Rescued By Photography

[Warhorse]

Well, congrats to both of you on your sobriety! I have had a hell of a time just trying to quit nicotine. Went good for about 5-6 months but unfortunately just relapsed not to long ago. It's not an easy road, that's for sure.

Never quit quitting.

I smoked for 40 years, kept quitting time after time for the last 10 years until I finally was successful. Smoke free for 4 years now.

 

[pjaye]

I'm bIpolar and my world crashed in 2011. After 5 days in a coma, and 12 days in ICU, I was sent home. It wasn't a good situation. I finally packed up my life, left my ex husband and his very abusive father and moved an hour away from everybody. Photography saved me. It allowed me to finally be good at something, and got me out of the house.

Not many people in my life know my story, but I don't think I would have made it without photography.

When I'm having a really bad day, I grab my camera, go for a hike and cry if iI need to.

 

[limr]

It takes guts to share such personal stories that are in this thread. Kudos!

I don't have stories of being saved by photography. I've certainly had incidents of feeling that I would go insane if I didn't have some time alone and the camera has provided an excuse. It also helps me focus during times when I can't get my brain to shut the hell up (which happens all too often. My brain is far too busy for its own good.) And it provides me a challenge, and I always need to feel challenged by something. It's one of the reasons I still shoot film and totally manual cameras - it forces me to think, and often in ways that I'm not used to thinking, and there's no safety net that allows me to cheat, so therein lies the challenge. Use it or lose it, y'know? And I really don't want to lose it.

Plus, and I've mentioned this before, I have always wanted an artistic outlet but can't draw or paint or sculpt or anything like that for sh*te, so the camera allows me that outlet.

 

[minicoop1985]

I give those of you who have shared your stories a lot of credit. It takes some serious guts to share stories like these, and most of you have much more difficult stories than my own.

For me, I wouldn't say PHOTOGRAPHY has saved me, but cameras have done a lot for me. I too have bipolar disorder and an education to do something that someone with bipolar disorder and a long history of suicide attempts can't do. After a very, very long search for another job after losing my horrible security job due to medical issues (not crying over that one-it was a good excuse to leave), I found myself actually making a living repairing and selling film cameras. I also stumbled upon a free-ish (long story) DSLR, and decided to try and sharpen my skills (pun intended), which eventually led to me taking product shots for a few local businesses and a number of individuals. Here I am now, enjoying what I do A LOT, and making waaaay more money than I did as a security guard. So while rescued may not be the right word, it's definitely helped.

 

[mmaria]

love this thread :thumbup:

I don't have a problem sharing personal stories, nor I think that needs lots of guts to do such a thing. The guts is needed for learning to be honest with yourself. If you're honest with yourself then it's easy to be honest with everyone and share everything. Sharing a story is extremely helpful!

Photography did save me. It saved my sanity.
I wrote about that a bit in my blog so I'll just quote it here:

"In a wonderful way, photography saved me.Half of my life I lived in another country. I came back to my home town because I got married for a guy who lives here.
I was aware what will happen with me in this small town, nevertheless I choose that life. Problems came shortly after moving. I had nothing to do here. I had no friends and no proper job.


I left a large town, busy life, lots of friends, happenings and strangers on the street. I got nature, silence in the air, lack of everything I’m used to and people who think they know who I am just by knowing who my parents are.


I was trying to assimilate with the surroundings for a while , to socialize with some people but I couldn't do it properly. Yeah, I’m taking all the blame for that…
I realized, better be with yourself then with anyone. Being alone is not the same as being lonely, you know?

I had to do something with myself… That was the time when Photography became a part of my life...."

I'm not interested in gossiping and small talks, but for the last 4 years I'm constantly faced with it. I'm oversensitive to people with two faces. I can't swim here. I'm drowning.

Photography gave my brain something nice to think about and helped me to think differently about this place.

...and also ex smoker

 

[pjaye]

nor I think that needs lots of guts to do such a thing. The guts is needed for learning to be honest with yourself. If you're honest with yourself then it's easy to be honest with everyone and share everything. Sharing a story is extremely helpful!

I'm going to have to disagree with you on this. It's not easy for me to share with everyone or share everything. I don't tell many people about my story because those with mental health issues still get heavily judged. There are many people in my life that do not know the full story or even the partial story (which is what I posted here). I also get judged a lot for the reason I ended up in the coma.

And yes, I realize I've just shared my story with everyone who ever reads this board, but mostly, I'm pretty anonomous here, I know that no one I know personally is on this board.

 

[mmaria]

nor I think that needs lots of guts to do such a thing. The guts is needed for learning to be honest with yourself. If you're honest with yourself then it's easy to be honest with everyone and share everything. Sharing a story is extremely helpful!

I'm going to have to disagree with you on this. It's not easy for me to share with everyone or share everything. I don't tell many people about my story because those with mental health issues still get heavily judged. There are many people in my life that do not know the full story or even the partial story (which is what I posted here). I also get judged a lot for the reason I ended up in the coma.

And yes, I realize I've just shared my story with everyone who ever reads this board, but mostly, I'm pretty anonomous here, I know that no one I know personally is on this board.

I do understand what you are saying, but here you get a certain amount of anonymity that helps you share your story, which you mentioned also.
I know about being jugged trust me, and I said what I said primarily because I think that everyone should stand for themselves and present themselves in all honesty.

Edit to add: When it's about me, I do feel better when I say something out loud. When I can't say something out loud or I don't feel comfortable saying it then I think I didn't make a peace with that fact and have to still work on it.

 

[illuminating_light]

For me, the introduction of photography was quite by chance, has it helped me, yes on many levels. My girlfriend is an artist, she specializes in high realism paintings and drawings. She used to work on pieces at home all the time, she does not so much any more as she works with special needs people teaching art. She was working on a piece at home, a huge sectional piece, that she wanted to take some pictures of for her portfolio. She asked me if i would use her camera and take the pictures while she held and moved it. I said sure, as i was doing so, i instinctively was looking for the right angles and light to bring out her piece, she observed this, and told me i should think about trying photography, basically nudging me.. So i did for awhile, but soon became frustrated with the cheap bridge camera i was using. I am an outdoor person, hiking and camping being among my favorite activities along with watching wildlife. While trying to shoot with this cheap camera, i found the autofocus just could not keep up with the subjects i want to shoot "hence the frustration". So i put it down for a while.

Months later my 14 year old son, had a sudden asthma attack, that took his life. I went into a depression and did not want to do anything for the longest time. My girlfriend was worried about me, and decided to give me a gentle nudge again. She got me a new camera with the lens set.. I am now getting out more again, and into nature, where i am feeling a little more whole again.

So for me, like Rick58 , it is a form of therapy. It has brought me most of the way back, from a place i did not think i would return from. Even though i am a amateur with a long way to go in the learning department, i enjoy it, and dedicate my better shots in a folder for my son..