A poet has pointed out how damaging stock photos of bipolar disorder in the media can be, with some so outrageous, they’re almost laughable.
In a Twitter thread that’s gone viral, Chrysanthemum Tran shared a series of images, pointing out that many of them are just “really silly”.
Stock images are photos usually posed by models and are often used by newspapers and magazines alongside articles. Their use, therefore, shapes the public consciousness and opinion.
In response to the thread, a leading charity told HuffPost UK such images can “feed into unhelpful misconceptions and stereotypes” around mental illness.
online stock photos for bipolar disorder are really silly. this makes it seem like half the time, i’m thinking about spooky bats & skulls. but in reality, i’m thinking about spooky bats & skulls *all* the time pic.twitter.com/OUwDkF4alb
December 20, 2017
Chrysanthemum, from Rhode Island, US, began the thread by sharing a couple of nonsensical images.
can’t tell if she’s bipolar or if a girl simply has no name pic.twitter.com/ni9JVzmTHO
After receiving thousands of retweets, the performer delved a little deeper into the archives to find some images that are plain bizarre.
In a later post, Chrysanthemum called the photos “frustrating” and “inaccurate”, saying they do not reflect what life is like living with the illness.
i love the stock photo category of bipolar women owning mirrors that don’t work right pic.twitter.com/WTCqcF9qfc
if you’re struggling with bipolar disorder, it seems like you better call a fucking exorcist before you call a mental health professional
didn’t you know? 9 out of 10 doctors recommend coping with mental illness by playing scrabble exclusively with words & concepts concerning your mental illness pic.twitter.com/QvxyM9zB1g
December 20, 2017
It wasn’t long before other people commented to share their frustrations with stock images illustrating mental illness.
I love you!! According to this, the depression phase is Halloween. I’ve been doing it wrong!!! ???
I’m puzzled by their decision to use hearts and smiling yellow things to represent mania. Mania doesn’t necessarily look like happiness — it can also take the form of irritability, for example.
December 20, 2017
this thread made me laugh a lot and as a bipolar type pokemon myself is totally gonna make seeing ads for my MI in a funnier light ?? ty!
In response to the thread, Sue Baker, director of the mental health charity Time to Change, told HuffPost UK: “We recognise that mental health can be a complex topic to illustrate, which is perhaps why we often see the use of over simplistic or stereotypical imagery.
“However, our supporters tell us the images that are often used to depict mental health do not portray what it is really like to live with a mental health problem, and in some cases imagery can feed into unhelpful misconceptions and stereotypes.”
She pointed out that for some time, campaigners have been highlighting the negative impact of the stigmatising ‘headclutcher’ (head in hands) shot that “all too often accompanies media stories around mental health”.
“Our research shows that over half of people found it stigmatising, and that it made others think that people with mental health problems should look depressed all of the time,” she said.
To combat the use of stereotypical images portraying mental health issues in the media, Time to Change has created an image bank with recommended photos for journalists to use.
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