One of the images I presented in week 1 at the webinar considered the miserably poor vocabulary we have for mental illness. Through photographs we can visually explain how people suffering from mental health issues may feel. The emotions are difficult and we find it hard to express these in words.
The image portrays a person tormented by mental illness. They feel isolated, worthless, ashamed and judged. They are reaching out for help, unable to verbalise how they feel for fear of rejection. Photographs have the power to open dialogues on taboo subjects, raising awareness and enabling those suffering to talk about it.
There is more to come on this project, taboos and stigma need to be broken.
Figure 1: Sutherst 2016
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