Mental Illness and Photography

What about capturing different talents in people who are suffering from mental illness and their emotions, as in my perception it will help us to show the positive side of people suffering from mental illness to common people. It might help us to build a positive esteem of challenged people in front of others.
 
kabooi said:
:)Okay, so the title for the thread is somewhat misleading, but I was wondering...

As a sufferer of mental illness I really want to do some kind of photo project surrounding mental illness, and while I have a million thoughts swirling around my head I was just wondering if I could have some imput.

I was thinking of doing 1, some portrait work - emotions namely, with the apropriate make up and lighting etc.

Hmm...thoughts have stopped...any ideas to trigger some creativness?
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How about a series of pictures of people in various everyday situations, with a title, explaining your personal interpretation of what was going on in their head at the time of the shot. Do this for yourself but let others see them if they want to. I feel something like this can provide an interesting and simple insight into how you see the world and other people. You will be writing your own personal record to look back on and revue and evaluate. No one else involved, yours alone, something you are doing for 'you' in an attempt to understand yourself and thus gain a little more control and self assurance.

From my own experience I would just add two suggestions for anyone who suffers from depression or similar emotional problems.

Your sleep pattern. I was diagnosed with sleep Aponea at age 52 after a lifetime feeling like ****, visiting doctors who told me to stop anything enjoyable and just see what happens. Here's the thing with this affliction, it won't initially kill you or make you manifest any dramatic easy to diagnose physical symptoms so you don't know you have it. You don't die,but your body struggles to function, you are absolutely mentally exhausted ALL the time, but you have no alternative but to adapt to this state and function as best you can. As best you can, whats that add up to? Well everyone has probably experienced a period of sleep deprivation or jet lag, but sleep Aponea sufferers are walking around in this state all the time and eventually it changes every aspect of your life. It really screws up all your faculties and reactions, you are just not the real you, you have no choice but to struggle on, you mind is blunt, you are exhausted, you feel irritable, memory shot, you feel less than other people and therefore low.

Diet and allergies. This is a mine field of quackery and BS, but check out yeast overgrowth and it's effect on your system and therefore your general well being. I wish I had known about this years ago, it has been quietly undermining my health ever since I can remember. But not any more :nono:


I truly believe both sleep aponea and this yeast thing are major contributing factors in mental illness,

If you do suffer with the blues then please, please, please investigate and get your self checked for both, it will cost you nothing but may turn your life around.

I took my motor home to Bedgellert forest in wales, attached the external waste water hose to the exhaust pipe, made sure all the plugs were out of the sink and shower etc. I then had a good drink and a great meal. I cracked a bottle of Highland Park and sat there on my own in the quiet, sipping the whisky just thinking about my family and how they would be better off without me in the way, relieved to be going. I drank that whole bottle, fell asleep forgetting to start the engine and was woken the following day by my phone...

So, I have been there, it nearly got me
 
Steve that was a complicated and interesting post.
Did you try high fat/zero carb for the apnea and yeast? (Or was that a mine in the minefield?)
 
When diagnosed with sleep aponea I was prescribed CPAP treatment and after about two weeks, it made me into a new man, I can't tell you how much better I felt and still feel. Brain fog and irritability improved and the euphoria gave me a new zest to care about myself. BUT, every now and then, wallop, I would feel exhausted and ill for no discernible reason, again. I blundered on the yeast thing after giving up on doctors who fixate on that magic word 'depression', and trawling the net for other reasons why I felt so crap.

Just so I am clear, I am a master craftsman, and along with my peers, have enormous respect for my skill set and capabilities. I may be posting this on a photography forum where I am a beginner, learning new skills etc, but I am far from a weak and pathetic (unless ****ed) individual.


I offered my suggestions, justified by the strength I have gained by my own efforts to understand an unidentified condition that has dogged my life.

Sleep deprivation.

Blood poisoning from diet/metabolism.

Who would think they were suffering from either, let alone connect the dots of the symptoms.

That bloody word 'depression' the new 'cancer' too broad a label.

It all contrives to undermine your confidence to sort yourself out, but bare this in mind. IF, you give a **** you are prone, if you don't care,why would you feel down about things.

Depression is mostly the exclusive condition of the caring and passionate.

So, if you care and are a good person.

Are denied proper rest.

Have a compromised metabolism that allows toxins to thrive in your system and make you feel ill all the time.

You are at the mercy of your own understanding of the above and prone to confusion, at a time when you are at your lowest. How can you 'Pull yourself together' under those circumstances.

It turns out that the yeast allergy/overgrowth thing, compromises your system in all sorts of ways. One of which is to cause sinusitis which affects the airways, which affects how you breathe when asleep, which can cause sleep aponea!. Cure one, don't get the other etc...

Get strong and look after yourself if you can, you have tools available to help you, don't let a ten minute session with an overworked GP decide whats best for you.

That's my message, sorry to go on but I really care about this.
 
Aha! A tiny one in a wardrobe, of course.
In the Newcastle University computer block there was (is?) one and it felt like suicide every time I jumped inside. Freaky.

Steve T what do you make?
 
It's 'was' now apparently. Have a look at the Wiki entry- you were right to be worried! :lol:
 
there was an accident in 1989 at the Claremont Tower, Newcastle, thats why it was removed and an 18 month close down of all UK paternosters for safety checks.
 
This is an updated video of my model running

[YOUTUBE]NUvJLoXdj-k[/YOUTUBE]
 
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Op, what about a 'day in the life' kind of photo story? Pick a day & document it from your point of view whether it's a good day or a bad day. Maybe use some creative license to show the things you find tough or are not considered to be 'normal' in today's society just to show much of a problem they are for you.

If you want to emphasise recovery from a mental health problem then focus on the positive side.

I don't particularly like the way Depression dominates mental health threads. It is a mental health problem and it can be treated. I feel it undermines the more serious mental health illnesses (just like people having a bad week saying they are depressed undermines depression itself).

Maybe you could look at documenting a mental health problem and a mental health illness...
 
Iris said:
I don't particularly like the way Depression dominates mental health threads. It is a mental health problem and it can be treated. I feel it undermines the more serious mental health illnesses
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This is so ignorant it's almost offensive. Depression, which is an illness, tends to dominate because it's a common ailment, experienced by something like one in four people at some point during their lives. It's also very serious, just as serious as any other mental illness.
 
I think the question should be, does the OP want to do this project as part of a therapeutic process, as a statement or just because it could be a bit edgy?
My opinion is that if its going to be a therapeutic process then the practitioner will already know what's needed and no advice from anyone will help.
If its a statement being made then who is listening? Or is it a cry for help?
If its being done because its a bit edgy then **** off!
 
onona said:
This is so ignorant it's almost offensive. Depression, which is an illness, tends to dominate because it's a common ailment, experienced by something like one in four people at some point during their lives. It's also very serious, just as serious as any other mental illness.
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But it's not the only condition by far

And it is not ignorant at all, I know enough to have a considered opinion, you don't have to agree with me or like what I've said but in the majority of cases it is a problem and can be treated through one or more treatments.

Oh, and before you judge me further, I'm being treated for Depression for the third time in 12 years
 
Iris said:
But it's not the only condition by far
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I didn't say it was.

And it is not ignorant at all, I know enough to have a considered opinion, you don't have to agree with me or like what I've said but in the majority of cases it is a problem and can be treated through one or more treatments.

Oh, and before you judge me further, I'm being treated for Depression for the third time in 12 years
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Your differentiation between what you call a "problem" and an "illness" is pointless to the point of absurd.
 
onona said:
I didn't say it was.

Your differentiation between what you call a "problem" and an "illness" is pointless to the point of absurd.
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If you insist, I'm not going to argue my perspective with you
 
onona said:
Perhaps you're unfamiliar with the common colloquial use of the phrase "I know all about"; it's not a claim of expertise on a particular subject, it's a commonly used phrase denoting personal experience.
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It's not that commonly used, your post is the first time I've seen or 'heard' it used in such a way. I took it literally and you cannot blame me for doing so. You said you know all about mental illness which you now admit you do not. Don't forget that we're not all from the same region or even country on these boards.

Also, in what way am I arrogant?
 
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Michael you might be from Yorkshire ... "I know all about" is a very very common phrase in Yorkshire. 'Appen. Aye.
"I know all about ferrets" simply means "I have a decent amount of experience with ferrets" rather than "I know EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW about ferrets."

On-topic! It's a first.

(I never did the over-the-top in the Claremont tower paternoster...)
 
Ulfric M Douglas said:
"I know all about ferrets" simply means "I have a decent amount of experience with ferrets" rather than "I know EVERYTHING THERE IS TO KNOW about ferrets."
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You try telling a Yorkshireman that he doesn't know everything about ferrets (especially if he's a Dalesman)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wouldn't want to be within 5 miles of that explosion!! :lol:
 
onona said:
Your differentiation between what you call a "problem" and an "illness" is pointless to the point of absurd.
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but only in your opinion - stating it repeatedly doesn't make it a fact (and on topic clinical depression is an illness - but a lot of people who say 'oh i'm depressed' actually mean they are down/miserable etc , not that they are actually clinically depressed - and that's a problem but not an illness)
 
big soft moose said:
but only in your opinion - stating it repeatedly doesn't make it a fact (and on topic clinical depression is an illness - but a lot of people who say 'oh i'm depressed' actually mean they are down/miserable etc , not that they are actually clinically depressed - and that's a problem but not an illness)
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Huh? You're contradicting yourself; we are not talking about people saying they're feeling a bit blue, we are talking about depression. Two different things. But by all means, if you think that depression being an illness is just "my" opinion, then so be it. Just be aware though that not only does my opinion disagree with yours then, so does medical science's.

Or perhaps you just didn't actually bother to read the post I originally replied to, which stated that depression isn't an illness, just a "problem". Which is why I said that the differentiation was pointless.
 
onona said:
Huh? You're contradicting yourself; we are not talking about people saying they're feeling a bit blue, we are talking about depression. Two different things. But by all means, if you think that depression being an illness is just "my" opinion, then so be it. Just be aware though that not only does my opinion disagree with yours then, so does medical science's.

Or perhaps you just didn't actually bother to read the post I originally replied to, which stated that depression isn't an illness, just a "problem". Which is why I said that the differentiation was pointless.
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No - Clinical depression is a medical condition or illness (as i said in my previous post)

non clinical depression - ie people who say "oh i'm depressed" without a medical diagnosis is not an illness - (although it can be a symptom of various illnesses including but not limited to clinical depression)

Medical science says the same

However what i was referring to was your assertion that iris's differentiation between the two was "pointless to the point of the absurd" That is just your opinion - not any kind of fact.
 
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big soft moose said:
No - Clinical depression is an illness (as i said in my previous post)

non clinical depression - ie people who say "oh i'm depressed" is not an illness

Medical science says the same

However what i was referring to was your assertion that iris's differentiation between the two was "ridiculous to the point of the absurd" That is just your opinion - not any kind of fact , and won't become more true the more you repeat it
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FFS. I am not talking about "non clinical depression". You keep saying I don't need to repeat myself, but despite repeating myself, you're still not getting it.

You have still CLEARLY not bothered to read the original post I was responding to. So here it is against quoted just for your benefit:

I don't particularly like the way Depression dominates mental health threads. It is a mental health problem and it can be treated. I feel it undermines the more serious mental health illnesses (just like people having a bad week saying they are depressed undermines depression itself).

Maybe you could look at documenting a mental health problem and a mental health illness...
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Iris is clearly stating that all depression is simply a "problem", differentiating it from non-specified other mental "illnesses" and suggesting that depression isn't as serious as these other illnesses, on account of the fact that depression is "just a problem". I am not saying that differentiating between blues and clinical depression is pointless, I'm saying that labelling depression as a "problem" and not an "illness" compared to other mental illnesses is an absurd differentiation to make.

Do you see now why I am disagreeing? If not, then I'm not going to bother explaining again because if that's going to be the case then it's because you're just looking for an argument.
 
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Ulfric M Douglas said:
On-topic! It's a first.

(I never did the over-the-top in the Claremont tower paternoster...)
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I have been over and under on a paternoster, but not the Claremont tower, it was at Colchester Essex Uni's library paternoster I went all the way round eight times, fantastic, I could have stayed on it all day :D
 
onona said:
Iris is clearly stating that all depression is simply a "problem", differentiating it from non-specified other mental "illnesses" and suggesting that depression isn't as serious as these other illnesses, on account of the fact that depression is "just a problem".

Do you see now why I am disagreeing? If not, then I'm not going to bother explaining again because if that's going to be the case then it's because you're just looking for an argument.
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I understand what you are saying - but that doesn't mean i agree

I'm not going to argue the semantics of illness versus problem.

However whilst i'm not saying depression isn't serious , it isn't necessarily as serious in every case as for example paranoid schizophrenia or alzheimers, etc, but it gets far more exposure and tends to dominate every discussion of mental health - which is what Iris was was saying originally.

Now okay you don't agree with me or iris and thats fine, it would be a very boring world if everyone agreed about everything, but you need to wrap your head around the concept that not everything you happen to disagree with is pointless or wrong (and i'm done with this discussion as i can see it quickly becoming circular)
 
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onona said:
....
Iris is clearly stating that all depression is simply a "problem", differentiating it from non-specified other mental "illnesses" and suggesting that depression isn't as serious as these other illnesses, on account of the fact that depression is "just a problem". I am not saying that differentiating between blues and clinical depression is pointless, I'm saying that labelling depression as a "problem" and not an "illness" compared to other mental illnesses is an absurd differentiation to make.

Do you see now why I am disagreeing? If not, then I'm not going to bother explaining again because if that's going to be the case then it's because you're just looking for an argument.
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No I'm not saying that at all, what I was trying to say that Depression is a Mental Health problem. In the majority of cases sufferers can be treated & will never have a repeat occurrence. Mental Health illnesses such as Schizophrenia, Dementia, Bi-Polar are not curable, a sufferer suffers for life. However, Depression often dominates these types of discussion, maybe it is because it is experiences by so many.

Thanks BSM, you got my point exactly :thumbs:
 
Crikey - I find myself agreeing with everyone - to a point. My head might explode.

It seems to me the issue here is one of semantics and perception.

I was diagnosed with clinical depression. It will never be cured. I have learned how to manage it, most of the time. I'm OK with that.

You have to think in terms of a scale of seriousness and "curability"

Each individual is at a different point on this scale called depression. Therefore, no-one can possibly know what depression means for any individual without knowing them very well. Even then, it's highly unlikely you can really know.

I am not talking about any other form of mental illness here, just what we call depression.
 
Oh, meant to say I 100% agree with this.

Simon photo said:
I think the question should be, does the OP want to do this project as part of a therapeutic process, as a statement or just because it could be a bit edgy?
My opinion is that if its going to be a therapeutic process then the practitioner will already know what's needed and no advice from anyone will help.
If its a statement being made then who is listening? Or is it a cry for help?
If its being done because its a bit edgy then **** off!
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We still have a lot of assumptions flying around despite not knowing the OP's reasons for doing this.

I'm only making this point for the third time ;)
 
Iris said:
No I'm not saying that at all, what I was trying to say that Depression is a Mental Health problem. In the majority of cases sufferers can be treated & will never have a repeat occurrence. Mental Health illnesses such as Schizophrenia, Dementia, Bi-Polar are not curable, a sufferer suffers for life. However, Depression often dominates these types of discussion, maybe it is because it is experiences by so many.

Thanks BSM, you got my point exactly :thumbs:
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According to MIND, Schizophrenia, Dementia and Bi-Polarism (aka mania or manic depression) are all mental health problems.

There's no clinical difference between a mental health problem, illness or strictly speaking a disorder.
 
One day we will look upon how mental health is understood today in the same way we now look back on dentistry or surgery of two hundred years ago. We are still in the dark ages at the moment I fear. I think the term 'depression' is too general for what can be a massively varied range of symptoms and causes that create chronic low mood. At least 'cancer' has the 'of the' after it, 'depression' covers the whole horrible disease. I see depression as a symptom not the whole illness. If we had terms such as coronary, grief, arthritis or say allergy induced depression, experts would soon pop up in each category, some might even be worth a toss and become specialists edging towards a cure. If they spent as much on researching the physical causes as they do on drugs, we would, I personally think, be much further down the road to various cures and treatment.

Also, I think learning photography as a means of easing the feelings of depression is a disaster. Too much BS and confusing terminology for anyone seeking a gentle artistic release from stress and low mood. Only really handsome, intelligent god like beings can master it;)
 
Steve T said:
Only really handsome, intelligent god like beings can master it;)
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Thank you for that unexpected compliment. Most kind! :lol:

I totally agree with the rest of your comment though. Psychology is still very much a dark art.
 
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