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I have a history of clinical depression and suicidal thoughts. Six years ago, when I was 15, I scrawled, “I hate my life, so I am going to kill myself … Goodbye,” across my bedroom wall. Following that, I swallowed scores of non-prescription pills. It was my first, but not last, suicide attempt. A few years later, I penned a suicide note, entitled “The Way to Hell,” before another intentional overdose.
In Islam, as in other religions, suicide is a sin. Therefore, in my native Egypt and across the Arab world, people tend to conceal their suicidal thoughts due to the severity of the associated cultural and social stigmas. This means that suicides are often registered as “accidental” deaths.
From my own story to those of several other young Egyptians, this project untangles life before and after failed suicide attempts. Connecting with other survivors has been a healing force for me — for us — and I can only hope this series will serve as a source of compassion and strength for those who are struggling in silence.
Hesham Elsherif, born in 1997, is a freelance photographer based in Egypt. He started photography in 2013 by documenting the civil unrest Egypt witnessed after its army ousted Mohammed Morsi, Egypt?s first freely elected president. At the time, he was a 16-year-old student with a point-and-shoot camera, living in a village located 100-kilometers southwest of the capital of Cairo. Since then, he became interested in documenting the daily life of his hometown, Fayoum, as well as covering in-depth cultural and social documentary stories.
www.instagram.com/hesham.a.elsherif
Hesham Elsherif, born in 1997, is a freelance photographer based in Egypt. He started photography in 2013 by documenting the civil unrest Egypt witnessed after its army ousted Mohammed Morsi, Egypt?s first freely elected president. At the time, he was a 16-year-old student with a point-and-shoot camera, living in a village located 100-kilometers southwest of the capital of Cairo. Since then, he became interested in documenting the daily life of his hometown, Fayoum, as well as covering in-depth cultural and social documentary stories.
www.instagram.com/hesham.a.elsherif
