Photography by first-time contributor Katie McLaughlin, a teenager from Connecticut. Katie was first diagnosed with bipolar disorder and anxiety when she was thirteen years old. She has since been hospitalized many times due to both manic and depressive episodes. Thanks to medication, therapy, family, and friends, she is finally starting to live life to the fullest.
About this photo: “This photograph was taken in my backyard at the end of fall. At the time I was coming out of a depression and thought it would be good to go outside to get some fresh air. As I was walking to my backyard I noticed a leaf and thought it was beautiful. So I went back inside and grabbed my camera. This picture represents a lot to me. The leaf may be falling apart but it’s still able to keep itself together. The light is able to peak through which brings me to one of my favorite quotes, “It is during our darkest moments that we must focus to see the light.” Living with a mental illness makes it really hard to believe that everything will work out in the end, but I have learned that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel, or in this case, a light coming through the leaf.“
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