For this composition, I wanted to discuss the issue of mental health. This is something that affects everyone from all different ages, classes, genders, etc. Whether one likes to admit it or not, they have experienced something in their life that has affected their mental health, and is something that I struggle with as well.
In my composition, I took a picture from downtown on a rainy cloudy day and layered a photo of a rainy window pane over it and turned the opacity down to create a gloomy somber feel. I then added the text "I'M FINE" multiple times and layered it, with the opacity still down. This is to show that when people ask how someone is, they never say how they actually are. They divert and say that they are fine when in reality, they are struggling but don't want to get into it because they feel that they are alone and no one will understand them. This is also emphasized with having no one shown in the photo to show that some people feel that they are alone in this world with no one to lean or rely on. I then added a "NOT" in a red brush font to show what people are not saying. Adding this one simple word could allow people to talk about their feelings and possibly get better, but it can be so scary opening up and being vulnerable that people stay closed off and say they are fine when their minds are really clouded with bottled up emotions.
Mental health is a social issue because of the following facts*:
- Depression is a leading cause of death for 15-19 year olds
- Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for 15-19 year olds
- Mental health issues impairs physical, and emotional health along with mental.
- Half of mental health conditions go undiagnosed/untreated starting by the age of 14
- There is a stigma around having mental health issues that if you have problems, you are less than good enough so people will suppress their problems rather than address them to keep their social status amongst their peers
There are countless amounts of different types of mental illness ranging from stress to depression and everything in between. This information is also available on the website listed below.
1-800-273-8255
*All facts are from https://medlineplus.gov/mentaldisorders.html
