
259Kviews
I Illustrated Mental Illness And Disorders To Fight The Stigma Associated With Them (New Pics)
259Kviews
Back in 2016 I created 31 different dark art interpretations of mental illness disorders for Inktober (that were featured on Bored Panda), in order to start an unconventional conversation.
In the past 2 years, mental health has become more openly talked about, but many people suffering from mental illnesses are still considered "crazy" or "mental". And as long as the stigma remains, I'll keep creating artwork to continue that conversation.
More info: Instagram
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Anxiety Disorder
A mental health disorder characterised by feelings of worry, anxiety or fear that are strong enough to interfere with one's daily activities.
Generalized Depression
ADHD
As an adult with ADD and a kid very much with ADHD it can be a very hard thing to manage. Medication helps but with it comes a need to be very organized and structured because if you aren't your world falls apart. I remember playing baseball as a child and if a butterfly flew past the game was over for me.
Panic Disorder
Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by reoccurring unexpected panic attacks. Panic attacks are sudden periods of intense fear that may include palpitations, sweating, shaking, shortness of breath, numbness, or a feeling that something terrible is going to happen.
Social Anxiety Disorder
Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Disorder
Nonsuicidal self-injury disorder is a mental disorder that refers to the deliberate destruction of the surface of ones own body without suicidal intent. These behaviors include cutting, burning, scraping skin, hitting, and biting oneself and are primarily inflicted to cause bleeding, bruising, or pain.
OCD
Anyone who thinks being neat and organized means they have OCD, have never seen anyone who actually suffers from it.
Bipolar Disorder
A disorder associated with episodes of mood swings ranging from depressive lows to manic highs.
Antisocial Personality Disorder
since i'm bored anyway,.. A mental health disorder characterised by disregard for other people.
Schizophrenia Disorder
A disorder that affects a person's ability to think, feel and behave clearly. Schizophrenia is characterised by thoughts or experiences that seem out of touch with reality, disorganised speech or behaviour and decreased participation in daily activities. Difficulty with concentration and memory may also be present.
Borderline Personality Disorder
A mental disorder characterised by unstable moods, behaviour and relationships. Symptoms include emotional instability, feelings of worthlessness, insecurity, impulsivity and impaired social relationships.
Intermittent Explosive Disorder
Intermittent explosive disorder (sometimes abbreviated as IED) is a behavioral disorder characterized by explosive outbursts of anger and violence, often to the point of rage, that are disproportionate to the situation at hand (e.g., impulsive screaming triggered by relatively inconsequential events)
Dependent Personality Disorder
Dependent personality disorder (DPD) is an anxious personality disorder characterized by an inability to be alone. People with DPD develop symptoms of anxiety when they're not around others. They rely on other people for comfort, reassurance, advice, and support.
Pica Disorder
Pica is most common in people with developmental disabilities, like autism and intellectual disabilities, and in children between the ages of 2 and 3. ... People with pica frequently crave and eat nonfood items such as: dirt
Depersonalization Disorder
Depersonalization disorder is marked by periods of feeling disconnected or detached from one's body and thoughts (depersonalization). The disorder is sometimes described as feeling like you are observing yourself from outside your body or like being in a dream. However, people with this disorder do not lose contact with reality; they realize that things are not as they appear. An episode of depersonalization can last anywhere from a few minutes to (rarely) many years.
Avoidant Personality Disorder
A disorder characterised by social discomfort and avoidance of interpersonal contact. Someone who has avoidant personality disorder avoids intimate and social contact with others. People with this condition may be extremely shy, fear ridicule and be overly concerned with looking foolish.
Body Dysmorphia Disorder
A mental illness involving obsessive focus on a perceived flaw in appearance. The flaw may be minor or imagined. But the person may spend hours a day trying to fix it. The person may try many cosmetic procedures or exercise to excess. People with this disorder may frequently examine their appearance in a mirror, constantly compare their appearance with that of others and avoid social situations or photos.
Dissociative Identity Disorder
Dissociative identity disorder, previously called multiple personality disorder, is usually a reaction to trauma as a way to help a person avoid bad memories. Dissociative identity disorder is characterised by the presence of two or more distinct personality identities. Each may have a unique name, personal history and characteristics.
Delirium Disorder
Delirium is a condition of severe confusion and rapid changes in brain function. Delirium in itself is not a disease, but rather a cluster of symptoms that may result from a disease or other clinical process. Shorter in duration than dementia, it is often the result of treatable physical or mental illness. Underlying causes should be investigated. Delirium can be a side effect of some medications. Delirium is also referred to as "acute confusional state" or "acute brain syndrome."
Dermatillomania
Excoriation Disorder (Skin Picking or Dermatillomania),... i think it's a disorder about picking own skin or other people skin. (i don't know if it's a dead skin or healthy living skin tissue, it'll be scary if it's the latter)
Stockholm Syndrome
feelings of trust or affection felt in certain cases of kidnapping or hostage-taking by a victim toward a captor
Cotard's Delusion
Cotard delusion is a rare mental illness in which the affected person holds the delusional belief that they are already dead, do not exist, are putrefying, or have lost their blood or internal organs.
Separation Anxiety Disorder
A disorder in which a child becomes excessively anxious when separated from parents. Separation anxiety differs from normal clinginess. Children with the disorder can't think about anything but the present fear of separation. They may have nightmares or regular physical complaints. They may be reluctant to go to school or other places.
Substance Abuse Disorder
looks like it's about alcoholic and using any kind of substance that induce intoxicated state with no good purpose
the drawing is so cool. but, i think it would be better if there's explanation of each disorder, and it would be cool if we have games that have monster/enemies like this.
Thanks for the descriptions :))) They were very helpful!
no prob, my explanation got paid off after all ;)
"i think it would be better if there's explanation of each disorder" Commentators came to the rescue Edit: I just realized it was mostly you who came to our rescue. Thank you; I'm bowing down before you :)
Yes, thank you! It adds so much to the pictures.
hahaha, no problem. actually i was waiting for someone to explain it for about 2 to 3 hour after i comment that and no one explain it. so,.... i did it (i was very very bored at the time XD)
Thanks for the descriptions by the way! they really helped with connections to the drawing!!
Thank you! I agree with @justaPurpler. They were very helpful.
Hollow Knight
I agreee And thank you very much! :)
Very strong images! I think you captured all of these very well.. kudos!
As a person who does have mental illness, I must say, YOU NAILED IT. You certainly did your reasearch well, I had to google a few I didn't know. Amazing work!
although there is a lotta crap in the world still, the fact that mental illness is being more accepted and spoken about in public is a huge step forward. there's a long way to go, but it feels like anybody who's socially 'different' is finally starting to get a voice.
These are wonderful, Shawn. On point. I love how art can help describe feelings.
love the style of drawing.
Hello I'm wondering if I can interview you for a senior project. My project is over personifying mental disorders to raise awareness and you'd be perfect for my annotated bib. I know you're probably busy so thank you for finding the time to read this. :)
These are really touching and there are a couple I personally live with. The visualization of these disorders is freeing in a way, to be and feel seen.
Fabulous drawings, I think anyone who has suffered with mental illness will identify with these.
Excellent work. You must be very empathic & educated to grasp these disorders so accurately. People who suffer from these disorders often have more than one at the same time & often self-medicate as substance abusers.
This is incredible... really helps people to visualize the effects of these mental illnesses.
Hey I love your drawings, but I would like to make a suggestion. Would you mind drawing one about Tourette's? I personally have it and it is hard for me to cope with it, especially since most middle school kids don't know what it is. It would mean a lot to me if you did one about Tourette's. Thank you for doing these drawings, they mean so much to me.
Amazing work! After years of struggling, i finally got treatment for depression and no longer feel the need to keep it a secret. I was always ashamed of it but now realize that not only is it not something to be ashamed of, but also something that is just part of me like my bad vision. I always try to encourage people to get help because i feel so much better, and i wish i was pushed to get help sooner. Mental health is just as important as heart health or liver function.
YES!!! <3
My disorder looks more frightening in this medium.
"Don't get me wrong, the rise in awareness is beating a stigma that no longer scares us // But for sake of discussion, in spirit of fairness, could we give this some room for a new point of view? And could it be true that some could be tempted, to use this mistake as a form of aggression? A form of succession? A form of a weapon? Thinking "I'll teach them", well, I'm refusing the lesson// It won't resonate in our minds. I'm not disrespecting what was left behind, just pleading that it does not get glorified, maybe we swap out what it is that we hold so high. Find your grandparents or someone of age. Pay some respects for the path that they paved. To life, they were dedicated. Now, that should be celebrated" ~ twenty øne piløts
I am confused by what you just said...
They're song lyrics
You captured these marvelously. Also, thank you for including disorders that are not just the typical anxiety and depression, like depersonalization disorder, avoidant, etc.
Really good depictions of psychical disorders. Creepy (in a good way) and interesting.
So well done!
As someone who suffers from 4 (previously 5) of the illnesses depicted, I can say that the drawings do represent how I feel. The research was obviously put in Ansbach I appreciate the physicalisation of something that’s so far from being tangible to people who dont suffer these issues.
Miya Ryuzaki -
Caught the horror all too well.
Amazing artist
why are they all portayed as monsters? is it because it might feel like a curse? I realise you're not saying that you are a monster because of this affliction. still I would think that someone suffering from an illness like this would not be helped in uplifting his or her self image by seeing his or her affliction in such a monstrous way.
Awesome drawing style! I dont know many of these disorders but you can get a little bit what it must be like when watching your drawings. Very impressiv, thank you!
Would like to see one for someone who makes things up, and needs to be the center of attention. They have done the self harm, now telling ppl they hear voices, easily influenced, at least now we are out of the gender switching stage, says she has anxiety, depression. This has been ongoing since childhood when in 1st grade, yes 1st grade, told the school nurse she had kidney stones, she did not, but dad did. Or the "Help Me" she wrote in her own blood on the bathroom wall at the dr's office as her dad and her read scarey stories and she thought it would be funny and the drs would think the place was haunted. Its all attention seeking antics. She is just now able to see a therapist about these things.
i think that’s munchausen syndrome...?
This comment has been deleted.
What we often don't think about it is that animals don't often suffer from mental illness. . Unnatural environments DO make animals crazy, though. We've all heard about the animal who went crazy in a zoo and started hurting itself or just died of depression. Occam's Razor would indicate that the prevalance of mental illnesses are a result of our society and our environment. Poisons (lead, synthetic estrogens in everything, pesticides that are very similar to nerve gasses) have to be taking their toll. Humans are a gregarious species, yet so many people are isolated (in the US at least). Loneliness kills people as sure as cancer.
i'm pretty sure I have the depersonalization one
FANTASTIC EXPRESSION. WITHOUT COMPARISON BUT VERY SIMILAR TO ALEX PARDEE STYLE. I WILL BE SEARCHING FOR YOURE PAGES SHAWN.
Brilliant. Should be widely seen amongst all people. 😊
How the heck, would you know how it actually feels..
I have basically all of these except maybe 2 or 3
The drawings remind me of Gerald Scarfe
they're not as gross as Gerald Scarfe
Why is gender dysphoria not included?
Didn't we already get this post like... 6 times. Exact same pictures. Is Boredpanda turning into a neverending rerun of Married with Children?
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
as if there's stigma. every tom dick harry and sally have some sort of mental disorder now
But most of all, it makes me upset when people belittle everyone's mental illnesses. There are so many other people with mental illnesses, I live in a family of six, shall I go on? Sorry that it is inconvenient to you that so many people have mental illnesses.
what a crock! I have a mental illness (i'm certainly not going to tell you which one) and I can tell you there is a massive stigma. anybody who says there isn't is either a liar or very naive.
yeah I thought as much, you people just downvote and cry out loud, no substance in your little brains
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
go on then, tell me. tell me exactly how and why there's a stigma while you're openly talking about it and openly claiming you have mental illness on a forum full of strangers. tell me your anecdotal experience like the rest of these easily outraged fools. which part am i lying about exactly? i defy you to challenge every single point i made, oh and notice i didn't use myself or my family as some sort of example, i am talking about the state of the industry, that which ultimately is supposed to help those with mental illness, which has nothing to do with stigma or your personal disorder. and lol, the irony of you calling me naive, you the one who thinks its about stigma and not the manipulation of pharmaceutical companies, popular opinion and the stupidly flawed way in which the health system structures psychological health. go on then, i defy you to do this without a sob story.
It makes me upset when my twin comes home crying because of her OCD. It makes me upset when I can't do anything to help by twin because of her OCD. It makes me upset when she screams at me because her OCD doesn't let her understand I am on her side during one of her panic attacks. It makes me upset that my sister missed part of Christmas because she had a panic attack. It makes me upset that I have gotten used to coming home to panic attack's.
That's what I thought until I had to get help. Don't be so ignorant; these are actual mental illnesses that exist in the world. Just because you don't have one doesn't mean that nobody has a mental illness.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
just assume i don't have one, think you're the ignorant one then. you can't get help because psychiatrists are over-diagnosing and over-medicating. the loose criteria for "mental illness" in documents such as the DSM-5 enable people who are a bit sad over their cat dying to be diagnosed with depression. the pschoanalysis industry has become such that therapists are encouraged to treat their patients as numbers and push medications. if it was stigmatised it's because every self-diagnosing idiot with an internet connection is claiming to be mentally ill just to seem more interesting. if in western society mental illness has begun to be used as an affectation to someone's personality, that is not stigma.
I am sorry, is me having a mental illness making you upset? Me to. It makes me upset that I will never become a professional actor because of Tourette's. It makes me upset that I didn't know what was wrong with me until I found out I had Tourette's at age 7. It makes me upset that people talk about me while I am onstage performing because of my Tourette's. It makes me upset when my friends tell me the people behind them were laughing at me because of me MENTAL DISORDER. It makes me upset that people give me strange looks because of my Tourette's. It makes me upset when my teacher is like," who is squeaking like a mouse? It is very disrespectful," when u can't help but squeak because of Tourette's.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
yeah i'm upset that you think I give a shit about your mental illness. go cry to someone else. i never said a thing about "inconvenience" to me, you're just angry because i used logic and reason and a healthy dose of cynicism about all this bullshit, and it is bullshit, because like everything that has ever existed, the internet has turned into bullshit. So go cry me a river with that overemotional sob story, I literally don't give a fuck.
the drawing is so cool. but, i think it would be better if there's explanation of each disorder, and it would be cool if we have games that have monster/enemies like this.
Thanks for the descriptions :))) They were very helpful!
no prob, my explanation got paid off after all ;)
"i think it would be better if there's explanation of each disorder" Commentators came to the rescue Edit: I just realized it was mostly you who came to our rescue. Thank you; I'm bowing down before you :)
Yes, thank you! It adds so much to the pictures.
hahaha, no problem. actually i was waiting for someone to explain it for about 2 to 3 hour after i comment that and no one explain it. so,.... i did it (i was very very bored at the time XD)
Thanks for the descriptions by the way! they really helped with connections to the drawing!!
Thank you! I agree with @justaPurpler. They were very helpful.
Hollow Knight
I agreee And thank you very much! :)
Very strong images! I think you captured all of these very well.. kudos!
As a person who does have mental illness, I must say, YOU NAILED IT. You certainly did your reasearch well, I had to google a few I didn't know. Amazing work!
although there is a lotta crap in the world still, the fact that mental illness is being more accepted and spoken about in public is a huge step forward. there's a long way to go, but it feels like anybody who's socially 'different' is finally starting to get a voice.
These are wonderful, Shawn. On point. I love how art can help describe feelings.
love the style of drawing.
Hello I'm wondering if I can interview you for a senior project. My project is over personifying mental disorders to raise awareness and you'd be perfect for my annotated bib. I know you're probably busy so thank you for finding the time to read this. :)
These are really touching and there are a couple I personally live with. The visualization of these disorders is freeing in a way, to be and feel seen.
Fabulous drawings, I think anyone who has suffered with mental illness will identify with these.
Excellent work. You must be very empathic & educated to grasp these disorders so accurately. People who suffer from these disorders often have more than one at the same time & often self-medicate as substance abusers.
This is incredible... really helps people to visualize the effects of these mental illnesses.
Hey I love your drawings, but I would like to make a suggestion. Would you mind drawing one about Tourette's? I personally have it and it is hard for me to cope with it, especially since most middle school kids don't know what it is. It would mean a lot to me if you did one about Tourette's. Thank you for doing these drawings, they mean so much to me.
Amazing work! After years of struggling, i finally got treatment for depression and no longer feel the need to keep it a secret. I was always ashamed of it but now realize that not only is it not something to be ashamed of, but also something that is just part of me like my bad vision. I always try to encourage people to get help because i feel so much better, and i wish i was pushed to get help sooner. Mental health is just as important as heart health or liver function.
YES!!! <3
My disorder looks more frightening in this medium.
"Don't get me wrong, the rise in awareness is beating a stigma that no longer scares us // But for sake of discussion, in spirit of fairness, could we give this some room for a new point of view? And could it be true that some could be tempted, to use this mistake as a form of aggression? A form of succession? A form of a weapon? Thinking "I'll teach them", well, I'm refusing the lesson// It won't resonate in our minds. I'm not disrespecting what was left behind, just pleading that it does not get glorified, maybe we swap out what it is that we hold so high. Find your grandparents or someone of age. Pay some respects for the path that they paved. To life, they were dedicated. Now, that should be celebrated" ~ twenty øne piløts
I am confused by what you just said...
They're song lyrics
You captured these marvelously. Also, thank you for including disorders that are not just the typical anxiety and depression, like depersonalization disorder, avoidant, etc.
Really good depictions of psychical disorders. Creepy (in a good way) and interesting.
So well done!
As someone who suffers from 4 (previously 5) of the illnesses depicted, I can say that the drawings do represent how I feel. The research was obviously put in Ansbach I appreciate the physicalisation of something that’s so far from being tangible to people who dont suffer these issues.
Miya Ryuzaki -
Caught the horror all too well.
Amazing artist
why are they all portayed as monsters? is it because it might feel like a curse? I realise you're not saying that you are a monster because of this affliction. still I would think that someone suffering from an illness like this would not be helped in uplifting his or her self image by seeing his or her affliction in such a monstrous way.
Awesome drawing style! I dont know many of these disorders but you can get a little bit what it must be like when watching your drawings. Very impressiv, thank you!
Would like to see one for someone who makes things up, and needs to be the center of attention. They have done the self harm, now telling ppl they hear voices, easily influenced, at least now we are out of the gender switching stage, says she has anxiety, depression. This has been ongoing since childhood when in 1st grade, yes 1st grade, told the school nurse she had kidney stones, she did not, but dad did. Or the "Help Me" she wrote in her own blood on the bathroom wall at the dr's office as her dad and her read scarey stories and she thought it would be funny and the drs would think the place was haunted. Its all attention seeking antics. She is just now able to see a therapist about these things.
i think that’s munchausen syndrome...?
This comment has been deleted.
What we often don't think about it is that animals don't often suffer from mental illness. . Unnatural environments DO make animals crazy, though. We've all heard about the animal who went crazy in a zoo and started hurting itself or just died of depression. Occam's Razor would indicate that the prevalance of mental illnesses are a result of our society and our environment. Poisons (lead, synthetic estrogens in everything, pesticides that are very similar to nerve gasses) have to be taking their toll. Humans are a gregarious species, yet so many people are isolated (in the US at least). Loneliness kills people as sure as cancer.
i'm pretty sure I have the depersonalization one
FANTASTIC EXPRESSION. WITHOUT COMPARISON BUT VERY SIMILAR TO ALEX PARDEE STYLE. I WILL BE SEARCHING FOR YOURE PAGES SHAWN.
Brilliant. Should be widely seen amongst all people. 😊
How the heck, would you know how it actually feels..
I have basically all of these except maybe 2 or 3
The drawings remind me of Gerald Scarfe
they're not as gross as Gerald Scarfe
Why is gender dysphoria not included?
Didn't we already get this post like... 6 times. Exact same pictures. Is Boredpanda turning into a neverending rerun of Married with Children?
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
as if there's stigma. every tom dick harry and sally have some sort of mental disorder now
But most of all, it makes me upset when people belittle everyone's mental illnesses. There are so many other people with mental illnesses, I live in a family of six, shall I go on? Sorry that it is inconvenient to you that so many people have mental illnesses.
what a crock! I have a mental illness (i'm certainly not going to tell you which one) and I can tell you there is a massive stigma. anybody who says there isn't is either a liar or very naive.
yeah I thought as much, you people just downvote and cry out loud, no substance in your little brains
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
go on then, tell me. tell me exactly how and why there's a stigma while you're openly talking about it and openly claiming you have mental illness on a forum full of strangers. tell me your anecdotal experience like the rest of these easily outraged fools. which part am i lying about exactly? i defy you to challenge every single point i made, oh and notice i didn't use myself or my family as some sort of example, i am talking about the state of the industry, that which ultimately is supposed to help those with mental illness, which has nothing to do with stigma or your personal disorder. and lol, the irony of you calling me naive, you the one who thinks its about stigma and not the manipulation of pharmaceutical companies, popular opinion and the stupidly flawed way in which the health system structures psychological health. go on then, i defy you to do this without a sob story.
It makes me upset when my twin comes home crying because of her OCD. It makes me upset when I can't do anything to help by twin because of her OCD. It makes me upset when she screams at me because her OCD doesn't let her understand I am on her side during one of her panic attacks. It makes me upset that my sister missed part of Christmas because she had a panic attack. It makes me upset that I have gotten used to coming home to panic attack's.
That's what I thought until I had to get help. Don't be so ignorant; these are actual mental illnesses that exist in the world. Just because you don't have one doesn't mean that nobody has a mental illness.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
just assume i don't have one, think you're the ignorant one then. you can't get help because psychiatrists are over-diagnosing and over-medicating. the loose criteria for "mental illness" in documents such as the DSM-5 enable people who are a bit sad over their cat dying to be diagnosed with depression. the pschoanalysis industry has become such that therapists are encouraged to treat their patients as numbers and push medications. if it was stigmatised it's because every self-diagnosing idiot with an internet connection is claiming to be mentally ill just to seem more interesting. if in western society mental illness has begun to be used as an affectation to someone's personality, that is not stigma.
I am sorry, is me having a mental illness making you upset? Me to. It makes me upset that I will never become a professional actor because of Tourette's. It makes me upset that I didn't know what was wrong with me until I found out I had Tourette's at age 7. It makes me upset that people talk about me while I am onstage performing because of my Tourette's. It makes me upset when my friends tell me the people behind them were laughing at me because of me MENTAL DISORDER. It makes me upset that people give me strange looks because of my Tourette's. It makes me upset when my teacher is like," who is squeaking like a mouse? It is very disrespectful," when u can't help but squeak because of Tourette's.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
yeah i'm upset that you think I give a shit about your mental illness. go cry to someone else. i never said a thing about "inconvenience" to me, you're just angry because i used logic and reason and a healthy dose of cynicism about all this bullshit, and it is bullshit, because like everything that has ever existed, the internet has turned into bullshit. So go cry me a river with that overemotional sob story, I literally don't give a fuck.