If you had to imagine your mental illness or disorder as a house, what would it look like?
Federico Babina has just released a new project called Archiatric, which depicts 16 different conditions as works of architecture in various states of repair. The designs are chillingly abstract, but for anyone living with the agony of mental illness, they're all too accurate. An animated video posted to the Barcelona-based digital artist's YouTube page further intensifies the effect of the images.
Babina is known for architecture-inspired work, using a unique geometric style that takes clear notes from cubism. His designs are often surreal, yet underlined with cheeky humour.
More info: Federico Babina, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
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Anxiety
Depression
Insomnia
Dementia
Omg people...This man is an artist. These are HIS takes on various human conditions. Stop critiquing his choices and just appreciate his gift and willingness to share with the world.
Autism
Alzheimer
This depicts very well the bits and pieces of memory and habit that linger with this disease. The cracks are nearly all the way through, excellent.
Bipolar
I think this one needs to be worked on.... It's still too safe......
Phobias
Paranoia
Dyslexia
Eating Disorder
Dissociative Disorders
I can relate to this... Though in my experience it's more like being in a bubble. Although i fully appreciate what the artist was aiming for. Good job
I'm glad I'm not the only one who describes it as being in a bubble.
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This one hits home. Great job. For me it shows my inner self that cant break free and the outer part that everyone else sees when i dissociate that i cant remember
The weird part about this is it really does feel like I'm both standing up and falling over simultaneously when I'm starting to dissociate.
I have DP/DR Disorder, this kind of makes sense to me if I'm interpreting this correctly.
Do you also feel distant from your own body? Like it's not really yours
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How exactly is this using architecture to explain something? if it wasn't a house shape but a whale shape, would they be using marine biology to explain these disorders then?
I would add may different internal layers, like almost caves in a mirror maze if that makes sense.
It can also be depersonalization disorder. I got it and it's desperating... I feel my body unconnected to my counsciousness, as if I'm just watching a movie and my body is living by its own
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THANK YOU for exposing dissociative disorders... this kind of mental illness NEEDS to get noticed... for long I thought I was mad or something... it was such a relief to find out others feel like me, but it's cruel that most psychologists don't recognize it and there are basically no efforts to discover better ways to treat it or at least reduce the pacients' suffering :(
Gender Disorder
Narcolepsy
All these disorders are in the DSM, which includes all mental illness, including cognitive/regulatory issues. Narcolepsy, dyslexia, etc are all in there.
That one would be a person inside of a house with way too many windows to choose from, pictured during a mild earthquake.
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I don't think there is "a best one", only different views that "speak" to different people. It's very subjective.
ok but like where is ADHD? i have adhd and was waiting to see what it would look like
Why is autism being put in with mental illnesses? I'm Autistic (Not-high all that high functioning either even though I can type well) and it's a nuerotype not an illness. It is just a different order in the structure of the brain where as mental illness is an actual sickness within the brain. --your resident Autistic Psych/Anthro double Major
Autism = something wrong with your brain = your brain is abnormal. See no problem with it being grouped in with mental disorders.
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Wondering if the artist could add one for BPD... I'd be interested to see how that is depicted
the ocd one is making me frustrated cuz the point of the chevrons doesnt line up with the point of the house... (there's my ocd showing)
Totally agree I have search the comments just to check I'm not the only person with this issue. Also I have autism I feel it's specific enough. I felt it shouldn't stop I feel it should be like a fractal. As my head never stops. Xx
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No it isn’t, I believe they are supposed to be representing the inside of the brain. Autism isn’t a mental illness either, but it definitely messes with the brain.
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Autism isn't a mental illness or disorder. It's a developmental delay and MEDICAL issue.
Not necessarily a delay - I'm an Asperger autistic so I didn't have the developmental delays associated with classica autism.
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I have no idea why they threw narcolepsy in here. Narcolepsy isn't a mental illness, nor is it caused by one. It's a neurological disorder.
That's what I came on here to say. I guess the artist thinks that if a process involves the brain, it's a mental disorder? Really unfortunate, especially considering there's already such misinformation around about narcolepsy.
Load More Replies... Phony and contrived, that's what this is. Mental illnesses are so popular on the Net these days that every attention vulture has to have their take on them. I don't know why is "architecture" dragged into this anyhow - stylized silhouettes of houses do not architecture make.
Gender dysphoria or gender identity disorder... or as most people would just say "being transgender". :)
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Wonder why houses, though... like, we're all pieces of monopoly n that life is just a game?
She's an architect, I suppose that's the reason. I don't find it right too.
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I just wish they would do one combining some of the houses as many of these conditions coexist. It also might bee nice to see ADHD represented as it severely affects so many people.
https://www.behance.net/gallery/30629721/Cities-with-mental-disorder
How is there narcolepsy bit not epilepsy? It being one of the most common mental illnesses and yet still neglected and unknown to the public.
Neither narcolepsy nor epilepsy should be here, as neither are mental illnesses/disorders.
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This is far too reductionist for most of the conditions mentioned. The issues are too complex to be adequately conveyed by a single image and this will lead to misinterpretation and misunderstanding. The anxiety, depression, OCD and bipolar are particularly awful.
Using "a shadow of a house" To Explain 16 Mental Illnesses And Disorders...and call it "archiatric"...I think he should use his own shadow and call it "psychiatric"...yep that's better. :)))
To everyone complaining how autism and whatever else isn’t a mental illness, read the title........mental illness AND DISORDERS. Now you can relax. And as far as the missing ones, it does not say a COMPLETE list, so you can relax too 🙂
Some of them were Right On, others I didn’t quite relate to each other
Interesting, I always thought of myself as a poorly fitted modular home.
After watching the movie it took all of 1 minute of listening to Carson on the campaign trail to know he was an idiot.
OCD and the pattern out of order like that at the top?!?? Maybe I don't get it...
I am not, none of us is a broken house. This is a ver y problematic and simplified depiction of our experiences. It is a reminder of how broken the world thinks we are. Representations like these should be left for people who have actually experienced this stuff. Also autism as a disorder should be out if the question! As many others on this list. I found this very upsetting. You shouldn't do art about things that you don't understand and haven't experienced, it turns into a hurtful mess. I get that some people like to see this though, sometimes we find comfort in bad representation because we feel it acknowledges our existence. I sure don't feel reflected on this
Hate that they still say Gender DISORDER. Even the DSM5 has made recommendations about not calling it "a disorder or mental illness".
Well, I would ask where the ADHD one was, but I guess they forgot it lol
How about multiple personality disorder? It would be a whole neighborhood. Also, I wish the schizophrenia one was more "trippy"...like all hallucination-ish
That ocd one is hidious, nothing matches at either side. What about bpd
Autism is not a mental disorder, it is a developmental disability.
If you people think it's a shame that certain disorders aren't done then do it yourself. An artist came up with this and created this in their free time, so enjoy it instead of whining about it.
I love your amazing art; however, now is 21st century, who is still stigmatizing transgender as "gender disorder" Gender equity, remember?
Narcissistic personality disorder. All the mirrors and doors open to you
Narcolepsy is not a mental illness/disorder! It's a neurological disorder! FFS get it right!
Pretty intense drawings. Very cool approach. I expected more for the OCD one, which is the one I have. Cause it can feel like the anxiety drawing. Its more like infinite "what ifs" threaten your life, while you're chained to do compulsions in order to neutralize those thoughts, never taking a break. Many people see it just as a disorder that makes you neat and organized. I have "Pure O" which is about having intrusive thoughts and neutralizing them via other thoughts so it doesn't even show itself
I'm autistic but the autism one makes no sense whatsoever to me. Also, autism is not a mental illness; it's a neurological variation.
It's a mental phenomenon that leads to confusion and even depression. It can be addressed surgically. What about this is not a disorder that needs to be dealt with? Disorder does not mean negative. it simply means that it is out of the ordinary and needs to be taken care of in one form or another. So much political correctness. it makes me cringe.
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What do you think BPD would look like? My idea is a house with rapidly openning & slamming doors and a human figure endlessly running in and out.
And let's not foret the ever-popular narcissist. (Maybe a house of mirrors?)
Interesting concept. I can't say that mine (anorexia) resonates with me, but it's nice that eating disorders was included
Very expressive yet powerful message.though so simplistic.Marvellous designs
I don't get the eating disorder one. I have struggled with EDs all my life, and although I know this is someone's artistic interpretation, I don't get what the artist was trying to say with that house...
Probably not the most popular opinion, but I think they are a bit c**p. They are just basic houses, with scribbles or simple patterns... and I don't understand how someone with a few of these different illness' can enjoy these as I feel they oversimplify. Depressions not just a drippy house.
Too much complaint from the people who, actually, should be thankful this man share his art to us. It's an opinion, just another point of view that we should count on it. There isn't an exact example or description about this kind of "illness", like the human been we all are different even to explain something. Thanks for your aport, and people... Less perfectionist and more grateful
Too much complaint from the people who, actually, should be thankful this man share his art to us. It's an opinion, just another point of view that we should count on it. There isn't an exact example or description about this kind of "illness", like the human been we all are different even to explain something. Thanks for your aport, and people... Less ego-perfectionist and more grateful
The OCD one is so frustrating that the chevrons are not perfect! Nyargh!!!!
These are awesome! Too bad PTSD, Learning deficit disorder, and Tourette's
Thanks Frederico, this was really interesting .. made me think about what these conditions might actually feel like .
To those complaining about the OCD one not being symmetric.... OCD isn't always about symmetry. If you truly deal with it you would know that. People confuse OCD with OCPD quite a bit now because a few memes made them diagnose themselves.
not every single disorder can be here guys. this is one artist, not The Artist Of Society. 1. i've seen several mental illness depictions that include ADHD and BPD etc. 2. perhaps experiment and draw your illness yourself? nothing better than the experient's genuine mind itself.
This is really clever. I love it when people depict their own understanding and view of certain topics. Great insight into the human condition... And the related comments too.
Gender Disorder??? Really? And Dyslexia???? The latter is Additional Learning Need not a mental illness!
The art is good but the article and the title are im some cases inapropriate
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The ocd one isn't symmetric and the top looks wierd on both sides and the person is standing to the right more. Its just not perfect
The narcolepsy one needs calendars with the pages flying away and clocks with the hands spinning. That's how I feel, that my life just disappears in big chunks.
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I agree that this is a helpful approach to help people understand. I think it is much more than art -- and as such I want to say that the dissociative disorders house might be more illustrative if it had a bunch of smaller houses inside, rather than just one big scary dark one. There is a lot of life - and lives - inside a dissociative mind.
Dunno if I would describe my dyslexia as a mental illnesses or disorder.
You put dementia, then a couple different forms of dementia... I feel like it was a good attempt but not well enough researched
Autism is neither a mental illness nor a mental disorder, it is a developmental disorder. And I really don't see how the image representing autism. well, is in any way even remotely representative of autism.
I have autism and I can deeply relate to every one of them except the autism one. Can someone please explain?
You're going to be more critical towards the one you relate to most. So the ones that you don't relate to as strong, but because you have your own experience with autism, you had a different idea in your head than the artist did in theirs.
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I can't really relate much, I have yet to see one of these series illustrating ADD and/or panic anxiety.
They can't... There would be no building, just a person.
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Mental illnesses are real illnesses and Alzheimer's is a illness of the mind aka mental disorder 😂
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I was disappointed that there was no gender disorder, epilepsy, or BPD
I have to disagree on the OCD. Parts of the patterns are out of wack! Balance, I need BALANCE! Seems a bit like went one of the cupboards are left open.
That one would be a person inside of a house with way too many windows to choose from, pictured during a mild earthquake.
Load More Replies... I don't think there is "a best one", only different views that "speak" to different people. It's very subjective.
ok but like where is ADHD? i have adhd and was waiting to see what it would look like
Why is autism being put in with mental illnesses? I'm Autistic (Not-high all that high functioning either even though I can type well) and it's a nuerotype not an illness. It is just a different order in the structure of the brain where as mental illness is an actual sickness within the brain. --your resident Autistic Psych/Anthro double Major
Autism = something wrong with your brain = your brain is abnormal. See no problem with it being grouped in with mental disorders.
Load More Replies... Wondering if the artist could add one for BPD... I'd be interested to see how that is depicted
the ocd one is making me frustrated cuz the point of the chevrons doesnt line up with the point of the house... (there's my ocd showing)
Totally agree I have search the comments just to check I'm not the only person with this issue. Also I have autism I feel it's specific enough. I felt it shouldn't stop I feel it should be like a fractal. As my head never stops. Xx
Load More Replies... No it isn’t, I believe they are supposed to be representing the inside of the brain. Autism isn’t a mental illness either, but it definitely messes with the brain.
Load More Replies... Autism isn't a mental illness or disorder. It's a developmental delay and MEDICAL issue.
Not necessarily a delay - I'm an Asperger autistic so I didn't have the developmental delays associated with classica autism.
Load More Replies... I have no idea why they threw narcolepsy in here. Narcolepsy isn't a mental illness, nor is it caused by one. It's a neurological disorder.
That's what I came on here to say. I guess the artist thinks that if a process involves the brain, it's a mental disorder? Really unfortunate, especially considering there's already such misinformation around about narcolepsy.
Load More Replies... Phony and contrived, that's what this is. Mental illnesses are so popular on the Net these days that every attention vulture has to have their take on them. I don't know why is "architecture" dragged into this anyhow - stylized silhouettes of houses do not architecture make.
Gender dysphoria or gender identity disorder... or as most people would just say "being transgender". :)
Load More Replies... Wonder why houses, though... like, we're all pieces of monopoly n that life is just a game?
She's an architect, I suppose that's the reason. I don't find it right too.
Load More Replies... I just wish they would do one combining some of the houses as many of these conditions coexist. It also might bee nice to see ADHD represented as it severely affects so many people.
https://www.behance.net/gallery/30629721/Cities-with-mental-disorder
How is there narcolepsy bit not epilepsy? It being one of the most common mental illnesses and yet still neglected and unknown to the public.
Neither narcolepsy nor epilepsy should be here, as neither are mental illnesses/disorders.
Load More Replies... This is far too reductionist for most of the conditions mentioned. The issues are too complex to be adequately conveyed by a single image and this will lead to misinterpretation and misunderstanding. The anxiety, depression, OCD and bipolar are particularly awful.
Using "a shadow of a house" To Explain 16 Mental Illnesses And Disorders...and call it "archiatric"...I think he should use his own shadow and call it "psychiatric"...yep that's better. :)))
To everyone complaining how autism and whatever else isn’t a mental illness, read the title........mental illness AND DISORDERS. Now you can relax. And as far as the missing ones, it does not say a COMPLETE list, so you can relax too 🙂
Some of them were Right On, others I didn’t quite relate to each other
Interesting, I always thought of myself as a poorly fitted modular home.
After watching the movie it took all of 1 minute of listening to Carson on the campaign trail to know he was an idiot.
OCD and the pattern out of order like that at the top?!?? Maybe I don't get it...
I am not, none of us is a broken house. This is a ver y problematic and simplified depiction of our experiences. It is a reminder of how broken the world thinks we are. Representations like these should be left for people who have actually experienced this stuff. Also autism as a disorder should be out if the question! As many others on this list. I found this very upsetting. You shouldn't do art about things that you don't understand and haven't experienced, it turns into a hurtful mess. I get that some people like to see this though, sometimes we find comfort in bad representation because we feel it acknowledges our existence. I sure don't feel reflected on this
Hate that they still say Gender DISORDER. Even the DSM5 has made recommendations about not calling it "a disorder or mental illness".
Well, I would ask where the ADHD one was, but I guess they forgot it lol
How about multiple personality disorder? It would be a whole neighborhood. Also, I wish the schizophrenia one was more "trippy"...like all hallucination-ish
That ocd one is hidious, nothing matches at either side. What about bpd
Autism is not a mental disorder, it is a developmental disability.
If you people think it's a shame that certain disorders aren't done then do it yourself. An artist came up with this and created this in their free time, so enjoy it instead of whining about it.
I love your amazing art; however, now is 21st century, who is still stigmatizing transgender as "gender disorder" Gender equity, remember?
Narcissistic personality disorder. All the mirrors and doors open to you
Narcolepsy is not a mental illness/disorder! It's a neurological disorder! FFS get it right!
Pretty intense drawings. Very cool approach. I expected more for the OCD one, which is the one I have. Cause it can feel like the anxiety drawing. Its more like infinite "what ifs" threaten your life, while you're chained to do compulsions in order to neutralize those thoughts, never taking a break. Many people see it just as a disorder that makes you neat and organized. I have "Pure O" which is about having intrusive thoughts and neutralizing them via other thoughts so it doesn't even show itself
I'm autistic but the autism one makes no sense whatsoever to me. Also, autism is not a mental illness; it's a neurological variation.
It's a mental phenomenon that leads to confusion and even depression. It can be addressed surgically. What about this is not a disorder that needs to be dealt with? Disorder does not mean negative. it simply means that it is out of the ordinary and needs to be taken care of in one form or another. So much political correctness. it makes me cringe.
Load More Replies... What do you think BPD would look like? My idea is a house with rapidly openning & slamming doors and a human figure endlessly running in and out.
And let's not foret the ever-popular narcissist. (Maybe a house of mirrors?)
Interesting concept. I can't say that mine (anorexia) resonates with me, but it's nice that eating disorders was included
Very expressive yet powerful message.though so simplistic.Marvellous designs
I don't get the eating disorder one. I have struggled with EDs all my life, and although I know this is someone's artistic interpretation, I don't get what the artist was trying to say with that house...
Probably not the most popular opinion, but I think they are a bit c**p. They are just basic houses, with scribbles or simple patterns... and I don't understand how someone with a few of these different illness' can enjoy these as I feel they oversimplify. Depressions not just a drippy house.
Too much complaint from the people who, actually, should be thankful this man share his art to us. It's an opinion, just another point of view that we should count on it. There isn't an exact example or description about this kind of "illness", like the human been we all are different even to explain something. Thanks for your aport, and people... Less perfectionist and more grateful
Too much complaint from the people who, actually, should be thankful this man share his art to us. It's an opinion, just another point of view that we should count on it. There isn't an exact example or description about this kind of "illness", like the human been we all are different even to explain something. Thanks for your aport, and people... Less ego-perfectionist and more grateful
The OCD one is so frustrating that the chevrons are not perfect! Nyargh!!!!
These are awesome! Too bad PTSD, Learning deficit disorder, and Tourette's
Thanks Frederico, this was really interesting .. made me think about what these conditions might actually feel like .
To those complaining about the OCD one not being symmetric.... OCD isn't always about symmetry. If you truly deal with it you would know that. People confuse OCD with OCPD quite a bit now because a few memes made them diagnose themselves.
not every single disorder can be here guys. this is one artist, not The Artist Of Society. 1. i've seen several mental illness depictions that include ADHD and BPD etc. 2. perhaps experiment and draw your illness yourself? nothing better than the experient's genuine mind itself.
This is really clever. I love it when people depict their own understanding and view of certain topics. Great insight into the human condition... And the related comments too.
Gender Disorder??? Really? And Dyslexia???? The latter is Additional Learning Need not a mental illness!
The art is good but the article and the title are im some cases inapropriate
Load More Replies... The ocd one isn't symmetric and the top looks wierd on both sides and the person is standing to the right more. Its just not perfect
The narcolepsy one needs calendars with the pages flying away and clocks with the hands spinning. That's how I feel, that my life just disappears in big chunks.
Load More Replies... I agree that this is a helpful approach to help people understand. I think it is much more than art -- and as such I want to say that the dissociative disorders house might be more illustrative if it had a bunch of smaller houses inside, rather than just one big scary dark one. There is a lot of life - and lives - inside a dissociative mind.
Dunno if I would describe my dyslexia as a mental illnesses or disorder.
You put dementia, then a couple different forms of dementia... I feel like it was a good attempt but not well enough researched
Autism is neither a mental illness nor a mental disorder, it is a developmental disorder. And I really don't see how the image representing autism. well, is in any way even remotely representative of autism.
I have autism and I can deeply relate to every one of them except the autism one. Can someone please explain?
You're going to be more critical towards the one you relate to most. So the ones that you don't relate to as strong, but because you have your own experience with autism, you had a different idea in your head than the artist did in theirs.
Load More Replies... I can't really relate much, I have yet to see one of these series illustrating ADD and/or panic anxiety.
They can't... There would be no building, just a person.
Load More Replies... Mental illnesses are real illnesses and Alzheimer's is a illness of the mind aka mental disorder 😂
Load More Replies... I was disappointed that there was no gender disorder, epilepsy, or BPD
I have to disagree on the OCD. Parts of the patterns are out of wack! Balance, I need BALANCE! Seems a bit like went one of the cupboards are left open.
