Artist Statement

This project focuses on depicting my experience with having Narcolepsy Type 1. The images are separated into three sections. The first section represents my symptoms when they were less severe and I didn't know that I had Narcolepsy or how all my symptoms were connected. The second section is much darker and represents when I was at my lowest when I struggled to keep up with my day to day responsibilities because of my symptoms. At this point I knew something was wrong and I was going through the process of getting diagnosed. The final section represents the time  after being  diagnosed. I was extremely relieved however the process of finding the right medication was exhausting and had its own struggles that were completely new to me. It took some time to finally find medications that really helped with my symptoms and I have felt more able to enjoy life without all the struggles brought on by Narcolepsy. 

Having this disorder has been a huge part of my life that I didn't know was there until I was finally diagnosed in late 2024. Narcolepsy Type 1 is caused by the loss of brain cells that produce hypocretin (orexin). This is a neurotransmitter that is supposed to regulate wakefulness and sleep. When I was in high school I was a competitive swimmer and assumed that I was tired and napping a lot because of all the early mornings in my swim schedule. Once I got to University and my exhaustion only got worse I was really confused. It wasn't until 3rd year during my first semester when my symptoms consumed my whole life. It was extremely hard to manage everything and it weighed heavily on me emotionally. I was a 20 year old university student commuting and working two jobs and I wasn't able to stay awake during the day. A lot of people with Narcolepsy also have anxiety and depression. During this time not only were my symptoms affecting my life but I was dealing with more severe anxiety and depression than I had ever experienced before. Narcolepsy Type 1 is also known as Narcolepsy with Cataplexy. Cataplexy is something that happens when I experience an intense emotion. It's different for everyone, but for me it happens mostly when I laugh. I lose muscle control and often fall down and drop things I am holding. The worst attack was when I almost drowned when someone made me laugh while I was swimming. 

What I experience is very hard to explain and I felt that the best way to explain it is visually. All the images show a different experience or feeling I have personally experienced. I did take creative licence for some of them but I also have some crazy hallucinations and dreams so it’s not too far off from my experience. It was very therapeutic for me to do this project and feels like some type of closure seeing my whole experience from beginning to end. I really have come a long way and this shows that process. I hope that this project helps educate and visually show what it can feel like to have Narcolepsy and that maybe people with Narcolepsy or any other medical conditions may be able to relate to the images.