Home»All Photographs»Manic Series 2008

Man-ic /’manik/

A person afflicted with mania. Mania is an abnormally elated mental state,
characterized by feeling of euphoria, lack of inhibitions, racing thoughts, and
diminished need for sleep, talkativeness, risk taking, and irritability. If these
periods of distraught happen for at least one week it is called a ‘Manic Episode’
which is characterized by an elevated mood and then followed by a notably
irritable mood. In the most severe cases one would have difficulty or impairment
in occupational, social, educational or other important functioning. The only way
to come down from this state is medications and seeking professional psychiatric
help.

In this series you are witnessing the subject coming down from a ‘Manic Episode’
in the second week. Plagued by sleep deprivation, over excitement, and sporadic
behavior you can see confusion and exhaustion setting in. The subject is left
home alone while on medications to subdue and stabilize the episode. Not
having the ability to explain ‘why’ but possessing the physical ability to express
internal torment, the subject moves about the space feeling separated from
one’s self. There is a sense of both loneliness and agitation as the subject fights
to submit to the environment. As a viewer you are invited to observe this ‘manic
episode’ and feel excessive involvement, which is a symptom of this mood
conflict, as well as racing thoughts, Attention to unimportant and irrelevant items,
and inflated self-esteem.

*Hoping to bring awareness on bipolar disorders which effect 5.4 million adults in the USA.