Because They Smile

Photos taken by “Ms. Anthropic” at Progressively Postnatal, who has struggled with mental illness as far back as her memories can reach. She is 27 years old, and has lived in Indiana all of her life.

About these photos: I am an English major with a concentration in Creative Writing, and I have been a volunteer with the National Suicide Hotline for two years.  Along with helping others in dealing with their depression, I myself have struggled with severe depression for most of my life, and was diagnosed with BiPolar Disorder roughly fifteen years ago.  I struggled on and off with anxiety, self-mutilation, and bulimia as a teenager; although I feel much more comfortable in my skin these days, I still have my moments of doubt, and struggle to keep myself from falling back into my old destructive ways. My dogs keep me going on my worst days, and I am forever indebted to them.  The swimming dog is Roxanne – she is the goofy one, and lives to play.  In “Longing”, the dog looking out over the water is Lola – she is the shy one, and she’s an amazing cuddler (despite her horrible breath).  Because they are Dalmatians, they smile (especially when they’ve done something bad), and those smiles are the things that save me.

**Submit photos to Broken Light here. **We’re now on Facebook & Twitter! Like us for additional work, announcements, links, etc.