The Faces of Mental Illness: Perception vs. Reality 

     
     Oxford Dictionary defines perception as the act or faculty of perceiving, or apprehending by means of the senses or of the mind. It defines reality as the state or quality of being real. In terms of metal illness perception can be very different from reality. The way we perceive people and the way they come off is one of the biggest factors to this concept. We may see someone who looks happy and bright on the outside, but there is always more to the story. When it comes to the reality of it, people can be struggling from many different things, but the way we perceive it can be totally different from the reality. These four images demonstrate how peoples perceptions of one another can contrast the realities they face.   

Robin Williams was the face of many characters in many different acting roles. He appeared to be an outgoing, genuinely happy person and played the roles of very funny and spirited characters. But what many people did not know at the time was that he was suffering from depression and later on ended his life on his 

own terms. The idea of perception is shown dramatically in this situation. The fact that in these photos he appears to be a happy-go-lucky type of guy, it gives us insight of the issues with perception vs. reality. Although on the outside he seemed just fine, on the inside there was more to the story. Robin Williams suffered from manic depression for quite some time before he had enough. This goes to show that even though people may seem carefree and untroubled on the outside, the reality is, everyone suffers from their own baggage. 

Gotts, Andy. Robin Williams. N.d. Degrees, n.p.

Similar to the last image, the way we perceive the subject is different from their reality. The woman appears to have a straight face and comes off as bitter and uptight. But this image shows she is feeling more than she displays. The use of colour is very significant because the artist uses dark colours on the outside to exaggerate the hard look she has. But, on the inside her feelings show with a lot of bright and happy colours. As well, the symbolism of the hummingbird relates to the woman showing that she is powerful, elegant, peaceful and full of joy. The reality to the woman is there is always more on the inside, and our perception would force us to believe she is not a happy person, but looks can be deceiving.

Rangel, Cate. Frida. N.d. Acrylic. N.p.

In addition, sometimes people turn their emotions into physical acts. Like the photo (right) she’s turning her inner feelings into a negative physical manner. In my opinion, people would view her as a regular person, but what the image is showing is based on her reality. The symbolism of the fire represents how she holds things in and bottles her emotions up, like many people with mental illnesses do. The blackness shows us the pain she is really feeling. As well, the covering of her eyes reveal how she is uncomfortable with her image, and possibly the person she is. The reality of a mental illness can be very hard on an individual. This photo demonstrates just how awful the feelings are in a person’s life with a mental illness by turning their emotions into physical acts of pain. 

                                                                                                                                                Beethy. Anxiety. 2012. N.p.

Lastly, perception is our way of seeing and interpreting things. The way we perceive many people is by seeing what's on the outside, but that's not all there is to it. This sculpture shows us that we can be broken down into many layers. We are full of different emotions, personalities, ect. When we only take the time to consider what's on the outside layer, we don't realize all the possibilities still within. The realities that we all face can be hidden within our layers and are not given the chance to be looked at. As well, the realities of mental illnesses can be layered. Once we finally overcome the perceptions of things, we can come to the realities and the faces of mental illness.  

Neufeld, Gerald. Split Personality. 2009. British Columbia.

   
     In conclusion, the differences between perception and reality are very distinct. When dealing with mental illnesses people's perceptions of one another can contrast the realities they face.