Which will more than likely be the subject of my next photo.
By Katrina Elena
SPARK
Inspired by advocacy, empowerment and acceptance, this piece explores the dimensionality of mental illness and the role we as a society play in creating awareness.
Reflection that a person suffering from Alzheimer's may face many misconceptions and stereotypes, the intention of this piece is to capture the unique essence of an individual despite these assumptions and reinforce that they are more than just a series of labels or medical terms. (Artist's notes.)
2nd study from my series of images that I shot on Saturday morning. A very challenging undertaking due to the wind and quick incoming tide. I lost count how many times I had to retreat further in towards the shore to reposition again and recompose.
Another one of Margaret Morris. I was too shy to talk to her but, over a year after her performance, I still remember her powerful take on identity.
highconceptlaboratories.org/margaret-morris/
**All photos are copyrighted. Please don't use without permission**
To begin with, the collection for CPTSD is not designed to be photogenic, nor pretty, nor remotely aesthetic, it's designed to spread awareness, prove a point and bring about better understanding of those who live with Trauma. These will get more positive as I go on.
However, this one is in line with what happened to me when I was sectioned under the mental health act here in Berlin. I'd had a serious and explosive depressive episode that was both rage state and alcohol induced (by the way, I've been sober now for over 3 and a half years). I was arrested at home by the Polizei who cuffed me at gun point, made false allegations against me, tied me up in the back of an ambulance in front of everyone, asked me questions in English but when I tried to answer them they burst out laughing saying they only spoke German, this teasing and taunting carried on all the way to the hospital including from the paramedic.
I ended up at the Alexianer Psyche Ward in Berlin, I was un-cuffed and left in tears on the floor of the corridor, whilst nurses and doctors went about their business as if I didn't exist! Thereafter for 2 weeks, I witnessed patients being stepped over, tied down onto gurneys in tears and distress. I saw another patient who was clearly extremely disturbed in an isolation room, pounding on the walls, screaming at the top of his voice and the staff completely ignored him.
Another patient who I learned, her baby boy had died of cot death, was left screaming and crying the whole night through, NO ONE attended to her, despite her distress. Another head of department who was so rude and arrogant, had my best friend in tears when she tried to explain my situation, I witnessed another patient outside of the ward, lost and obviously confused, when I tried to summon help I was told to mind my own business and basically go away.
Thanks to overcrowding, I was in a room of a guy on one side who snored like a pig and another who smelt like he hadn't showered in weeks, I was sleep deprived for over 5 nights. When I complained I was laughed at. Let me tell you for free, the Alexianer as I am sure many other psyche wards are basically glorified prisons, to put head cases away in a sort of, out of sight and out of mind practice, a nurse I spoke said as much and agreed with my sentiments.
There is barely not a thing to do, patients wondered up and down corridors completely bored and unattended to and they call this treatment, another patient with a deformed club foot and severely mentally handicapped, stomped up and down the corridor, pissed all over the floor and stomped away again, I had to summon help myself as no one was looking after said patient. That same patient would try desperately to force open the main door to try and get out, but of course it was electronically locked, but her distress was obvious, hence the idea of the photo.
In the corridor one patient would lick the walls, another would shout about being Hannibal Lector and demanding to know, "who the fuck was Alice" yes, this actually happened! The nurses were arrogant and cold toward the patients, I once was denied food as I have a very restrictive diet and mocked about it, my special order hadn't arrived and their excuse? "It's Easter, tough!"
As the saying goes, "You want to drive someone mad, put them in a mental home!" It's incredible no one takes that expression seriously, nor really looked into that and patient abuse, which is in fact a human rights violation, thrives in places where a victim has no voice; out of sight, out of mind!
Thank you for your time.
Translated by 崔宏立。 Recommended ! A good read to understand more about Depression, Anxiety, loneliness. But I think this was not translated to English yet. I also can't find a translation of the word Depphjarnan to English. Any Swedish can help ?
What is reality? Is it the reliable permanence of certain perceptions?
What happens when reality is not reliable?
What breaks when reality becomes unreal?
This is a reflection of one building in the glass of another.
So as I mentioned in my last photo, I was thinking of bringing back my CPTSD theme, well, I also was considering writing Trigger Warning after the title, but then again you've already seen the photo, so, err, yea... however, that said, this shit needs to be spoken about, ***Trigger Warning*** below...
Please Note: This is all about education, awareness and support, it is not meant for sympathy or anything else on those lines.
The subject here is perhaps one of the most horrible symptoms concerning CPTSD (Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), that is, Suicide Ideation, that is to become obsessed over the consideration of committing suicide, it works like intrusive thoughts but whilst they can be random, these versions are fixating upon the one subject matter. Many a time I was trapped into this form of thinking, my own personal methodology differed but on one particularly horrifying night, I ended up in intensive care after a failed OD, and other attempts through the years that landed me in psyche wards, often arriving in handcuffs in the back of an ambulance under the escort of less than sympathetic police officers.
One of the most hardest and cruellest aspects of Suicide Ideation, is when in the actual act, if the thoughts have driven one to it, is the locked in combination of suffering Depression and Anxiety at the same time, picture this; two tornadoes one clockwise, one anti clockwise and you are caught emotionally between the two, so thus the depression tells you to do it, that you're worthless, life is shit, etc, but the Anxiety tells you that you are too afraid, you don't know what's on the otherside, there's no turning back, on and on it spins around in your head. Ultimately the anxiety can be your best friend and pulls one back at the last moment, thank god!
I never succeeded, obviously, but fuck me I came close and I would strongly advise, if you are feeling this way, you speak to someone, you have every right to live. Remember, it's truly an emotional bluff (as big and convincing as it may seem), you are better than your thoughts and you are a hero for coming this far, having ever faced such a battle, never, ever give in to it my dear friend. It's actually because you just want the goddamn pain to stop, it can, and it will!
Think of it like this, so many people before you have been there, survived and thereafter life got beautiful for them, you are no exception from that miracle, I am living proof. Now I use my experience to guide others as I hope I am doing here. You live in a universe of infinite possibilities and life can still surprise you. Believe that!
I hope everyone is well and so as always, thank you! :)
PS: If however you are getting to that point, please consider going here...
Part 3 from the same bright and crisp morning.
See Part 1 (Glimmer) and Part 2 (Lost).
(edit)
This one hit #1 on Explore!
Manhasset, New York
2007
The field of psychiatry and neurology are rapidly changing. The revolution in research brought about by the discovery of non-invasive means of looking inside the brain has resulted in a rediscovery of the fundamental truth that the serious mental illnesses are the result of genetic, chemical, electrical, structural, or traumatic problems in the brain. More and more, we are discovering that Alzheimer's Disease, Tourette Syndrome, Seizure Disorders, Schizophrenia, Anxiety Disorders, and Depression are brain illnesses and deserve equivalent levels of treatment and compassion.
But, because we cannot know about nor provide information about all brain illnesses and traumas, we are especially concerned about Anxiety and Panic Disorders, Bipolar Disorder, Severe Depression, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and Schizophrenia which are among the most devastating of the brain illnesses and about which there is still great misunderstanding and prejudice.
While other brain illnesses--from Alzheimer's to Seizure Disorder--can be equally debilitating, we find that the illnesses we are most concerned about continue to need our especial care and concern because of the misconceptions, discrimination, and potential for destruction that are involved in having or loving someone who has one of these five categories of brain illness.
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explore #1 thank you all!
Here it is, the last in the series "Welcome to the Psych Ward". This has really been some of my best, and personal favorite, work on flickr I've done yet. I've learned so much and realized how truly, utterly, frighteningly complex the human mind is. I want to thank everyone so much for all of the views, comments, faves, suggestions, ideas, support, and love. You all are just too amazing for words. HUGE thanks to anyone who followed the project since the start.
I apologize if you had a mental illness suggestion i coulnt get around to or if my brain totally died and i just plain didnt have any ideas.
SO now when you hear about someone with some mental illness, maybe youll have a bit more interest to check it out. Cos were all morbid like that :)
I hope all of you learned something too
So, I am finally back, sort of. After coming down with a condition called Costochondritis (Inflammation of soft tissue around ribs and sternum) from inhaling mold from the inside of an abandoned car, then discovering I have an acute allergy to dust as well, I am on an adventure to reshape my life health wise.
Now, about the photo, after watching a video, one of those top ten vids on YT, about dark things discovered on the internet (check out channel: Lazy Masquerade), it got me thinking about the many days during my younger years, my twenties and early thirties, when I DID view such extreme material frequently and why? I believe it was to do with drowning out my existing trauma, but viewing such extreme and graphic footage as well as invoking emotions in me, also spurred on by addiction, that also operated as a form of Self Injury (the emotional form).
It is quite common for those who have suffered such trauma(s), to seek extremes of things to essentially awaken something inside. It is in a bizarre way, one who is traumatised, essentially relives the trauma through invocation of extreme emotions, brought on this way.
If anyone finds themselves in this dilemma, please consider looking into yourself as to what it is that fuels these negative desires, that is something you need to cure. For me, I discovered this type of viewing simply left me feeling depressed and it weakens the soul, as is with thinking alcohol helps you hod on, it is a false therapy and does more harm than good, so I gave it up. Permanently!
I hope everyone is well and so as always, thank you.
PS: Please go to my Instagram page and look for my post alongside Italian Metal band Octo Crura: tinyurl.com/3umv49td
It's difficult to explain depression to people who don't have it. They think you're being self-indulgent, that you should just "get happy." Sometimes, you have good days, when the voice in your head that keeps telling you you're worthless shuts up for a moment, and you can even act normal and laugh with your friends. But when the Black Dog has you in its jaws, you feel incapable of anything. You can't even explain what's going on, because they'll all think you're just asking for attention. So you hide and hope it goes away. Your friends think your silence means you don't care for them, when it's only the thought of them that keeps you from blowing your brains out. When it releases you, you don't understand how you tripped and let it catch you. You worry everyone thinks you're crazy, a pariah, and it's true, you're nuts. You just hope they'll remember the good days, and forgive you the bad ones.
Thank you to Ian for giving me the courage to post this.
What's Lost Spirits is a sim-wide art installation in the virtual world, Second Life. The installation is by Stabitha (aka. what88.zond), and contains a smorgasbord of dark imagery. The SLurl is maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Whats%20Lost%20Spirits/36/...
This is a quick edit from my first student film i made many moons ago: 1993.
It's an autobiographical account of my first nervous breakdown when i was 19. I directed, wrote, shot and edited and narrated the whole piece.
My film teacher told me that making a piece about mental illness was a fine balancing act: too heavy handed, and people would not take it seriously. Not serious enough, and it would come off looking like a bad comedy.
This film went on to win several awards, play in several international film festivals, and to this day, can still move people to tears with the last 2 minutes of the film...
My film teacher had tears in her eyes when she saw my final rough cut of the film. So did almost all of my classmates.
I'm trying to edit this so I can put it on youtube because I think it's an important film. Important because even in the year 2010, mental illness is still a dirty word...
*its now 2018, and the stigma is slowly lifting...
Delusional disorder, previously called paranoid disorder, is a type of serious mental illness called a "psychosis" in which a person cannot tell what is real from what is imagined. The main feature of this disorder is the presence of delusions, which are unshakable beliefs in something untrue. People with delusional disorder experience non-bizarre delusions, which involve situations that could occur in real life, such as being followed, poisoned, deceived, conspired against, or loved from a distance. These delusions usually involve the misinterpretation of perceptions or experiences. In reality, however, the situations are either not true at all or highly exaggerated.
People with delusional disorder often can continue to socialize and function normally, apart from the subject of their delusion, and generally do not behave in an obviously odd or bizarre manner. This is unlike people with other psychotic disorders, who also might have delusions as a symptom of their disorder. In some cases, however, people with delusional disorder might become so preoccupied with their delusions that their lives are disrupted.
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i look like some crazy evil monser that just emerged from beneath your bed
ooof. dont look at the mirror. it said "perfect" from another long-ago shoot... and i forgot it was there =/
anywhooo dont we all wonder if we suffer from this at some point or another? probably. its like "clasic crazy"
day 124
Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disorder that affects about 1.1 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year. People with schizophrenia sometimes hear voices others don’t hear, believe that others are broadcasting their thoughts to the world, or become convinced that others are plotting to harm them. These experiences can make them fearful and withdrawn and cause difficulties when they try to have relationships with others. Distortions in perception may affect all five senses, including sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch, but most commonly manifest as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking with significant social or occupational dysfunction. Onset of symptoms typically occurs in young adulthood. Diagnosis is based on the patient's self-reported experiences and observed behavior. No laboratory test for schizophrenia currently exists.
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explored #2!! thanks all
i agree with Christa, this is a very serious illness that is joked about far too much...
i cant remeber the last time i used a texture... but i gave in.
I think Puddle of Mudd taught the world about this. :P
Whyyy you ask? THIS is why.
ooooh i love that song. and the video.
I watched Changeling last night.
it was AAMZINGGGG.
i totally reccomend it to you all. Its kindof disturbing though... Has a mental hospital <3
im too weird :)
day 128
Bibliomania is an obsessive–compulsive disorder involving the collecting or hoarding of books to the point where social relations or health are damaged. One of several psychological disorders associated with books, bibliomania is characterized by the collecting of books which have no use to the collector nor any great intrinsic value to a genuine book collector. The purchase of multiple copies of the same book and edition and the accumulation of books beyond possible capacity of use or enjoyment are frequent symptoms of bibliomania.
you can read all the book titles HERE
leave notes on your favorties :)
this is hopefully a little bit of a lighter subject than yesterdays. i dont have a lot of time, but this ones pretty self explanatory...
i guess if you happen to know someone with bibliomania, get help...?
it cant be good.
day 122
I had a particularly bad Sunday night and the kitchen took quite a bit of cleaning up. Mental illness is so glamourous in the films...they don't smash up kitchens, and if they do they certainly don't have to clean it up themselves afterwards.
Soft spoken with a broken jaw.
Step outside but not to brawl.
Autumn's sweet we call it fall.
I'll make it to the moon if I have to crawl and..
Trichotillomania , or "trich" as it is commonly known, is an impulse control disorder characterized by the repeated urge to pull out scalp hair, eyelashes, eyebrows or other body hair, sometimes resulting in noticeable bald patches. Trichotillomania is classified in the DSM-IV as an impulse control disorder, but there are still questions about how it should be classified. It may seem, at times, to resemble a habit, an addiction, a tic disorder or an obsessive-compulsive disorder. Trichotillomania often begins during the individual's teenage years. Depression or stress can trigger the trich. Individuals with trichotillomania live relatively normal lives; however, they may have bald spots.
An additional psychological effect can be low self-esteem, often associated with being shunned by peers and the fear of socializing due to appearance and negative attention they may receive. Some people with TTM wear hats, wigs, wear false eyelashes, eyebrow pencil, or style their hair in an effort to avoid such attention. Due to social implications the disorder is often unreported and it is difficult to predict accurately prevalence of trichotillomania; 2.5 million in the U.S. may have TTM, with a 1% prevalence rate.
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explore #1!! thanks so much everyone
this really has a much deeper personal meaning for me, actually not related to this disease at all. but yes. its perfect for today. for me.
my air conditioning died. in texas, and its HOT out. :(
I'm going away this weekend, so I won't be posting.
bye.
day 131
Autophobia is the phobia of being alone. A secondary meaning of the term is for the much rarer condition of true autophobia, that is, fear or mistrust of oneself.
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there are so many insane phobias out there that i wont do, but this one really interests me. The photo is meant to show the second, real, rare condition. Mistrust of oneself. Not wanting to be alone, because you don't know what to expect of yourself. Two people, as one. Hating each other, seeking to harm each other. Of all of the mental illnesses I've done so far, i think this one would by far be the most terrifying.
If you're enjoying the series, and are interested in this illness i
HIGHLY RECCOMEND THIS book,
by my favorite author Dean Koontz. I'm sure a lot of you have heard of him. He is beyond incredible.
day 132
so it would seem that i need to make up two 365s from this past weekend... ill get to that soon. maybe.
A beautiful morning to sit in the sun! This picture says a lot about me...the ring is inscribed with The Lord's Prayer, the bracelet on my right hand contains some of my son Brian's ashes and the link bracelet is a Medical Alert stating I have bipolar disorder and a contact person.
Erotomania can be defined as a psychological disorder in which the afflicted relentlessly pursues the notion that the object of his/her affection reciprocates his/her romantic feelings and/or fantasies. This obsession with the desired individual continues long after that individual has asserted that he/she is not interested in pursuing a romantic relationship with the afflicted. Consequently, erotomaniacs tend to stalk their victims. Characteristic of the erotomaniac (generally across the board) are the following: irrationality, a tendancy toward impulsive actions, obsessiveness, paranoia, psychotic tendancies. The erotomaniac tends to begin with simple, subtle expressions of affection to reach the object of his/her desire which later spirals out of control and can lead to expressions of anger, rage, frusteration and violence when such gestures go ignored and the victims continues to assert lack of interest. Strangely the erotomaniac fails altogether to see the victim's lack of interest.
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explore front page !! thanks all
if anyones ever seen the movie "Obsessed" its pretty much about an Erotomaniac.
I actually really like this one... NOT the disorder. the picture. Even though its by far the most akward clone ever... :P
day 127