STICK

[@RachelSkidmore]

As a person who has had Crohn's Disease for over 14 years, this was incredibly moving. I was diagnosed at 12 years old, suffered the worst of my illness while in high school, and avoided support groups and forums because I wanted to ignore the fact that I was different or sick. There were many unexplainable feelings that I had, too. I can't wait to share this with my parents, who stayed up many sleepless nights with me when I was at my worst. Thank you for creating this beautiful monologue.

[@pinkprincesshottie2]

This is beautiful. I have ulcerative colitis, and this was so moving for me. There are so many parts of this illness that affect me mentally that are difficult to express. I am scared to talk about it to people because I feel like they are just going to leave me.

[@par4mus3r]

As a fellow sufferer, this means a lot. Just came across this. Yes, it's incredible pain, and I lose so much weigh along with all the other negative side effects. I try to look on the bright side though - nothing else hurts in comparison. Thank you for this.

[@TheVoicesProject]

Dear Rachel. Thank you for sharing this with us. We will pass on your comments to Carolyn, Emma and Martha. All the best from everyone at The Voices Project.

[@spadesofdeath2412]

I have Crohn's disease for about a year now, and it's honestly the most bittersweet thing. It's taught me a lot about life and how frail it true is. I managed to develop a major infection and nearly died last November. Things have a way to work out, so I understand how you feel.

[@TheVoicesProject]

Thank you for sharing this. We will pass the comment on to Carolyn (our writer), Emma (our star) and Martha (our director). Best wishes from us all.

[@cheebacheeo]

Emma Campbell did a great job! Actually this short film is overall well produced. I personally liked the script a lot. The effects were just right on. And the topic interests are me :) Well done everyone 🥰 Greetings everyone! 🙋‍♂️🇫🇮

[@MirandaAltha]

I do not have Crohn's, but I am a teen living with Hypothyroidism, and this is incredibly touching.

[@citcat299]

I don't have crohn's but I am somebody who suffers from mental illness and this somehow transcended the boundaries/differences and really spoke to me too. I could really relate to the emotional journey experienced by the protagonist. It is an amazing work. Thank you so much to all involved in its creation.

[@MalexGTi]

Beautiful

[@TheVoicesProject]

Thank you for sharing. We will pass on your comments to the creative team.

[@TheVoicesProject]

Thanks for commenting. You can read an interview with the writer, Carolyn Burns, who has Crohn's, on our website.

[@AlexBSinclair]

Nails it for me. Thanks.

[@KimClarke777]

The pooping in a bag thing is not the end of the world. Compared to how sick you have to be to need a bag it can give you your life back. I have colitis and had my colon removed almost two years ago, I was 29. My mum has had chrohns for nearly 40 years and she doesn't have a bag.

[@aryansadawarte8032]

Hey miss, remember me from yr 10 roll call?

[@aalianmanzoor7314]

Aryan Sadawarte yooo man remember me I deal drugs now wbu still in school ?

[@thecrystalshipman]

Nice one Martha!!!!

[@TheVoicesProject]

Yes, it's published in The Voices Project 2013, but you can also read it in full on our Fresh Ink website, under FreshInk(dot)com(dot)au/stick You can also find details of the publication there, under The Voices Project tab.

[@killiancamp]

is this published in any way shape or form? It is absolutely incredible

[@AlexanderBriggs]

Thank You

[@TheVoicesProject]

Hi. Thanks for commenting. Writer Carolyn Burns and director Martha Goddard talk about use of the rock and glass metaphor in our Making Of video, which you can see on our channel. Let us know what you think.

[@thevintagejournal]

Amazing!

[@nextworld9176]

Wow. That's acting!

[@RichardMagpies]

lead actress appreciation comment

[@robsonmelo646]

She is so Pretty

[@NikkoTanGoogle]

The actress reminds me of Lorde and Jennifer Lawrence :)

[@robsonmelo646]

What is Her Name ?

[@robsonmelo646]

What is Your Name ?

[@vidovitz]

Absolutely Fucking Disgusted. I was diagnosed with Epilepsy in 2004. I was 24. Everything changed - I lost my job, I was on over 30 tablets a day, My weight increased cos of the steroids I was on. IF YOU WANT TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT CROHN'S - FINE - But don't do it at the expense of those suffering with other conditions and diseases.

[@TheVoicesProject]

Thank you for your comment and we apologize for any hurt or offense the comments made by the character of Louise may have caused you. We recognize, of course that Louise’s humour is raw and painful, and, on an initial surface level, offensive. However, these comments are intended to be reflective of the tumult of emotions the character is experiencing - shock, disbelief, self- disgust, grief - ,and the character’s responses to both her physical condition, her changed circumstances and of being in the confronting situation of talking to a support group, to which shocking aggressive humour is a typical teenage response. When discussing and developing the piece, Carolyn has said of Louise that she’s a defiant smart-arse, who enjoys deliberately exploiting the discomfort other people feel about her illness. However, it in no way reflects the views of the creative team towards the medical conditions she talks about nor does it attempt to suggest a hierarchy of illnesses - that one condition is less serious than another. When we set out to make this piece, which was one of a number of scripts by young writers for young performers concerning attitudes towards sickness and dying, our writer Carolyn drew on her own experiences of having Crohn’s to comment on the general experience of coming to terms with the diagnosis of a life-changing chronic condition. One of the explicit aims of the script was to criticise through Louise the unfortunate way some people respond to and talk about people with medical conditions, and the struggle to find the words to articulate the experience and offer support (witness, also the unfortunate way Louise’s Dad attempts to comfort her by citing FDR). Carolyn’s text also suggest that some of the difficulties that people with chronic medical issues face - practical, societal, psychological -are shared even though individual circumstances and physical symptoms are quite different - so while watching the film, ‘Crohns’ should be read as an symbol of every chronic disease . Your comments about the impact of your epilepsy on your life echo Carolyn’s own experiences of having to deal with a dramatic change in circumstances and a life changed - which is the premise of the film - and other viewers have commented about how much the film reflects their experience, and not just of Crohn’s. This was the intention of the film, which as mentioned, was produced in the context of a body of works for exploring teenage experiences of death, loss, love, sexuality and identity, honestly and openly, many of which touch on very sensitive subjects that can be open to interpretation. The film, we feel, ends on a positive note, as Louise finds the strength to face her fears and live her life fully and hopefully, which is how many people with chronic conditions live their lives, in spite of the circumstances and the limitations that their conditions impose on them. Again, we apologize if the film has offended you, but we would ask you to consider the film in the light of the context and the intentions of the work and the artists involved, although we do understand your position. You can find our more about STICK and watch Carolyn, Martha and Emma talking more about the process of creating the film, here. The Making of STICK Thanks again for your feedback.

[@thedukeofweasels6870]

+vidovitz I kind of agree I like the "we" part in schizophrenia is stupid because they always confuse it with DID. But I think they were just trying to poke fun at the stupid things ignorant people say! Making fun of stigma not illness! I'm bipolar and hear jokes about everyday, no one understands how debilitating it can really be. I see people with depression say "at least you're not always depressed at least you get vacation days" they just don't understand that hypomania isn't always fun! some people get the euphoria but some people (like me) get the rage side of the coin! No one understands the itchy squirmy out of control fucked up feeling it can cause! I think their point is that we are all united in the suffering we're facing. it shouldn't really matter what causes that suffering when trying to support each other but society often picks and chooses the illnesses it wants to care about!

[@TheVoicesProject]

+theduke ofweasels (Weasel) Thanks for you comment- that's exactly what we were hoping to achieve. We will pass this on to the team behind STICK.

[@seventhmetro]

FDR elected four times