It Comes from Within (2022)
Mental health has been a topic that not a lot of people talk about. They are not aware of the effect that depression, anxiety, bipolar and other mental illnesses have on a person. Some people struggle greatly and we do not talk about it enough. This project is my attempt to show how I perceive these disorders and to spread awareness to let others know that some people are struggling emotionally and mentally; yet, we are not helping them enough.
Bipolar
Bipolar is a mental illness that causes mood, energy, and concentration shifts. One shift is called the maniac episode, where a person is extremely happy and has very energized behavior. The other shift is known as a depressive episode, where a person feels sad, indifferent, and hopeless. I decided to portray this disorder with two portraits and digitally collage it in opposite ways to show the highest high and the lowest now.
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a long-term mental illness with different psychological symptoms like hallucinations, delusions, losing interest in everyday tasks, not caring about hygiene, and wanting to be alone. Doctors know it as psychosis, which means a person cannot always differentiate their thoughts and ideas from reality. I portrayed schizophrenia in eight different portraits and combined them to show that all these emotions come from one person.
Paranoia
When a person has paranoia, they tend to think and feel like they are being threatened even though there is no evidence that they are. Paranoia can also be described as delusions. For this disorder, I focused on the eyes. I played with the shutter speed and moved my eyes in a circular motion to show how a paranoid person keeps thinking and feeling like they are being threatened.
Anxiety
This portrays (GAD) which is Generalized Anxiety Disorder. I have been struggling with anxiety ever since I went into remission from chemotherapy. The feeling of anxiety to me is feeling numb, losing focus, losing the ability to concentrate, and finding it hard to breathe. It feels like I lost control of my mind and body, and the only thing I can feel and hear is my heart palpitating. I use grain in my portrait to show my numbness and how it takes over the body, and mind.
Depression
Depression is the most common mental health condition that most people struggle with. It often develops alongside anxiety. It has symptoms that can affect how a person feels and thinks. It can also affect how they handle regular activities like eating, sleeping, and working. I portrayed this disorder by digitally collaging two portraits making one portrait showing a smile. While the other shows the numbness, they feel. I combined both portraits and made it look like the smiling portrait was being taken over by the numbness portrait to make it seem like darkness had taken over.