During the spring quarter of my junior year of college, I worked on a ten-week-long photo project titled "why r u so sensitive?" I documented every time I felt emotional and quickly became alarmed at the frequency and intensity of my emotions. This, among other things, led me to the realization that I needed to seek help in order to gain some sense of stability in my life.   

I went back to counseling, and then to a psychiatrist, where I was diagnosed with severe anxiety and depression and panic disorder. I began taking the medication I was prescribed, but in a scary turn of events, I began to feel worse instead of better. This led to a tearful phone call in which I begged my parents to fly me home from Savannah because I didn't know what else to do. The next day, I was on a plane back to Chicago, where I sought more intensive help. 

Upon returning home, I was evaluated by a behavioral health center, where I began attending treatment 5 days a week. This is a photo diary of what came after my initial decision to get help. More than that, it is a documentation of the tumultuous relationship I have with my mental illnesses. 

It is the story of the experiences I’ve had while learning to cope with my mental health.