Photographer with Schizophrenia Reveals His Struggle Through Intimate Photos

Diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of seven, most of Yospie Cardoso’s life has been spent in and out of hospitals. “When you have a seven-year-old who says ‘I’m gonna kill myself because the voices in my head tell me to’ — it is kind of traumatic,” Cardoso told the New York Daily News. Two years ago, he began to channel his inner struggles for a photography project he calls, “The Mind of a Schizophrenic.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, schizophrenia is “a severe brain disorder in which people interpret reality abnormally. Schizophrenia may result in some combination of hallucinations, delusions, and extremely disordered thinking and behavior.” Cardoso’s work was, in part, inspired by his children. Schizophrenia is transmitted genetically, so “I did it for them because I know how hard it is — I struggled with this my entire life and the last thing I want is my children to have issues or feel like they’re alone, because that’s the way I felt.”

The result is inspired imagery, shot mostly in black and white, that reveals the inner turmoil, grief, and isolation caused by the disorder. Cardoso hopes his work can help people better understand those with schizophrenia. “Not many people with schizophrenia are able to tell others,” he said.

(H/T New York Daily News)

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