Sloane Bush

Invisible Wounds: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Artist's Statement:

Inspired by the death of a family friend as the foundation for this project, the photographs in this series were made to honor the lives that have been lost to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and to bring awareness to mental health. The lack of knowledge, help, and cutbacks in government funding leads to between 6,205-8,030 suicides each year from just within the military.  

Throughout this body of work, I am using photography to try to convey to the viewer different emotions and statistics with PTSD. The grided images represent the statistics surrounding PTSD, and the other images are the emotional side of it. Statistics and numbers are important to know, but we cannot get too caught up in the statistic side that we lose sight of the emotional toll this disorder can take on those around us.   

PTSD is not something that affects the weak, but sometimes, it is the strongest of people who live through the toughest battles. Bringing awareness to PTSD means helping to lose the stigma that surrounds it which will hopefully lead to saving the lives around us. Working with digital photography and the scanner, this series has come to life to shine the light on the invisible wounds that so many are suffering with in silence. 

“Why Wasn’t He Worth It?”

Fragment

Spiraling

Lost

Fire Away

Caught Drowning

Too Trapped in a War to be at Peace, Too Damaged to be at War

Thoughts

Stars & Shots

Identification

Through the Fire

Over & Out

Barriers

Active Duty – Army

Active Duty - Navy

Active Duty – Marine Corps

Active Duty – Coast Guard

Active Duty – Air Force

Night Vision

Confusion