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I Illustrated Mental Illness And Disorders To Fight The Stigma Associated With Them (New Pics)
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.
I have ADD and without my meds I'm pretty much tied to bed. The fatigue is just huge. I'm constantly overthinking stuff and that's what makes me tired. That and using my energy trying to focus. Long conversations are difficult without meds too. My mind wanders and often I'm there but still not there if you know what I mean. I'm not stupid but because I haven't been listening, I have no idea what others have said and probably seem a bit "slow" at times. I might also start talking about... let's say paintings and soon realize I've been talking about scissors and have no idea how I got to that subject. My inner world is awesome, rich and interesting and I'm creative and have a weird and twisted sense of humor. Because of that I would probably not even give my ADD away if someone suddenly found a miracle "cure" for it.
I sympathize with this. I hope you feel validated and supported by the internet today
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As someone who was diagnosed late in life with ADHD, with a son and a daughter who was diagnosed with ADHD, and who's mother more than likely suffered ADHD/ADD I can tell you that it is a mixed bag of insanely annoying issues. I could not keep a job until after I started taking the medications, and learning how to organize. I could always learn anything I wanted to know so very quickly, but it meant I didn't have a deep understanding of anything because nothing could keep my attention. I could sound so very informed about anything (and still can) initially, but I could not get deeply into the subjects because I had no more than a rudimentary understanding of anything. Thankfully today I am finishing my Ph.D., my mother received her Ph.D., and my children are able to do much better. I do not agree with the over medication of our children and over prescription of ADHD meds, but in some cases, its very much needed.
i need some explanation of all of this disorder. i don't know most of this disorder means. it looks cool though
I see that Nugget and Flisey have answered but as someone who has ADD I thought I could chime in! My ADD manifests in the sense that I can physically not work on something. My brain just shuts down and I just can't do it. It feels like my thoughts are being weighed down in some way. I do understand how people who don't have this can see it as silly. When I take my medication I even think that about myself. I also have a difficult time remembering basic information like names and locations as my brain doesn't really care. It's kind of like a strainer in my mind. But the strainer has holes that are so big that a lot of information just falls away. On the other hand, when I am focused I'm able to efficiently work for a period of time around 1-2 hours (This is without meds). There are a lot of misconceptions about ADD and ADHD, mostly that we just don't want to work. Anyways I hope you have a grand day!
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my brother has this and im pretty sure I have ADD as I have a very short attention span unless it's for something I actually care about, I get distracted easily and I normally start to daydream every 5 seconds...
Very well done. For anyone confused, I’ve always described it as trying to count a bunch of coins as people are shouting numbers all around you. Then they get upset when you can do it and tell you it’s simple and wonder why you can’t even count right. But nobody else ca. hear the numbers being shouted (the distractions that almost everyone with ADHD faces) so it just comes off as you’re dumb and can’t do simple counting (simple tasks that are easy but impossible for us to stay focused on).
I was diagnosed as an adult and I take adderall on a daily basis. I’ve been on it for about 6-7 years. I will most likely have to take it for the majority of my life.
I'm looking through these comments and can relate to almost EVERYTHING y'all are saying about your ADHD, my dad had ADD and it may even be hereditary on his side but I've researched, taken tests/checklists online (i know they're false and I'm not self diagnosing, I'm just adding i have gotten severe ADHD on pretty much every single one), and I have many many many of these symptoms. I can't go get testes/diagnosed though because my dad thinks im overreacting and my mom thinks im overreacting/want drugs. yay me.
This is almost exactly what it's like for me. everything just keeps me from staying off task no matter how hard I actually TRY to keep on doing what I'm supposed to be doing. An example for me is when I was playing soccer. I ended up snapping my attention to a few grasshoppers, lost focus on the game and the person trying to snatch the ball from me, and we collided. It's just hard to focus on anything, even with medications to help.
I was diagnosed with adhd at a young age and now with all this covid-19 stuff my mom can't take me to the doctor to get my prescription now I've been having the worst time in school and can't remember much and always in my own world it's hard and now with all this my anxiety has gotten worse to the point where I'm biting and peeling my lips till they bleed it's hard with all this stuff going on not just for me, for everyone.
Very distracting disorder, but it can be cool, at times. (creativity and stuff)
Wow this explains ADHD perfectly for me. At 13 it’s very hard to live with.
If your child can read this they more than likely have ADHD. I can read this SURPRISE!!! My son has ADHD
Its a bit of both. https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/child-learning-disabilities/add-adhd/is-adhd-a-mental-illness
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Remember that everyone has a different outlook on their own diagnosis. When I was in the Marine Corps, ADHD actually helped me. But when I started working in the civilian world I was suddenly unable to keep a job because I was completely unfocused.
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https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/index.shtml
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.
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!
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although there is a lotta c**p 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.
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.
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.
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.
"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
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.
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.
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.
Can you draw something that involves Misophonia? Asking for a few friends :)
I have no where to go. No one to love me. I am alone. You made me feel less alone. Like others understand what I am going through.
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.
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.
FANTASTIC EXPRESSION. WITHOUT COMPARISON BUT VERY SIMILAR TO ALEX PARDEE STYLE. I WILL BE SEARCHING FOR YOURE PAGES SHAWN.
they're not as gross as Gerald Scarfe
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Didn't we already get this post like... 6 times. Exact same pictures. Is Boredpanda turning into a neverending rerun of Married with Children?
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.
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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!
Load More Replies... although there is a lotta c**p 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.
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.
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.
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.
"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
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.
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.
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.
Can you draw something that involves Misophonia? Asking for a few friends :)
I have no where to go. No one to love me. I am alone. You made me feel less alone. Like others understand what I am going through.
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.
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.
FANTASTIC EXPRESSION. WITHOUT COMPARISON BUT VERY SIMILAR TO ALEX PARDEE STYLE. I WILL BE SEARCHING FOR YOURE PAGES SHAWN.
they're not as gross as Gerald Scarfe
Load More Replies... Didn't we already get this post like... 6 times. Exact same pictures. Is Boredpanda turning into a neverending rerun of Married with Children?
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.
Load More Replies...