Thursday, September 8, 2016

You Have Nothing to Worry About: Photographer Documents Dysfunctional Mother




You have Nothing to Worry About

Instagram Account

Vice Article

Sometimes it seems too many Cluster Bs get the bipolar diagnosis, but maybe its a co-diagnosis for some. I found these pictures interesting. Queen Spider was a more cold mother to have, and more worrisome in that she was totally societally acceptable, no "known" substance abuse there, and by "not known", that just means no one knew about what was going on behind the scenes that I saw as a teen. The word Darvocet rings through my memories. She was/is seen as a "stable" member of society probably unlike this woman's mother.

This lady's mother eyes though still have the same deadness to them. She definitely seems to be more on the borderline personality disorder Cluster B wing with all the acting out. The acting out part of this ones personality probably even has allowed for the photographs to happen in the first place. Attention is sought no matter the cost. Warning there is nudity in the photographs.

"You Have Nothing to Worry About, is a complex and difficult body of work that can be broadly defined as documentary photography. 

Since 2009, I have been making photographs of my mentally ill, substance-abusing mother. Her diagnoses change frequently—from alcoholism to dissociative identity disorder—and my relationship with her has been fraught with animosity for as long as I can remember. I am fully aware that my mother thrives on being the center of attention and that, at times, our portrait sessions encourage her erratic behavior.

The photographs are simultaneously upsetting and encouraging; honest and theatrical; loving and hateful. Corresponding to my mother’s current bipolar diagnosis, conflating these seeming binary opposites is the only way to make photographs of her that are remotely valid. By turning the camera toward my mother and my relationship with her, I capture her behavior as an echo of my own emotional response. The images function like an on going conversation. "

4 comments:

  1. Medically speaking bipolar people have a terrible burden. It takes years for the medications to regulate. One bipolar man I once knew had to take lithium and it left him with a permanent case of the shakes. That won't go away, it will be something he has to live with for the left with his life. Its a struggle for them to stay on the drugs, not sure why, but it is part of being bipolar.

    Other than that, he was a normal stable guy, held down a job, went to work everyday, kinda protected me when I was being targeted, and didn't become part of the mean crowd. I don't know what a bipolar person is like without meds. Perhaps they are as crazy as a narc. I don't think any combination of pills would have fixed my mother though. My mother displayed all three parts of the cluster B disorder group, I'm starting to question the validity of cluster B, I just call them souless and evil. I don't think that is a medical problem, they are sane.

    I had a cousin who would take her clothes off, but she was in a trance when she did it, most of my family that wasn't narc, had other psycological issues, surprise, surprise.

    If narcs are piggybacking on bipolar people I'd be so mad.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I agree bipolar can be a very difficult position to be in, the chemical problems taking on one severe highs and lows. I didn't realize the other day until I read it in a book, that bipolar used to be referred to as manic depression, I wonder why they changed the label. I hope narcs aren't piggy backing on it too. Feel bad for the man on lithium, I am glad he helped you.

      I do know some bipolars will go into delusion, but doesn't mean they operate like narcs. Some never have that happen, I guess it depends what kind they have. I think there is a big difference between bipolar mania and narc "highs" but maybe some counselors and doctors diagnose it wrong. How do they figure out if someone is acting out via borderline personality disorder--Cluster B vs chemical imblances-bipolar--mania?

      I've known bipolar and severely mentally ill people who have no signs of Cluster B, they still have souls. Yes your mother seemed to swing to the borderline personality end of things. Mine was so controlled, it made it worse for me, she did nothing [at least where she was caught or it was seen] where society would have condemned her.

      I believe mental illness goes hand in hand with the Cluster Bs, the result of the soul murdered victims.

      Sam V wrote this, which I take with a grain of salt, but how often could this go the complete OPPOSITE....

      "The manic phase of Bipolar I Disorder is often misdiagnosed as Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD). Bipolar patients in the manic phase exhibit many of the signs and symptoms of pathological narcissism - hyperactivity, self-centeredness, lack of empathy, and control freakery."

      where the narcissist is diagnosed with bipolar?

      I've met non-narcissist bipolars before lots of them but I wonder about cases of misdiagnosis.

      Delete
  2. I think bipolar people do try to get help. They go to doctors and actually want to be treated for it. When they are not treated, they don't even remember what they are doing. From what I understand, they are still accountable for their behaviour, and alchoholics too, are all responsible for their behaviour. But no one seems to hold a narc accountable. Do we get angry, do we have tempers? That is where the narc is seemingly like a normal person, or at least appeasers will say we are all like that. And narcs are in control. They can spin on a dime, mother would be so angry and losing it, but company at the door, it would change. I can't believe it is a mental illness. And they are never sorry, everyone else is sorry, or feels guilty, for what they did, even if they don't remember. They know what their illness makes them do, and they don't make excuses for it. But with a narc, everything is someone else's fault.

    I don't know how a misdiagnosis can happen. But I do know narcs are extremely tricky, and that is the problem.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think narcissists definitely want more societally acceptable diagnoses and they will wear masks, to get them. They certain will not want professionals to out their Cluster B problems. Regular bipolar people do try to get help and know and admit they have problems. I agree they are held accountable for their behavior, I notice none of the narcissists are held accountable. A regular bipolar will do okay if they have a loving family but some don't and are rejected. A narcissist or sociopath they all make excuses for them. Narcissts make everyone else sorry you got that right and can induce false guilt on a dime.

      Delete