Photo taken by contributor Kyle Anderson, a man from Saskatchewan, Canada. Kyle has struggled with an anxiety disorder for most of his life. After a traumatic accident ended his career in health care, his life became unmanageable and he sought out the help that he so desperately needed. As a longtime photographer, when he found Broken Light Collective in an article it instantly resonated. He now runs a photography program at his local mental health association. He has since become a certified mental health peer specialist and advocate. He also writes local editorial and uses his platform to help erase the stigma of mental illness in his community.

About this photo: “How many times do you say that you’re fine?
How many times, when every neuron, synapse and cell in your body screams no, do you avert your eyes and mutter you’re okay? When the fear inside you explodes like a supernova. When the depression crushes you like a black hole, you say, “yeah, I’m alright.” You know they’re not really going to get it anyway if you explain how you’re really feeling. They’ll get “that look” on their face and mutter something awkward about being late and start looking for an exit.
You feel like a single blade of grass in a vast barren landscape where you can see the shadows the clouds cast as they pass overhead. A place where the sky carries a weight almost unbearable. You close your eyes and hope that something, anything, will push that sky away.”

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