Photo taken by first-time contributor Mark, a man in his thirties who has struggled with depression and social anxiety since he was a teenager. An isolated existence and stressful job recently led to a breakdown that forced him to leave his career. His love of photography, however, stayed with him throughout. In recent years, working on his fashion photography became extremely difficult, but he managed to find space for it in some capacity, even when everything else in life has got to be too much.

About this photo: “I have always projected an image of being capable and that I am fine. I did everything to uphold this view of myself hoping I’d somehow find a way to be ok. After my breakdown, I was so frightened and alone that taking pictures of myself somehow made my feelings real and felt like I had shared what my life was really like, even if no one ever saw them. Before leaving my job and my flat, I would often sit here in my room at night trying to figure out how I was going to cope with my despair and face another day.” 

Find more from Mark at his website.

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