Laura Kuksa
View my project with my voiceover here: https://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/byam21/2021/12/02/151/
Transcript
Hi, my name is Laura Kuksa and my triptych is about the development of toxic friendships, something that I have experienced one too many times.
Unfortunately, no one can really see a toxic friendship or relationship coming and it starts off amazing.
There’s immediate connection, a desire to get closer and share everything about each other with each other. I included a couple images of places where my friend and I would hang out in the collage. There’s tons of laughter, sometimes at other people, which is already a red flag that we often overlook. You become slightly obsessed with this person because of how happy you make each other and want to share every thought you have with them.
Then, catastrophe strikes. You realize how toxic this person is after you really get to know them and they start emotionally manipulating you. There’s constant conflict, confusion, and being harrassed. In my case, my friend kept showing me his unhealthy eating disorder and was basically showing it off after I repeatedly told him how terrible it was and how much he needed help. He ignored every single thing I said and continued to brag about how he was taking apple cider vinegar shots to lose even more weight. Eventually I couldn’t keep lecturing or convincing him to stop something he obviously never would and there was a turning point. After that, he was sending me suicide threats, sending me crazy inappropriate images, carving my name into his thigh. It was traumatizing to say the least.
Eventually, I was able to break free from this cycle, and find peace and new friends. These new friends helped me take my mind off of everything and I was able to find inner peace and love. I stopped worrying about it and kept telling myself “It’s okay,” as shown in the collage. I caught up with my friend three years later and it turned out he had been hospitalized and put into psychiatric care, which was not surprising, but he is now much better, mentally and friendship-wise. We talk here and there but aren’t as close anymore and I think both of us are okay with that. So, thats my piece and my collage, I hope you enjoyed!
