Metro Lifestyle Interview

Luisa Freitas

Around the 22nd of November 2020 I was approached by Aiden Wynn, a Freelance writer and journalist that was interested in interviewing me for an article on my most recent project the “Trichotillomania Lockdown Calendar”, for the Metro UK Lifestyle online. His main goal was to bring attention to the topic of Body focused Repetitive Behaviour Disorders, and more specifically Trichotillomania to raise awareness on this issue, via the Metro UK platform that reaches millions of readers. 

The article is currently featured on the Metro UK Lifestyle, a content section of Metro UK online that focuses on issues that are often not talked about in mainstream publication, providing a platform for people’s voices to be heard and change the perception on issues that impact the population, such as depression, OCD and IBD. Other subjects tackled by Lifestyle range from the most difficult to funny content.

 

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TTM Lockdown Calendar Interview

After writing several articles for Metro UK online, Aiden felt the need to tackle the subject of the “invisible illnesses” that affect the population but aren’t talked about due to shame and stigma associated with mental wellbeing. As someone who suffers from Trichotillomania himself, Aiden was positively surprised to see a project that explores this condition openly and provides a very personal point of view onto the daily experiences of a Trichster (short term refering to a person with the Trichotillomania condition). So he requested an interview with me, and provided me with a series of questions that placed emphasis on informing the audience about this condition, and also explore the relationship between the difficulties of the Covid-19 Lockdown and its influence on the wellbeing of those with mental conditions. 

Read the article here

Working on this piece with Aiden was an incredible experience, and one that I will surely not forget. Having an article written after one of my artworks is something I never expected to happen and specially not about a subject that is so personal and was the source of the shame and isolation I felt during most of my life. For this reason, I am incredibly grateful for having my work presented to thousands of people, letting them know that they are not alone in their struggles and inspire them to come forward as well as feeling better about themselves, while also educating the audience on mental wellbeing. It is not only important to break down the stigma on mental health but also to incentivise people to support each other, or reach out for help when needed. 

See my TTM Lockdown Calendar project here

Read other articles written by Aiden here

I had a lot of fun in collaborating with Aiden for this article and I am very grateful for the chance of not only being featured in an interview but also for raising awareness on the subject of the Trichotillomania condition,

Thank you very much for your reading,

Luisa

© 2021, Luisa Freitas