/ Mental Health S.E Asia

I have a deep interest in and commitment to helping people with psychiatric disorders. Before becoming a photographer, I worked as a psychiatric nurse. In 2004, I started a photography project called Psychiatry S.E. Asia, traveling to countries like Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and India. Along the way, I met many neglected individuals who struggled to care for themselves. Some were suffering from schizophrenia, a severe psychiatric disorder marked by episodes of psychosis, including delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking, hearing voices, and unusual behavior that affects their interests and emotions. To this day, the exact cause of schizophrenia remains unknown. While treatments exist, the condition is incurable.

Mental health care in Southeast Asia is generally poorly organized, with most countries lacking the necessary funding. One of the biggest challenges is that disorders like schizophrenia are not always recognized as real illnesses, meaning they receive little attention from local health authorities. As a result, many people with schizophrenia are left without proper care, often living in dire conditions.