Manic phase

A patient sitting in the hallways of the closed emergency psychiatric ward of Zurich University Hospital, Switzerland. The patient seen here was in the manic phase of bipolar disorder and having conversations with herself. She went from laughter to more serious moments in a matter of seconds. Zurich, Switzerland, 15 August 2018...During the course of a year-long project about bipolar disorder, I was once embedded in the team of the emergency ward of a very large psychiatry hospital. The patient seen here was in the manic phase of the disorder. She was under restricted outings for her own safety and quietness (she had to sleep in the ward), but responsible enough that she was allowed to go out during daytime...Taken as I was embedded in the unit. Photographer did not influence the scene in any way (the patient was already there), nor gave directions to anyone (the patient was in her own world and conversing with herself). Patient was however willing to be part of a photo project (the details of which had been explained previously to all staff members and patients) and drawn to the visibility that it could give to her and the general societal awareness for the disease.