Ground Up

The people I work with in my day job often walk with their heads down. Because of difficult life experiences which have led to them developing mental health problems, they regard themselves as inferior, weak, damaged and worthless.

We encourage them to look at themselves and their experiences from a different perspective, to encourage a more self-compassionate approach and to shift their distorted ideas of who they are or can be.

Even the simplest things, like encouraging them to sit in a different part of the room each week, encourages alternative viewpoints — a part the process of leaving destructive patterns of thought and behaviour behind.

Given they feel they are beneath everyone around them who appears to be coping with life just fine, I think this photo challenge might make a good project for them to express these feelings visually. We encourage them to work on their posture and for this they would need to lift their heads and in the process they may see some new possibilities.

People often develop depression and anxiety after having carried on despite the most difficult of experiences or in the most difficult circumstances.