Time to Change has launched “Get the Picture”, a campaign to end the use of head-clutching pictures in stories about depression.
All too often stories about mental health are illustrated with pictures like this:
But of course, people experiencing depression, anxiety, and many other mental illnesses often look exactly like somebody who isn't, as we found when we gathered stories and pictures from times when people have been suffering these conditions:
Evgenyatamanenko / Getty Images
"I remember how difficult it still was for me to get out of bed every morning."
"In autumn 2013, I studied in England (my home university is in Naperville, Illinois). I'd been battling with depression and anxiety for almost two full years. This photo was taken about halfway through my time abroad, when my mom (on the right) came to visit me for a week. I was obviously SO excited for her to be there, but was also having some really difficult internal battles, was cutting myself, and was so embarrassed. I felt like nothing I was doing was helping me feel better.
"We took so many photos during her visit and had so much fun exploring and spending time together, but whenever I see these photos, I remember how difficult it still was for me to get out of bed every morning, even to enjoy one of the most beautiful countries in the world with my best friend." – Anna Kopsky
Anna Kopsky
"My life had fallen into a routine of harming myself."
"My first two years of university were hard, both for me and those close to me. I was feeling very low, self-harming regularly and not eating. At this point I had told my parents about my depression, but I held back on telling anyone the scale of the damage I was causing myself.
"My life had fallen into a routine of harming myself, and then feeling better for a few days, before slowly sinking back down until I needed another "fix". Medication helped to take the edge off how I was feeling, but it never really went away. Those closest to me had the hardest job of keeping me above water, but to the outsider looking in, I was just a normal guy who thought hiding under a table was a great way of getting a cheap laugh." – Rehaan Ansari
Rehaan Ansari
"My family were great, but they didn't know what I was going through."
"In this picture it was 2012, I was 17, and after a long six months of being bullied through sixth form and suffering with depression, anxiety, and an attempted suicide, my mother thought it would be a nice idea for me to visit family in New York.
"Even though I had the best time seeing family I hadn't seen in a very long time and exploring a new and amazing country, I was still depressed and suffering with incredibly low self-esteem.
"My family were great, but they didn't know what I was going through, and I didn't want to share it and burden them with my problems. I loved this time in America, but I can't help but feel a pang of regret when I remember how it was almost wasted because of my illness." – Jess Kwamin
Jess Kwamin
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