For this project, I would like to focus on ‘Invisible Illnesses’ and how they can affect people’s day to day life.
In December 2019, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, a long-term condition that causes pain all over the body as well as a large number of other symptoms. I have had symptoms for a very long time, however not knowing what was causing the aches and pains, I was always told to ‘stop complaining’ and lots of other things. On top of this, I have always struggled with severe depression and anxiety due to several factors from childhood. A lot of people who do not have these problems, will not understand what it is like and will often, as I have noticed, take their health for granted, they also tend to believe that if you can do something easily one day, that you can do it every day. Still, they don’t understand that every day is different.
A lot of people believe that because we don’t ‘look sick’ that we are making it up or being overdramatic, but these conditions that are ‘invisible’ can affect someone’s life to an extreme amount. I for one find it very difficult to get a job, hence why I am currently in the process of applying for benefits, which I have been criticised for as people have told me I am merely lazy.
In the last couple of months, I have tried to connect with people with other illnesses similar to mine to see how they deal with their situations, and a lot of us seem to have similar problems. My Boyfriends nan has got Parkinson’s disease, which also has some unseen aspects to it, which can vary from day to day. Sometimes, she can walk around the house quickly, but other times she can’t even get out of her chair.
I would like to try and put this issue and idea into a project so that people can try to understand how difficult life can be when you have an illness like this. But also to allow them to understand maybe why some people are not able to do things or for example if someone who looks ‘healthy’ is parked in a disabled space.
I will be mostly focusing on my boyfriend’s nan with her Parkinson’s and other conditions that she has alongside this by photographing her daily life and the struggles that come along with it. She likes to feed the foxes in the evening as it gives her pleasure due to her not being able to do much. I would like to possibly bring in some archival images showing her when she was ‘well’ and was able to move around quickly as it is surprisingly sad to see how much life changes once you are burdened with a condition like hers. So much can change, losing friends, changing routines, having a low mood, etc.
I feel this project will also help me to learn how to cope with my illness, so I would like to use it as a coping mechanism to get me up and motivated as it is a subject that I have grown very passionate about in the last couple of years.