Submission: Wilton Schereka

I wanted this image to be one of power and not pathos. Two years ago I was burning myself to shit, bound to the lonely confines of bipolar disorder. I was suicidal and came through one attempt, fortunately. I still wonder what would have become of my family had I succeeded. I publish this image because I want to show you that the performance of normality is not always necessary. It’s okay to be fucked up. I hope that by exposing myself, I can open the space up to others who need to feel a sense of power in their own lives. We are not the sum of our wounds. Inevitably, somehow, it is important to get help. And because of the staff at Stikland I received tremendous care. The stigma attached to your pain is not yours, it is those who judge that have misfortune. Reach out to someone before you tear yourself apart like I did. Mental illness does not reside in the brain alone. It encompasses the entire body. Be strong. There is help.