A young woman being treated at McLean Hospital found this image to be a powerful way of expressing very personal aspects of her illness.
In her words: “This picture reflects how although sometimes I feel damaged or broken I try to keep smiling. When I feel this way I often feel ashamed of my illness and try to hide from others. There is nothing to be ashamed of and like the bright parts of this picture I have a bright future and I will keep on smiling”.
This level of expression provides clinicians a deeper understanding of what their patients are experiencing, and leads to more effective treatment and improved outcomes.
