Photos taken by first-time contributor Ella, a 23-year-old woman who struggles with a mood disorder. Her disorder shows itself in various ways, including depression, anxiety, and impulse control issues. Things in life that should be simple, such as studying, working, and socializing, are difficult for Ella because of her mental health challenges as well as dyslexia. Things started to look up when she sought help. She now manages with a combination of therapies, medication, diet, and a healthy lifestyle.

About these photos: “4 faces of depression is made up of photos I took between filming during my video journal phase. For a few weeks I tried video journaling my moods as a way of expressing myself. This became harder on the days I felt really low because I wasn’t motivated to talk. The day I took these photos I had stepped back into photography over film to self document.” 

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