Solitude

View over a bench on the premises of a small psychiatric clinic in French-speaking Switzerland (Clinique La Metairie, Nyon). Nyon, Switzerland, 13 December 2017...During the course of a year-long project about bipolar disorder, I was several times embedded in the team of a small psychiatric clinic. Many features associated with the disease (substance issues, mood swings, general instability, etc) are on the one hand stigmatizing, and on the other hand conducive to severe solitude. In this clinic, I could roam freely on the (very nice) premises and I found that bench, which struck me for its incongruous location (looking at a tree) and for the sheer loneliness that it oozed. To me, it reflected well that particular aspect of the disease...Taken as I was embedded in the unit. Photographer did not influence the scene in any way, nor gave directions to anyone.