Finn Dobson

A Thorn in the Flesh (2022-24)

A Thorn in the Flesh examines the stigma of personality disorder (PD) labels, in particular how this manifests in mental health professionals’ and wider systems’ treatment of those with this label. It also exemplifies the power that can be reclaimed by service users and survivors of the psychiatric system, in rewriting their story in their own words.

This body of work was inspired by my lived experience of navigating mental health systems, and throughout the project I conducted research both into others’ experiences of being given a PD label, as well as the history of ‘Borderline Personality Disorder’ (also known as ‘Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder’) as a diagnosis. This research unearthed its links to Freud’s concept of ‘hysteria’, its gendered connections – and oppressions – and the evidence of both individual and systemic bias in contemporary services. The title is taken from the promotional material of a course on personality disorders run by the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 2022, and is a description of how clinicians view those with PD labels.

Click to expand the images below, and select the circled ‘i’ in the bottom-right corner for a description of the work. Alt text is included. Please use my contact form for enquiries about purchasing work.

An advert for a course on personality disorders run by the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 2022 has been sun-printed onto cotton in pink ink. The edges are left raw. In red thread, certain lines have been underlined in running stitch. The paragraphs that feature underlined text read: "Registration is now open! Registration is now open for the upcoming Personality Disorders 2022 course, which is taking place on 10 June. Personality Disorder (PD) is a thorn in the flesh of many clinicians as, however they may wish to avoid managing those with such a diagnosis, those with a personality disorder label have a tenacious hold on the clinician. While only small minority of PD patients actively seek treatment - although often in a dysfunctional manner - the majority avoid contact with health professionals but nonetheless cause considerable distress both to themselves and those around them. The uncertain nature of PD diagnosis and the unproven nature of its treatment results in psychiatrists being 'damned if they do' (i.e. getting involved and then being blamed for the subsequent outcome) and 'damned if they don't' (i.e. avoiding responsibility and hence being blamed for the subsequent outcome). This course is aimed to equip clinicians with a rational and defensible approach in the management of this group."
The phrase "I DESERVE CARE WITHOUT CAPITALISM" has been hand embroidered onto a paper pharmacy bag in bold capital letters using red thread and backstitch. It has been photographed against the backdrop of a mossy rock.
Close up detail of bold capital letters that have been hand stitched onto a prescription bag using red thread and backstitch.
A green, white and pink medication packet for anti-depressants has been embroidered with the words "drugged up and discharged". "discharged" has been stitched in capital letters, spanning the width of the packet, whereas the other words are in a lower case.
A medication packet with hand embroidered swirling vines and leaves that create a corner frame. Inside the frame are the words "Clinically Fragile", which have been outlined in a handwriting-style font. These have been backstitched in red thread to stand out against the white of the leaflet.
A close up of a medication packet with hand embroidered swirling vines and leaves that create a corner frame. These have been backstitched in red thread to stand out against the white of the leaflet.
On a medication packet for anti-psychotics the words "Psychiatry gaslit me" have been backstitched in red thread.
Words and phrases that have been used to describe me within mental health services have been embroidered onto a medication leaflet in a variety of fonts, using backstitched red thread. There is a border of dots and dashes stitched onto the long sides of the piece. The text reads: "self-sabotaging", "manipulative", "uncompliant", "burden", "lacks insight", "sensitive", "distrustful of services", "willful", "waste of NHS services", "attention seeking", "disordered", "sick", "stubborn", "dysfunctional", "victim mentality", "opinionated".
The words "If you really wanted to you would have done it by now - Leeds Crisis Team" have been hand stitched onto a medication packet for antidepressants.
On a small paper pharmacy bag, the chemical symbol for the medication 'quetiapine' (made up of interconnecting hexagons, rectangles and circles), has been stitched in back stitch using red thread.
On a medication leaflet, the phrase "how can I trust my feelings when they've been pathologised?" has been embroidered in a serif font using back stitch and red thread. The words "trust my feelings" and "pathologised" are capitalised.
The words "there's no such thing as a 'disordered' personality" have been hand stitched in red on a white medication leaflet, in large outlined capital letters.

Finn Dobson

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