Photo taken by contributor Alyssa, a 23-year-old woman from Michigan who has a BFA with an emphasis in photography from Northern Michigan University. Her fine art reflects controversial and personal subjects. She was diagnosed with general anxiety at the age of 10. She then went through a depressive state between 20-22 years old. Her anxiety is still is an issue today but she has learned to see life in a better way.
About this photo: “This photo is from a series I did over the last few years while struggling with depression and anxiety. Hopeless and uncertain about my identity, I struggled in silence. I began to direct my thoughts into a journal. The series of images and corresponding journal entries that emerged, document my past two years and how I felt during each entry. The work is my way of officially closing the door on my past.
The following text accompanied the above photo…
August 2014: Coming off of an antidepressant is one of those obstacles I keep trying to hurtle over, but I keep tripping over my feet. You think I would know this by now after weaning off of three different medications. Every time I become obsessive about trying to find supplements to take the edge off. Trying to get off a med by stuffing more pills in my body, theres my logic. And every time I pick the worst possible time to try and wean off. I know my thoughts are in the right place. I dont want to be medically altered, but maybe I will need to accept that I need to be. Its hard, it really is. I wish and pray to the stars that I can be different. There is one thing I always wish the most, just to be happy. It shouldnt be this difficult to achieve.”
Find more from Alyssa at her website.
**Visit Broken Light’s main gallery here ▸ Now a 501(c)3 non-profit! Please donate here.
*Facebook & Twitter @BrokenLighCo & @DanielleHark. Follow for e-mail notifications.
Broken Light Collective 