Man Exposes His Vulnerable Side in Self-Portraits About Depression and Anxiety
Photographer Danny Richardson has been living with depression and anxiety for years, and in a bid to show the world how mental illness has affected his life, he recently shared several raw self-portraits with his Facebook community.
“During times of depression I’ve always thought about creating images that are inspired by my feelings, but I wasn’t physically motivated to start the project,” Richardson, 31, told The Mighty. Richardson said he has felt better over the last few months, so he decided to move forward with the mini photo series, “Depression, Anxiety & Insecurity.”
“So many people seem to be affected by mental illness in some way,” Richardson added. “I have personal experience with it within my family and friends, so I wanted to let them and anybody else who is struggling know that it is OK to speak up.”
Richardson has also had problems with his weight, which are addressed in the series, and he explained that he decided to go nude to convey vulnerability.
“In Ruins”
“This represents the overwhelming darkness I feel when I’m depressed. Despite the beauty of my surroundings I am blinded – unable to focus on anything else but problems and negativity.”
“Hold On, Be Strong”
“This image represents that feeling of being on the edge — and clinging on for survival. There is both a sense of anxiety that you might fall but also a strength that you can carry on.”
“Weight of Expectations”
“As I said, I have issues with my weight. I’ve always been skinny. I’ve found that stress has caused me to lose more weight which has then led to insecurity. I’m often reminded by people of this very obvious fact that I’m skinny. It’s like they think they’re being observant but if they really were they’d see that the comments don’t help. I also place unnecessary stress upon myself — the fear of not succeeding, or being able to provide for my family creates its own weight of expectation that I struggle to deal with at times.”
For more of Danny Richardson’s photography, be sure to visit his Facebook page and website.