Crazy Talk

This project is a visual exploration into the language of mental health. I wanted to explore how words such as 'crazy', 'nuts' and 'bananas' are casually used to describe mental health issues and are spoken in everyday life without much thought. A portrait sits next to a food object depicting the words, connotations and stigmas the subjects have experienced - words flippantly used to describe others or emotions. These subjects suffer with mental health issues and have shared their stories. One in four people will experience a mental health problem at some point in their lives. According to the World Health Organization 350 million people worldwide suffer from depression and rates of self-harm in the UK are the highest in Europe. Nine out of 10 people with mental health problems say stigmas have a negative effect on their lives. Would it be crazy to think we could change these attitudes?