Photography helps with mental health problems

This article describes how one person improved his mental health significantly when he took up photography.

David

Fortunately I do not suffer from any of this guys pathologies, but photography is my way of getting away from the stresses and strains of everyday life.

Maybe getting out and using photography as an excuse to go places and explore the world around us, is a good preventive medicine for mental health problems, that at our modern way of living can easily induce.

I think it's simpler than that. Any activity that you enjoy improves how you feel. If it's creative and gets you out of your room and maybe even in contact with other people - all the better!

As a retired mental health therapist, I can attest that a creative activity of almost any kind - photography, painting, pottery, poetry, quilting, music, gardening - can significantly help with recovery from depression. Even for those of us fortunate enough never to have struggled with clinical depression, our photography has probably helped us weather rough patches in our lives. It surely helped sustain me through the covid lockdowns and through a prolonged recovery from surgery.

However, I think the interest in the BBC story lies in the quality of the man's photos, without anyone previously imagining that he had the necerssary gifts.

David

I think in some ways, photography contributes to negatives in my mental health that I've had to be careful about not letting grab too strong of a strong hold, but it's hard. I know it's helped too, you can certainly use it to help "focus" the mind, but there's a real dark side that can come with photography that I think every photographer has to be careful about.

That's interesting. But I don't think I've experienced that. More than disappointment over the result, that is. Care to elaborate?

Thanks for sharing your interesting thoughts on the matter. I agree - from my experience what you describe can be true for every art form. I think that art has a high potential though, to be a net positive, while some other things you can invest your energy, money and time into, don‘t. But that‘s just my personal take and feeling, no idea if there are any studies on the matter.

I think everyone's a bit different as to what helps, & what doesn't. For me, it's motorcycles & mountain bikes. And a camera comes along for the ride. As the saying goes, you never see a motorcycle parked outside a shrinks office. No offense intended. I think the biggest part of it is the exercise portion, which releases endorphins & serotonin, natural antidepressants.
I'm also really at a loss to see how taking pictures could contribute to negativity & depression. Unless you're a full time crime/murder scene photographer

Yes, exercise is an important part of it. And it's best if it's something you enjoy. I also bike, or rather trike, and I love it. The flow thing you get. When I grew up I played a lot of tennis, which is different, enjoyable in another way. I think it works the best when it's something you really enjoy. I doubt going to the gym or walking a certain distance just to get it done would give me the same, because I wouldn't enjoy it. It would be a task I needed to do, not an adventure or something fun I want to do.

The combination of getting out, get exercise, meet new people and dogs (the trike makes that happen all the time) and take photos is perfect for me.

I had a rather grim time health wise in the past 8 months { covid, long covid, torn intercostal muscles. pneumonia , fall cracking a couple of vertebrae , breaking a rib etc 😀 } . I missed getting out and about , I am an avid hillwalker and the camera comes with me . I recently managed my 100th Munro in torrential rain, thunder and lightning and it felt wonderful to be back on my feet 😀 So like a few others the photography is part of an other life enhancing activity. On this instance I only took my phone so the photos were a bit mediocre

I agree getting out and about lifts our moods for sure

To say the least... Hope you are back in shape now.
And that's a wonderful picture.

Last week I went to an exhibition of Van Gogh's last works [in the Museum named after him]. Last means from the period after his release from the St Remy mental institution untill his death two months later. The only exhibition I've ever seen BTW that comes with adresses for the suicide helpline.

He was very prolific, creating several pieces per day, mostly landscapes, some portraits. Maybe it was a form of self-medication for him. But I think the desperation and depressedness show. Especially in the color palettes for the landscape that lack all warmth.

so creativity does not always help, enough

Thanks for the kind words , I am just about back to normal , well my version of normal at least 😀

I think this is directed at me...

You've never looked at another's photo work and felt self doubt? Defeat? A feeling of small and insignificance in comparison? Like all your efforts and skills are in vain and you're just not any good?

I mean, all I gotta do is browse the weekly threads to wonder WTF am I doing even trying to take pictures sometimes. Some of y'all are so damn talented it hurts and you don't even recognize it. .

I had a teacher tell me a story once where after seeing the Mona Lisa in person, she couldn't do art for like 5 years cause her head let her know she would never be that good. I thought that was odd...until it's been 20 years since I tried drawing again, or the last several years where I just kinda avoided photography to a large degree.

I try really hard to keep in my head and lane, I think a lot of us do, but I think many of us are also keenly aware of the dangers of comparison in this art realm. Ironically it seems to be a danger even after you're successful.

I also think about that starving kid photographer. Dude committed suicide over a photo he took. I'm sure there's more layers to that story, but that story immediately sprung to mind around this question. There are some photographers who won't even consider that "career move" after being proven to be terrible people. Not that I'm advocating that, just pointing out maybe sometimes it's just about the individual behind the camera.

So sure, I get bothered by others being better at their craft, but maybe that thought never crosses another photographer's mind.

Ah, you mean like that. Sure. But I'm not defeated by it. I guess I'm blessed the way that I have never had the ambition to be as good as the best, not when it comes to anything really. I'm satisfied if I can learn to do something fairly well. I used to play the piano. I was proud when after a long times practice I could pull off a waltz and a mazurka by Chopin without it sounding horrible. But I had no plans of ever giving concerts.

Same with photography. I looked at Maoby's Flickr page the other day and was in awe when I saw his street photos. I could never take photos like that. To start with I'm too shy to walk up to people like he does and people don't like to be photographed here. So my street photos are the sneaky kind, from a distance. But I still enjoy it and feel inspired by seeing better photos than mine.

I guess my ambition level is just too low for me to feel like you describe. I'm a typical jack of all trades and a master of none.

Stop your whining! Covid? Pneumonia? Cracked vertebrae and rib? Wuss. Do you have any idea how bad my crotch hurts after yesterday's bike ride? No? Well, lucky you! Geez -- some people don't know how good they have it and still whine! 😁

From yesterday's ride: