Kathryn Watson
One reason that I want to share my mental health journey is to show people that this can affect anyone, even doctors! There is a lot of mental health stigma amongst the medical profession, but hopefully voices like mine and others can help reduce this stigma and change people’s perception of what mental illness really means and who it can affect.
I’m learning that my most painful emotions come from somewhere in my childhood. In a child’s world, emotions are everything. They are the truth. Everlasting and pure. All good or all bad. This is why no amount of logic or reasoning can refute them. Who reasons with a small child?
What makes a healthy or unhealthy therapeutic relationship? There are some truly awesome therapists out there! But, sadly I learnt that this is not always the case. Don’t take experience for granted. Don’t be afraid to question. Remember you’re in a vulnerable place.
One reason that I want to share my mental health journey is to show people that this can affect anyone, even doctors! There is a lot of mental health stigma amongst the medical profession, but hopefully voices like mine and others can help reduce this stigma and change people’s perception of what mental illness really means and who it can affect.
In 2016, when I was 30 years old, I was diagnosed with depression, anxiety and borderline personality disorder. Up until this point, I had gone to medical school, completed a BSc and a PhD and went straight into working as a doctor for several years. I don’t have a background in art, but in 2018 I began illustrating my experiences, alongside having schema therapy, to try and gain a deeper understanding of myself and the emotional states that seemed to be dictating my life.
I hope to use my artwork as a means to communicate the cognitive and emotional battles that underpin mental illness, in particular borderline personality disorder. In doing so, I hope to improve understanding and change perceptions of mental illness, and to help others gain insights into their own internal power struggles.