Healing Lens
Andrew Cabral became an aspiring photographer after his dad’s death. This heartache sparked his interest in photographing models and uses his photos for a form of self expression to deal with the pain.
“I don't really think my photos speak about what I went through when I lost my dad. If anything they were almost a distraction from that. There were a lot of complications with my dad's death and a lot of headaches that followed. So for a while I dipped my toes into other hobbies, but nothing seemed to stick. Then I looked at the hobbies my dad enjoyed.”
Andrew used this hobby as a coping mechanism to help with his depression. For many people photography is very therapeutic. It provides a different perspective and a way of seeing the world. This different perspective is very important with depression because it allows you to focus on something other than the depression.
Eric Kim says “for me, photography and blogging was a form of self-therapy. By writing and blogging about what I suffered” (1)
For some photography can be a form of purpose in their life which in return tends to cure their depression.
Eric Kim says “I think one of the biggest reasons we suffer from depression is because we feel like we have no purpose in life. No reason to wake up in the world.” (1)
This way of thinking only lets our psyche down more. As human beings we tend to get into our heads a lot. As the quote goes “you live most of your life inside of your head. Make sure its a nice place to be.” Our mind is a powerful tool and if we are not careful in expression and releasing our emotions in a positive way depression and anxiety could eat us up. It becomes easy for our minds to wander and venture into dark places only making us feel more vulnerable and sad. Some people have certain outlets for this pain and want to share how they overcame these issues with others.
Photography may be an unusual form of expression when dealing with depression but so vital for the person’s health. Hobbies become especially important for people with anxiety or depression because they are no longer focusing on one thing and can put all of their energy into a passion that they really enjoy. Which in return keeps them motivated to pursue certain hobbies and acts as a coping mechanism for depression to slowly decline and develop their mental health. When these hobbies start to fill people’s lives they eventually put more time into that which lets them get out of their head. Looking through a camera lens for Cabral not only lets him see a new perspective but in a way allows him to reinvent himself without the depression.A form of coping using photography especially helps those trying to overcome their depression because it lets people heal and focus on what is around them and not so much themselves.
Andrew Cabral says “you are learning and growing. The day you stop improving is the day you should start worrying. Take on new challenges and try new things. You will only learn more.”
Picking up a hobby like photography immediately helps with depression and anxiety. Photography helps heal people dealing with these mental disorders by giving them a sense of accomplishment that only they achieved. This feeling of accomplishment generates a sense of happiness and in return helps heal depression overtime. Christine Roger says “Growing up, at some point I went through depression. I wasn’t perfect myself. But photography helped me through it all. It seemed that every time I pulled out my camera, happiness overflowed.” (Roger 1)
For Christine her camera acted as an antidepressant and happiness in a way. Taking photos is a form of expression and a way of dealing with certain emotions that are difficult to cope with. Photography also helps with a way of remembering those sad moments in life. For Andrew Cabral dealing with is dad's death was extremely difficult but photography helps him with those memories. Photography provides an escape, a quiet sanctuary where Cabral is able to see the world around him in a different perspective.
‘“I don't really think my photos speak about what I went through when I lost my dad. If anything they were almost a distraction from that.”
For Andrew a coping mechanism as interesting as photography has gotten him out of that depression rut. Throughout his photography career it reminds him of his shared interests with his dads. As a bitter sweet reminder of how a hobby can sometimes be so much more. Depression no longer defines Andrew Cabral and the lens of a camera provided healing.
Works Cited
Eric. “How To Conquer Depression With Photography.” Eric Kim, 30 Apr. 2017.
Roger, Christine Ann Jel F. “How Photography Helped Me Cope With Depression.” Thought Catalog, 16 Aug. 2017.
