Category: Consumed
It’s Not All In Your Head. Consumed: Mental Illness Through Photography
What if mental illnesses were shown on the outside?
Would we still be afraid to ask for help?
Since I was 13 years old I have fought depression, anxiety and bouts of insomnia. Since then I have tried to explain what that pain, discomfort, emptiness, and apathetic nature feels like to people. Often the words would come up short, and even the poems, songs, and stories I wrote didn’t seem to fully paint a picture into someones head to make them understand what I was going through. As I increasingly became aware of the lack of education and the stigma that surrounds mental illness and mental health, I thought about trying a different approach.
And that’s when the Consumed: Mental Illness Through Photography project was born.
Mental Illness Through Photography: Anxiety & Depression (October Update)
What if mental illnesses were shown on the outside?
Would we still be afraid to ask for help?
Often times I’m asked what it feels like when the depression hits. Is it just sadness? Do you just want to isolate yourself and be alone? I mean yes, it is. But theres so much more. It feels like there’s a hand inside of my head that is pulling on the back of both of my eyes, slowly encasing me in myself. It makes you feel like you want to cry, but for me, no tears ever come. It’s like there’s a black hole sitting in the middle of my chest that is sucking any little bit of life that I have out of me. From the tips of my fingers to the bottom of my feet, I feel everything start to retract. And I go numb. It can happen when I’m in a room full of laughing people who I could consider my best friends. And out of no where it’ll hit me like a truck. And often times all I can do is watch as the truck approaches, caught like a deer in the headlights. I’ll start to slip. And my mind feels heavy with pressure as doubts flood in and I start to question even the most concrete parts of my life.
The text above is from a piece I wrote a few months ago trying to describe what depression, and to an extent, anxiety, feel like to me.
Now. a few months later, not only do I have words to describe what it feels like, but photos. These shots come from my project Consumed: Mental Illness Through Photography that looks to depict different mental illnesses externally instead of internally. Over the last few weeks I spent time with two models to personify the darkness I feel that consumes me on a daily basis.
I hope these photos help you represent what you fight like they did for me, and I hope those who have trouble understanding what anxiety and depression feels like, understand a little more.
See more shots below. Also expect another update on the Consumed photo series next month as I have two new ideas with two more shoots scheduled to continue to personify my interpretation of depression and anxiety. Feel free to follow the site with your email to get updates, or find us on twitter and facebook.
And always remember you are not alone.
You are loved.
PF
Want to submit to this site and share your story, art, or article? Email wemustbebroken@gmail.com
Mental Illness Through Photography: Anxiety
What if mental illnesses were shown on the outside?
Would we still be afraid to ask for help?
The slideshow below is showcasing some of the shots that were taken during my last photo shoot for my project Consumed. As someone who has personally fought both depression and anxiety I looked for a way to personify this invisible illness that no one can see.
Consumed: Photography Through Mental Illness (Teaser Video)
What if mental illness was shown on the outside?
Hey All!
I made a small video showcasing what it was like setting up some of the end shots from the photoshoot I posted about yesterday. I really want to start getting more behind the scenes footage to make a full video at the completion of the project in the spring.
For those who don’t know I’m currently producing a photo series entitled “Consumed” that looks to challenge our idea of what mental illness is by portraying attributes of the illnesses externally instead of internally.
If we can make the invisible visible maybe we can start to end some of the stigma that surrounds us all.
Check out the video below, and feel free to subscribe as it’s the official Dear Hope youtube channel!
You are loved.
PF
Consumed (Anxiety): A Behind The Scenes Look At The Next Series
The Consumed project continued the other night with the focus this time being on Anxiety.
We worked for 6 hours as a team to bring to life and personify what anxiety would feel like as an external factor instead of an internal factor. I’m so proud of the team and effort and passion everyone involved brought. I couldn’t have done it without them. But while I’m working on the photos post shoot I thought I would share some of the behind the scenes photos taken. Take a look in the slideshow below.
Find more of the consumed project here. And be on the lookout for more projects and updates as the fall continues.
PF
What If Depression Was Shown On The Outside?
Would we still try to fight it alone?
These were the first shots done in May for my “Consumed” photo project that I’ll be picking up again in September. I’ll be branching out to show different illnesses with different body art in the form of 20 new photos.
What if mental illness was shown on the outside instead of the inside? Would we still try to fight it alone?
Copyright Paul M. Falcone
Consumed – Still Fighting
Consumed: Losing The Fight
What If depression was shown on the outside?
Would we still try to fight it alone?
Copyright Paul M. Falcone
“Consumed” Photo Series (unedited preview)
Decided to start a photography project that deals with mental illness called “Consumed”. Many know and relate to the idea of being consumed by it. Unedited preview of a larger work to come! Find future editions here.
© Paul M. Falcone
Dear Hope 