CURRENT PROJECT
LEFT BEHIND

ABOUT THE PROJECT:
Each year, 1 million people worldwide die by suicide -- more than in war, terrorist activities and homicides -- making it the tenth leading cause of death in the world.

At least 90 percent of people who kill themselves have a diagnosable and treatable psychiatric illness - such as depression or bipolar disorder.

Although most suicides are caused by mental health problems, mental health-care allocations often comprise less than 2 per cent of national health budgets.

Greater attention must be given to suicide prevention, such as increased funding for research, help lines and mental health facilities.

In many cases, it is a treatable, preventable tragedy.

ARTIST STATEMENT
In a small Australian town on June 12th 2001, my father took his own life, aged 60.

It was a decision I had no say in, but one which would alter me and the way I viewed the world forever.

In the years that followed I encountered many social stigmas and outdated taboos associated with suicide.

I felt completely alone, haunted by emotions common in suicide bereavement -- guilt, regret, anger, a sense of failure, shame, abandonment and utter confusion, hung in heavy layers over the expected feelings of grief and mourning.

Because I never spoke of what had happened, I prolonged my healing unnecessarily.

By sharing my story and those of my fellow survivors, it is my hope that others will learn from our experiences, speak up about their own, and seek comfort and support in the knowledge that they are not alone. We are many.

The silence, secrecy and stigma that surrounds suicide must end and if my work can help prevent a single suicide or help just one survivor avoid the many mistakes I made; it will give some meaning to a loss that ten years later, I still struggle to make sense of.



VIEW MULTI-MEDIA
View the Left Behind multimedia presentation and hear from the survivors' in their own words.

Click to View Left Behind

FATHER: BURN MAGAZINE
Click to Read FATHER

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PROJECT FEEDBACK

It is oddly comforting to know other survivors share the same feelings I do, yet so sad we all have to.

My son took his life at the age of 27. Our family is devastated, we are DEFINED by his suicide, grief-stricken.

This is exceptional. Whether you've lost someone or not, you should watch this. It will give you insight to what we live with as survivors.

It is the hardest thing to understand and deal with. It soothes me to listen to others who understand losing someone in this way.

I think the documentary is quite moving and a great introduction for survivors to be more aware of suicide. Like the gentleman who lost his brother and father, it needs to be TALKED about because it's always kept in the closet.

My sister ended her life in 2008. It affected me in ways I didn’t know could be touched so deeply. This piece IS heavy, but sheds a light on a sad, sad, part of reality. It's hard to watch/hear, but I DO hope many see it.

Wonderful and heartbreaking at the same time. I know these feelings all too well. I miss my sister more and more each day. She's with me always, but I wish I could hear her laugh and see her smile. I've passed this on to friends, family, and co-workers, and have asked they do the same.

Thank you for this essay. It is so vivid and striking, and the feelings expressed are so familiar. Yes, I do still play the "what if" game after five years.

Very proud to be a part of this project. Thank you Kerry for letting our stories be heard.

It is such an important piece.
I lost my son to suicide at the age of 21. Thank you for bringing much needed awareness this epidemic that is claiming the lives of so many.

Kerry is a writer/photographer with deep insight to the human condition. Her work on survivors of suicide survivors is the foundation for a PhD thesis. Thank you Kerry, your work is life changing.



KERRY PAYNE BIO

Kerry is an Australian documentary photographer based in Brooklyn, New York.

Her work has been published by Esquire, Marie Claire, BURN Magazine, New York Magazine and The Huffington Post, and is available for assignment and corporate work worldwide.

EDUCATION

1997 - 1998
Master Business Administration [candidate] - Australian Graduate School of Management

2000 - 2001: Bachelor Fine Arts: Photography [candidate], Academy of Arts University, San Francisco

2006 - 2007: Streets of Paris with Peter Turnley

2008: Master Class: At Home with David Alan Harvey, New York

2009: International Center of Photography, New York

2009: The Photographic Essay: James Nachtwey & David Alan Harvey

2010: Documentary Photography: School of Visual Arts, New York

2010: Documentary Filmmaking: School of Visual Arts, New York

CONTACT KERRY

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