With this project, I wanted to do something bigger than the literal definition of altered perception. Sure, there are illnesses and disorders that can alter the victim’s perception in a literal sense, but there are also those that do this in a different way. I chose to use PTSD and my personal experiences with it to show how it can affect a person’s perception and to bring awareness to these events.

This project may be triggering or uncomfortable to some, but I would still hope it can shed light on these occurrences as well as give power to those who have also fallen victim to this.

As a child, I was victim to sexual trauma, which triggered a handful of mental illnesses, including PTSD. Sometimes my body will act or react in ways I can’t explain and sometimes don’t even notice. Along with this, I have spent majority of my life feeling this looming presence of that trauma and triggering events would only make me fall back into that moment as if I am going through it all over again.

I chose to title this work “Body” because PTSD (in my case) alters the way I look and feel about my body. I am not talking about insecurity or the desire to be covered (in shame), but rather a much worse scenario. Although it happened some fourteen years ago, I look at my body and feel it happening again, like hands ghosting around and putting weight and fear on my shoulders