Through our lens: personal stories of mental illness is an exhibition featuring photos of San Diegans with mental illness. There are two photos of each person: one a color portrait, the other a black-and-white image suggesting the strain of the societal stigma attached to mental illness. The captions in this gallery are excerpted from longer descriptions in the exhibition. Use the View Slideshow link above or read full story.
Photo by Tina Scott
I have bipolar disorder and I’m a wonderful great aunt. -Tina Scott
If I hide, I feel comfortable – I feel safe. I stay hidden. -Alan Brue
I have bipolar disorder and I am an artist. -Alan Brue
To my siblings, I’m fine when I do what they say, but I’m “crazy” when I don’t. I feel manipulated. -Alex Acosta
I have schizoaffective disorder and I’m a father. -Alex Acosta
When I was first diagnosed, I felt like damaged goods. I lost the job I had held for nearly 20 years. I was made to feel broken. -Bob Hebbler
I have major depression and I am a teacher. -Bob Hebbler
During my stays in the hospital, staff would hover over me, treating me like I needed extra assistance even though I didn’t. I am trapped by the stigma that comes with my mental illness. -Daniel Schwartz
I have bipolar disorder and I am an athlete. -Daniel Schwartz
If my opinion is different, even people who know me ask if I’m “off my meds.” If I had multiple sclerosis or diabetes, I finally would be accepted and included. I wouldn’t feel so different. -Earth Clemons
I have bipolar disorder and I’m a teacher. -Earth Clemons
A family member doesn’t believe in mental illness or ECT even though I was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Their feelings about what I go through make me feel misunderstood. -Erin Ross
I have schizophrenia and I am a good daughter. -Erin Ross
While I was on parole, I couldn’t be honest with my psychiatrist or my parole officer because I was afraid they would send me back to prison. I was no longer in prison, but I still felt imprisoned – caged in by the stigma of my illness. -Larry Goza
I have schizophrenia and I’m a cowboy – a real cowboy. -Larry Goza
I don’t tell people about my depression. I’m worried I’ll be singled out by my coworkers, alienated from them, and maybe even fired. I remain silent so I can be treated like everybody else. -Mark Jeffrey
I have major depression and I’m a great employee. -Mark Jeffrey
Strangers call me “retarded” and stay away because of my schizophrenia. I feel like a reject. -Matt Redinger
I have schizophrenia and I’m a videographer. -Matt Redinger
At the age of 16 I was diagnosed with schizophrenia. I was afraid people would think I was crazy because in movies, people with mental illnesses are in insane asylums or straitjackets. My outlook left me feeling hopeless. -Mildred Cordero
I have schizophrenia and I am employed. -Mildred Cordero
I experienced symptoms in front of one of my co-workers at the movie theater. He reacted by saying, “I’m pretty scared, Nate. Are you going to cut my head off?” It made me feel like a monster. -Nate Nicholson
I have schizoaffective disorder and I am a college graduate. -Nate Nicholson
One day I was talking to myself. (My employer) questioned me without considering that I had been working for him for over a year. I got fired on the spot. I felt like I belonged, but I was really out of place. -Orlando Chavez
I have schizophrenia and I am a good friend. -Orlando Chavez
When someone says they want to help you then treats you like garbage, it becomes difficult to trust people. I never want to feel that again, so I run away. -Robert Burns
I have schizophrenia and I am productive. -Robert Burns
