Inktober is a relatively new month-long challenge for artists all over the world. It was created by Jake Parker, who came up with the idea to focus on improving skills and developing positive drawing habits. For 31 days of October, everyone who wants to participate creates an ink drawing and posts it online using the #inktober tag. Each year there's a new prompt list to be used for the pictures. Shawn Coss decided to ditch the guidelines and create within a sore theme, posting new mental illness ink depictions every day of the Inktober.
Shawn's mental illness art translates sicknesses of the mind in an eerily accurate way, and his ghoulish illustrations don't end with Inktober. The artist has worked for such clients as the horror king Stephen King himself, creates Cyanide & Happiness cartoons, and even has his own clothing line.
So if you're searching for support with your mental illness or are plainly into horror, check Shawn's art below. It surely gave us the chills!
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Borderline Personality Disorder
I always find it fascinating how others see me, compared to how I see myself. While I understand the interpretation, and it is mesmerizing. I find, for me, it feels, like a perpetual black hole inside that nothing can fill, and, forever trying to decipher the reality of what is going on around me, as compared to how I feel is going on around me. People see BPD as instigatory and drama seeking, while, the few I have had the opportunity to talk to, agree, that it's actually reactionary, in a desperate attempt to keep up with the constantly shifting emotions. Chasing what can't be caught, reacting to what has already passed. Amazingly, I do see myself as naked in front of everyone. Like my emotions leave me perpetually ashamed and exposed.
My therapist is still deciphering whether I am BDP or bipolar - your post couldn't be more accurate to how I feel so often. Drama seeking, is love seeking. Anger, is a reaction to the fear of being abandoned. Frustration is the want for something more in life and not knowing what it is or how to get it. I searched and searched and am furious at the lack of sites, information and others that suffer with the condition. I wish you all well!
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The facelessness and knowing that you are full of monsters...this is it.
You put it so well... it made me tear up. As a hidden BPD (hidden to others anyways) that figured out how to "act normal".... and the child of a BPD... I haven't ever figured out how to explain it to anyone but that is perfect.
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This picture is awesome! I absolutely love it as a piece of art but it's too 'nice' to represent the torment and extreme loneliness bpds feel. That sheet should be around her neck with the demons pulling it to tighten it. Her body should be naked and bare with shards of glass erupting from her heart... or something like that ay
A few quotes that have helped me: "You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf." - Jon Kabat-Zinn “People with BPD are like people with third degree burns over 90% of their bodies. Lacking emotional skin, they feel agony at the slightest touch or movement.” - Marsha M. Linehan
This is something I struggle with and this is so beautiful. Are you willing to let people use your art if you're credited. Cause I'd love this as a tattoo. This is amazing
As someone who pushes through BPD, I find this to be a very subtle, and insightful depiction of the more insidious internal aspects of the disorder.. The darkness in the head, and behind the cold eyes being both a representation of the persistently dark outlook on the everything, and also deep struggle to find and maintain identity. It feels like there is no soul to gaze through the window at. All or nothing. Split between death and sensual embrace. There is nothing else.
Yes. This. So ... much ... this ... I call them my A.N.T.s ... Automatic Negative Thoughts. That is -exactly- what it feels like.
Yes, I'm not sure that I understand it either ...
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I wish all the best to those of you who recognize that you have BPD and are struggling. My prayers are with you and your families.
I wish I connected to this... As a lifer, I know a lot of people with this disorder. I've had BPD since 8, when I was sexually assaulted by an adult. Not diagnosed until adulthood, and even then, I've gotten everything from depression, dysthymia, bipolar, PTSD... I simplify it as this... Imagine PTSD and bipolar at the same time. Depressive bits, absolutely, but that's part of bipolar. Much more frequent emotional swings, and only certain symptoms of PTSD, but that depends on the person. Most of the people I know with BPD have experienced sexual assault of varying degrees as well, which is often where the PTSD symptoms come from. I've even heard psychiatric professionals call it a complex version of PTSD, meaning it's rooted in the same defensive coping mechanisms we experience when some atrocious happens to us. Anyways... I relate much more the the depression photo, and the PTSD photo than this. Not surprising... Borderline is almost always misunderstood.
Krystal I was sexually abused as well. I didn't get a diagnosis until 3 years ago (at 50). I blocked the abuse completely. The mind is a scary place. I've lives my entire life feeling "less than". Getting a diagnosis was the best thing to happen to me. Let the healing begin. We are all warriors!!
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there should be more fear in the face of the main being there. but at the same time when you are not scared of everything you are nothing just like so depicted so i wonder if they could've done both. literally the most bpd statement saying two very opposing feelings lmao
I was diagnosed with BDP about a week and half ago. I've been reading about it and having a lot of moments of "well, that makes sense!" But reading your comments help me understand it even more. Most if not all of your descriptions say what I have not been able to explain ever. I am still processing this new diagnosis and swallowing the reality of it. Thank you everyone for sharing your words. I think I'm in a state of silent panic. Not many people I can talk to about this except for my therapist and psychiatrist and well I don't see them every day. My partner is trying to cope and doing her best to be supportive. So that hyper fear of abandonment is on high gears! Not fun.
Mood stabilizers help with bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder. Many researchers believe the two disorders are on the same spectrum... Many overlapping symptoms. The mood stabilizers help with irritability, low frustration tolerance, reactivity, anger outbursts, hypervigilence, hyperarousal, anxiety, modulation of affect (being able to adjust the intensity of your reactions like a dial instead of just reacting similarly independent of the trigger, like a switch). Decreasing these symptoms help improve distress tolerance and resilience.
Meds don't really help much. Sure they take the edge off but they only deal with symptoms and not the actual disorder. What worked best so far for me is DBT. It's been a godsend.
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Sometimes it feels like a wheel with emotions listed around it...and a spinner in the middle... just give it a flick and see how you're going to feel about any given situation. A hug from your wife? Spin the wheel, maybe you'll get lucky and hit "pleasure", but more likely you'll hit "disgust" or "sadness" or even "anger"... Unfortunately, "peace" seems to be absent from the wheel.
I agree with Pixie Dust. For me, as someone whose upbringing and attachment injuries created borderline traits - BPD is all about the enormous unfillable hole and the inability to regulate emotion and terror of abandonment. I don't think this drawing depicts what it is like inside this.
This is definitely it. Sent chills through me looking at it. That's how it feels
This is the only one that isn't accurate. Because there is no easy to illustrate or verbalize how BPD feels. It just feels like knives stabbing into every pore for no reason at all. And even that falls short. But the other drawings are great and pretty accurate.
Thaks to everyone who just replied. I know there's no cure, and i can realize all this hell that she must going through. I help her every day, and every day I learn how to understand all this things that makes her life so unstable. Thanks again, it's good to know that I dont just fake myself about it, and there's really a chance to live in a better way someday.
Make sure YOU have support. There's a comment on this page from someone who must have experienced the worst BPD can do to a relationship. While it's unfair to put all BPD people in that box, it is true that I scared the living daylights out of my ex. I actually don't believe BPD fits the definition of abusive behavior--hang on, I'm getting to a point here!--because we spend most of our time terrified, grasping for safety, overwhelmed by emotions we can't name let alone process, dissociating (and not remembering later, which can look like "lying"), and feeling abandoned. This is NOT a person who wants to control or manipulate their partner. THAT SAID, at times we do the same things that an abusive person would do. I mean, I screamed my head off on countless occasions. I slammed doors. I threw things. I said awful things I didn't remember later. And it all had EXACTLY the same effect as if I HAD been doing them consciously and desiring to control my partner.
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BPD has always made me feel like a shark in a tank - always moving forward but never getting anywhere. I can never seem to fill that void and activities, career choices and relationships are a vicious cycle of anhedonia. The result of this is never managing to find a sense of self. The constant emotional disregulation has always been the main factor that hinders on my life and it is a great feeling to know I'm not alone with this in the world. .
My girlfriend have it. And we try to fight with it. Is there a chance that we can beat this?
Borderline is a life-long condition. It's incurable. However, she can ... through therapy possibly combined with mood-stabilizing medicine ... learn how to make her everyday life work a lot better. Look into Mentalization-therapy (learning to think and act at the same time. It sounds simple. It isn't to someone with Borderline). Just remember to be patient. Someone suffering from borderline has a void inside them that needs to be filled. Self-hatred and self-doubt is -crippling- those of us fighting with this. It's no one's fault, it's just how it is. Best of luck to you both. Remember, it's the borderline causing this. She can't help it. It's not her fault, and it isn't yours. Help her get help. Hold her hand when she goes into treatment, and remind her that it's okay to be terrified. And tell her that you love her ... she'll need to hear that all the time, because those skulls in the drawing will lie to her and tell her she isn't worth it. But she is. Please remind her of that.
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Honestly want to get this tattooed, holy shiz. For me, I saw my BPD as a beast circling me in an empty concrete room. Instead of fighting him and ending up hurt and mentally broken, now we've embraced each other. I see BPD now as a large wolf that sits with me on the concrete floor and defends me.
Thank you all for sharing your experiences and being so brave.
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As a BPD patient I actually find this very relatable. I am just a shadow… And I am haunted…
I just want to say as a PPD patient I do find this drawing very relatable. Like I am a shadow...and I am haunted...
Well said Pixie. I feel like I'm constantly humiliating myself when in fact no one is aware of the struggle. It can be a very lonely existence and it's inescapable.
Yes. This... This is what it feels like. Now throw in the PTSD with mine and bipolar and I'm all set :/
I have been told by a psy that I have symptoms of this disease. And now that I know... It makes so much more sense as to how I have lost so many relationships because I tend to lose myself in then when I fall in love and get attached.. I get scared. I act crazy. I can really relate to this one.
I have been diagnosed with and do not fully understand this aspect of my many, many disorders/illnesses and this is the best explanation I have ever gotten.
My mother is a full blown MPD caused by the PTSD from severe abuse as a child at the hands of her mother's boyfriends. Her personality fractured as a defense mechanism and she managed to suppress the REALLY bad part long enough to get married and raise a family. However, when our father was away at work, she would scream at the other thing inside her head and then beat us severely for what had happened to her. No doctor has been able to help her and the thing still lives in her and comes out to play still with her being 84 years old now. She destroyed any ability for me to ever trust a woman and my own marriage failed miserably because I married a bi-polar BPD that tried to have her affair partner kill me so she could get lots of attention that her father didn't give her, but did to her brother.
You put so accurately into words what I've been trying to express to people my whole life. Thank you for this <3
Yes, this is a a perfect illustration of how I feel all the time and for as long as I can remember. Never good enough...
I don't even know how it makes me feel. Struggling to understand it all and take it in but out of all I've been diagnosed with this is my worst.
I was diagnosed with BPD in 1981 I was in a clinical trial that included a 5 year follow up interview. By then I was sober in a 12 step program. At the end Dr Sokoloff told me that those of us who had gone into 12 step programs were doing the best.
Anyways it won't let me paste anything and im not writing it out. It's the how it's like we're an emotional 3rd burn victim. A lot of these seem apt, this one not so much.
Hmmm. What are you trying to show here? Im curious....I've had BPD my whole life and im not getting what's being shown. It's such a complex and extremely hard to treat & corral the symptoms. I think the best way I've ever heard to describe what ITS LIKE to live with it is this...
To me the darkness is the constant self doubt and fear, and the other figures are all of the negative things we hear all the time.
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I have severe depression, anxiety, borderline personality disorder and let me tell you this artist did an excellent job portraying each type of mental illness.
This is so accurate oh my goodness, and I'm in love with the style of art. So fluid and dark!
Just the name given this particular illness: Borderline Personality Disorder. When you first hear this, you don't know what it means, and you start wondering, "Do I have a borderline personality? Does that mean I'm not a real person, just part of a person, or at least my personality it wrong somehow?" Nobody explains anything, they just give you a label and leave it at that.
I may be assuming too much, but it sounds like you or someone you love may have been given this diagnosis with too little information or follow up, for which I am sorry. A lot of mental health professionals agree that the name is misleading and inappropriate, but as yet there isn't another one. I encourage anyone who is struggling with a label to do some research into the condition themselves, and to seek out a medical professional who can help them break down the disorder.
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"Self-harm" is the preferred phrase for most clinicians and patients. Additionally, I am not sure where you got the idea that people with BPD try to "pit people against each other." Please take the time to read up on BPD before disseminating false information. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/borderline-personality-disorder/index.shtml
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How nice that you get off on a depiction of others suffering
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Autism Spectrum Disorder
I think it's beautiful and perfectly shows the sadness from not being heard or understood.
Paranoid Schizophrenia
My husband is schizophrenic and I must say mostof these images really show the torment of the disorders, but this one could be more so I think. It doesn't show how horrible and degrading schizophrenic delusions can be. It's like torture.. it's like having your entire being torn apart and eaten alive by demons that no one else can see. His voices torment him 24/7... Sometimes his hallucinations keep him from sleeping... Besides it always being like he's in a room full of people judging and putting him down, he also hears explosions and smashing noises that will keep him up all night. This disorder permeates every part of our lives. Of all the seriously mental health disorders I think this one is the most extreme and debilitating BY FAR. Now a days, 2 years into him being a full blown schizophrenic, caring for him is like taking care of an old person with dementia.. he doesn't cook for himself, he barely cleans.. and doesn't remember anthing we talk about.. lots of notes and alarms...
OCD
My OCD is also not to do with cleaning, but it brings the point across. Have to do it else you can't get comfy and it destroys you. Mine's to do with routine, I have routines with routines, and timings. It's pretty bad and pretty much ruins my life.
DPD
I didn't even know this was a thing. I've never been able to be alone I have to have someone close by. I looked at this picture a very long time. I have never seen something describe me so clearly.
Depersonalization Disorder
Absolute 100% accurate depiction. Depersonalization is what triggers my panic attacks, particularly nocturnal panic attacks. I'm 34 and have dealt with pretty severe mental illness since 18. Although managed on meds, it's impossible to ever be 100% again. Thank you for your incredible drawings. I appreciate these so much. ❤️
Dissociative Identity Disorder
This is an amazing illustration for the insidious disease that I have. Your work just surpasses words...keep up the good work
Capgras Syndrome
Hadn't heard of this one either! Very interesting. "Capgras Syndrome, also known as Capgras Delusion, is the irrational belief that a familiar person or place has been replaced with an exact duplicate — an imposter (Ellis, 2001, Hirstein, and Ramachandran, 1997)."
Schizophrenia
This one reminds me of Carpenter's "In the mouth of madness". Good job!
Brilliant art work & building great awarness for this hidden yet crippling mental disorders <3
Yep, social anxiety and agoraphobia are linked to it, but still misses general anxiety disorder with panic attacks, by which I mean we're not necessarily having it in social situations.
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I'm a student in psychology, and your drawing really fit with all the description that we can see in class. That's an amazing work !
I'm always curious why society has selected a hand full of mental illnesses that should be taken seriously and the small handful of ones that people can "just get over" things that are though to only effect a small group of people like children so when an adult has it they need to just grow up. ADD doesn't go away when you graduate and it isn't just a learning disability. It's there when you try to drive, when you spend five minutes trying to get that word back that you had in your head and you couldn't spit out. When you can't remember a simple task you've been given seconds ago or when you just can't stay on task even if it's a task you want to do and you love to do, sometimes your brain holds the leash and you can't pull it free. It's a deafening silence in your head begging for your attention. It'd be nice if people would stop calling it just a learning disability, it sucks all the time not just in school.
I didn't know I had it until I tried to hold down a job in my field and couldn't manage multiple tasks with differing priority levels and a very rapid paced and stressful worm environment. I always just assumed I had a horrible attention span and ability to focus and stay on task while in college.
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How would you portray ADD? I'm forever told that "oh I know just how you feel" and "I'm just the same" or "you don't run round lots?" And it's infuriating as they don't see that it's not just one little thing but lots,constantly and endless energy in your head or the need to disconnect and having to scratch and bite yourself to stay engaged and stimulated or the way it destroys friendships. Never being able to achieve a dream or idea as its too big or quickly too dull. Held in place by your own enthusiasm and ideas.
These are all very spot on, but on anorexia, I know a lot of people, including myself, it felt like a voice in the back of your head, so a figure behind them like whispering in their ear would have completed it
These are insanely dope!!! How can I get in contact with the artist?!
He's on Facebook, his page is Shawn Cross - Artist
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I find these pieces valid and beautiful. I am curious as to the process of creating of this art.
Well done I really enjoyed passing by really would like to see what you could do with dyslexia
I have social anxiety really bad, and have had it pretty much all my life, and I've never seen anything so accurate! I'm kind of glad that it was social anxiety rather than general anxiety, because I never see anything with social anxiety, it's good because I have SAD rather than GAD
everytime I see post that I don't understand but somehow get so many viewer or upvotes I always assume it must contain some secret language or so. :|
This has been enlightening. The pictures reminds me of that game "Limbo".
As an autistic person the autism one is the funniest thing I’ve ever seen idk why
Incredible, powerful, accurate, Thank you! The ones speak to me most are PTSD, Bipolar, Autism, Depression, Anxiety, Cotards Delusion, DID. Always protect your Brain kids! Have you ever thought of creating one for PNES(Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures) II believe it may qualify, and would be interested to see how you see it. https://www.epilepsy.com/article/2014/3/truth-about-psychogenic-nonepileptic-seizures
Good thing I don't suffer from any of these. Or...DO I? No...What am I thinking?
I don't understand the BPD picture, I suffer from BPD, but for some reason I don't understand what is happening and why it's happening...in the picture I mean
I have PTSD, and immediately cried upon seeing your illustration on it. It's painfully accurate and I appreciate the artwork as well as bringing awareness to people who may not understand.
Don't understand all the crosses for Schizophrenia. Don't know how they are tied to the disorder, please someone try to elaborate and explain to me why they might be there
Why oh why are all these illnesses portrayed in this way !! we have an illness like malaria or chickenpox. Illustrating this with pen and ink gives a total missinterpratation of what is simply an illness like any other.
Absolutely amazing pictures. I would love to order one of the pictures. Is there any way you can do it? / Emma
I wish you would do one about OCPD, ADHD or Alexithymia. I suffer from these three. :(
These are amazing but the ocd picture only showed one type of ocd and it's the only one most people think of but it's not necessarily most common. It's a misconception that's it's purely a cleanliness or neatness obsession. It is so much more than that. It doesn't help awareness of that illness.
I do think the artwork is really good but OCD isn't just about cleaning as I have OCD and I'm not obsessed with cleaning and I don't think clean clean clean all the time. Jennifer xx
Absolutely fantastic. Actually gave me goose bumps because of how accurate some of these feel for me.
This is amazing! Maybe you could do one for Body dysmorphic disorder, I guess you get requests all the time xx
I found these images a bit triggering. I spend a lot of energy trying to remind myself that mental illness is not mysterious or sinister or having a destructive motive of its own, and that there is no "dark force" at work. I appreciate that these pictures do represent lived experience for some, for me too. But personally I find that personifying the illness makes it scarier than it already is. Certainly it's an interesting post though, and it's encouraging to see from the comments that a lot of people take solace in these pictures.
Great thing to look at if you wanna learn about this kinda stuff but have a artist soul
I wish the artist or someone else could comment on the "#5 bipolar disorder" drawing's symbols...
I would like to see ADHD. Constantly being bombarded with everything around you and not being able to filter things out.
So does this mean you stopped after the 18? Wish I could see some more...
Would have been interested in the artists take on Post Partum Depression, or worse, Post Partum Traumatic Stress Disorder.
The darkness in every one of these really disturbs me - I think they portray people living with mental illness as goulish, halloween characters full of darkness, dangerous and to be feared and despised and dis-intergrated. I see from the comments people living with the various disorders are either really committing to them being an accurate depiction for them or saying 'it's nothing like that" - I am not adverse to the dark AND I think the Ink IS powerful - but it does not describe my lived experience... of two of these diagnoses. It is well known tha mania is a state of hyper connectivity to ideas, thoughts nature, ideas, words, schemas, patterns AND most people in manic highs pretty well wants to involve other people to come on board the fast train. I find these images repellant and want to claim some ground back from them. There is ALWAYS a third face - and space in our times that is something more than the duality, the pain, the harm and hurt. We are people - not monsters.
I do not know what to say because I always wanted to draw these worlds feelings but I did not know how to make them. This artist is siper because with her designs tells a lot of things and feelings. . . I like how to draw because it is similar to how I will like to learn to draw.-/ Non so cosa dire, perché ho sempre voluto disegnare questi mondi sentimenti, ma non sapevo come farli. Questo artista è super perché con i suoi disegni racconta un sacco di cose e dei sentimenti. . . Mi piace come disegnare perché è simile a come mi piacerebbe imparare a disegnare.
I think it's good artwork in and of itself but terrible for getting your point across on your idea of mental illness and the people who have it. If an artist needs people with the disorders to be the majority of people who think their art is a 100% accurate depiction of it, then they're not a very good artist.
Amazingly accurate and impelling art. Having people in my life who have some of these disorders, and having worked in mental health, I'm in awe of someone taking on the task. We need this. Art explains more than words can say.
I wonder if he could put these in a coffee table book with the definitions of the diseases and his motivation. I think that these are amazingly accurate. I would definitely buy that book.
it is amazing art,great. Like every one has problems, but life is so much different with a disorder.
hey im doing a report on anxiety and the multiple disorders that go along in it, is it okay if I were to use some of these, as long as I cite them?
Does anyone know if the artist is selling copies of these? I'm diagnosed with five of those, and honestly as disturbing as some people think they are I find them hauntingly beautiful and so very fitting of how my I feel most days. Especially the PTSD and Social Anxiety.
I have Generalized anxiety disorder, I want to see that drawing :-)
Hello, I really liked your artwork. However, I am having trouble understanding the one with autism. Could you please help me understandt it???
A lot of people with autism (myself included) feel like their brain has so much to say, so many thoughts to express, but their mouth can't put it out. Often my mind keeps jabbing at me wanting me to express what I mean, but my words will come out wrong and I won't be able to verbalize what I'm thinking, because in reality my thoughts are so many at once, and rarely 'coherent' enough to put straight into words.
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You should do one with ADHD. I was diagnosed after my teachers said they couldn't "control" me. I refuse to take meds because I manage it very well on my own. But I've noticed many children have been diagnosed with this and the meds they take turn them into zombies. I am curious what your interpretation of this is. You pretty much nailed everything else!
Should do one on ADHD. I was diagnosed with it, but refuse to take meds for it. I manage it very well on my own. I like to think I just have a hyperactive brain. But i see many children getting diagnosed with this and the meds they take turn them into zombies.. I would love to see your interpretation of this, you pretty much nailed everything else.
What about ADD!? These are amazing and I was on the edge of my seat waiting for the exact feeling to be sprawled out in a sketch
Stunning work. I didn't even know some of these disorders existed. I enjoyed looking at them...even though they saddened me only for the simple fact that so many of us are affected by these diseases and actually feel this type of pain that you have beautifully illustrated. Thank you for showing us your work. God bless you
Loved your art work! You should do some more like epilepsy, cancer and ect.
Brilliant work, bringing these illnesses out of the shadows of their stigmas and shedding light and hope to all who suffer through them , thinking they are alone.
I will have to come back again. My granddaughter had drawings here. I am A VERY PROUD GRANDMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for your brave and accurate portrayals of mental illness. There are so many stereotypes that go with it and this was beautifully illustrated. If you do a generalized anxiety I hope to purchase it. Thank you!
Please could you draw General anxiety disorder or the nightmare of coming off SSRI's xxx
Please can you draw general anxiety disorder or the nightmare of coming off SSRI's xxx
If I could draw, I'd draw my depression crying, in the fetal position and chained to my house, surrounded by food containers. But I can't draw.
For me this is what stigma looks like. When people see this it's no wonder they are scared of the mentally ill, insecure around them or want them to be locked away. They may say "it's not you it's the illness the real you that which is like we want it to be" but obviously you cannot be separated from the "thing". I don't think of myself as a monster or possesed by one. I see myself as someone who feels and expriences things everyone feels or experieces but more intensely in certain situations. But like everyone else I do not feel the same all the time nor does anne experince the same states of mind all the time.
I find these grotesque. It would seem people think mental illness must always be a horrible and traumatising experience. The worst part is the opinions and unacceptance by people who have no experience but plenty of judgement. Autism isn't even a mental health issue, so including that shows some ignorance and bias.
Hey. Person on the autism spectrum here. To me, this is incredibly accurate. This isn't saying that mental health is always a traumatising and horrible thing, but it's illustrating how they certainly can be. You won't meet a depressed person saying their illness is beautiful and nice. You won't meet a person with Borderline Personality Disorder saying it has never felt horrible. And I don't wish to vouch for anyone on the autism spectrum, but autism is alienating. To me, it's feeling like your mind has a lot to say but your mouth won't co-operate. It's hearing people day in and day out telling you you might be misunderstanding. Because your brain doesn't work the way others do. Autism isn't an illness, but don't you dare tell me no one has ever felt pained or scared from any of these illnesses. They're grotesque because having an illness or disorder that isolates you feels terrible, at times. I can rise above my illnesses. That does not mean I haven't felt them push me down.
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Absolutely brilliant. Would have loved to have seen a piece for addiction....
Fantastic way to express these conditions. Thank you for opening the door, the heart, and the mind to create a sense of compassion, empathy, and understanding. I have spent my life working with children with emotional handicaps and it is such a hard road. The real monsters are the administrators who think teachers can cure everything with consistent punishment and overly testing them on academics.
Please don't forget to add ADD or ADHD, because that is a HUGE disorder that is often accompanied with other ones featured above, and affects millions of people.
Dear Artist, you must have gone through some really thick stuff to be able to purge on paper in this way. You are really strong. Kudos. Thank you.
Brilliant art work. But I mist the one for migraine I'm very curious about his one.
The illustrations are much too laden with assumptions that are fatalistic, depicting life with mental illness as inherently grim.
What a dark beautiful pictorial description. As for anxiety though, there are more than social anxiety... maybe something eating or pulling your heart down. But amazing art all in all!
These are haunting, yet frighteningly accurate images of these horrific illnesses. It's about time that mental illness is getting the attention it's needed for so long, unfortunately too late for some. My daughter struggles with a few of these and holds resentment towards me for having her on medication as a child. She believes it set her brain and body up for the need to have them forever. I don't think one medication is enough for bipolar, usually, but she swears she will only be on one medication or she will be able to handle zero medications. This makes me sad... I wish I could organize balance the seratonin and reasoning in her beautiful brain. Thank you for these. It lets me know we are not alone.
Are any of these available as a print, by any chance? I feel like I need the Autism Spectrum on my wall :(
This is amazing. WIll there be more? Like one for every day of october? Please.
Absolutely amazing. Thank you so much for these. I was actually a little bummed when I came to the end. I truly hope you challenge yourself farther and take on the oh so many more illnesses out there! Excited to see more of your work! You give us a voice through your art. Thank you.
These are all truly beautiful in a dark, macabre way. I would love to see your illustrations of 'Histrionic personality disorder'. I have had this disorder since my mid teens and seeing it from an outsiders art would be incredible.
Wish they had done panic Foster or anxiety as well, s**t even perpetual migraines.
These are brilliant, Shawn! Perhaps when you have time, if I may ask you to do an illustration of DID or Dissociative identity disorder? Would love to see it and someone I care deeply for has it and she would love your style. Thank you in advance <3
These images really hit me where I wasn't expecting. Thank you so much for creating these, they're absolutely beautiful. I'm not sure how you managed to do it, but you were able to create something that so deeply describes what many people that live their whole lives trying to explain. Thank you.
Shawn, I work in Mental Health and just want to say that your artwork is fantastic. The depictions tell a lot. Really good work.
I didn't see anxiety/panic attacks... like the anxiety I have is not just social.. anything can trigger it .. I feel like I'm scared of every thing and I think of the worst things possible and I can't control it and I start to panic/shake ... 😔
Stunning. Absuolutely fabulous artwork, with a huge impact. I'm really impressed with those.
Even when it would have been easy, ADHD gets zero respect. Easily way more known than half of these.
wow...when you read Bored Panda's comments on such post, it's like 90% of the planet (or at least of Bored Panda members) have mental illness! :s Maybe (just maybe), it's just disparity from the "norm" (that doesn't really exist) and not illness...and you have to live with been different from others
Impresionantes tus dibujos. Deberías hacer un calendario, yo como estudiante de psicología que soy, lo compraría !!! Sigue así ♥
Can't wait to see the others you do. 13 more to go. Looking forward to seeing ADHD..
If I have one overall critique it's that maybe I would remove the "headings", or, even better incorporate them into the world more, give them a bit more expression. I would probably get rid of the #inktober thing entirely, and just put that in an introduction to the collection, but I suppose the purpose of the repeated labeling is in case people shared just one of the pictures rather than all of them.
No shout out to epilepsy? There are 1 in 26 of us diagnosed (and suffering) in their lifetime. Where's everyone hiding?
Maybe because epilepsy is not a mental illness and these drawings are for mental illnesses specifically.
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I saw the one for PTSD and couldn't stop the tears. That is the most accurate representation of what I'm dealing with.
I can't understand the last one. Why there is a lot of holy cross?
I think these could help non sufferers to understand more what life is like to sufferers. I think this artist did a great job at expressing!
I could look at a book like that all day a little more work and that could be published
This artist amazes me, I wouldn't mind letting them ink my bedroom wall with mine (severe depression).
All catched in mind palace in zoo. Section: Introspektrals. What keeps them locked? It is your unfree will.
Wow, thank you so much for sharing these. They are so interesting and engaging. I have worked in mental health. If a person identifies with such an image it could prove truly invaluable for explaining their experience to others.
Those are so great;an eerie insight to how it feels to have social anxiety.
I think the comments on every piece are a testament to how well this artist manages to capture the sometimes overwhelming struggle of living with these illnesses- it's a powerful tribute.
Wow really touching. All my love to people suffering from any kind of mental dissorder.
Can I make a request?? A disorder I have, and is very rare, is called Munchausen's (Not the by proxy one though). I would really appreciate if you could illustrate it :3 Because it's so rare, I often go around feeling so lonely and hurt that no one else ever seems to possibly know my pain, or even want to get to know it...
Wow, all thumbs up. The drawings are amazing, and so spot on. So grateful to be (almost) healthy.
I have ptsd and a couple of others... I thought they were part of the ptsd its self?
there are many subtypes for each disorder (sometimes symptoms of a disorder are individual disorders themselves ) and i've noticed specific subtypes here have their own illustrations, like paranoid schizphrenia, depersonalization ( type of dissociation disorder), social anxiety and etc
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I need one for me too, anxiety and panic disorder, one that would work would be a choking or smothering sensation, you fell like your having a heart attack.
Screw mental illnesses! Mental illnesses are many times never detected and are people are called crazy for no reason, we should stand against such such individuals and spread awareness of mental illnesses
Those images are so beautiful, I can totally relate. Please draw one for eating disorder!
Autism is not a mental illness so I don't know why its even on here. Autism is part of me and that image is really offensive to me.
I also have Autism. It isn't an illness. It's a disorder.
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I have autism. And you have a low intelligence! :)
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I feel your comment is inappropriate. Mental illness is as real as any physical illness.
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those are the names of the actual disorders though...
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What are you talking about? Nowhere does it say that the artist has experienced all / any of these!! Myself being a sufferer of depression and anxiety find these fantastic and a great insight into what people go through (for those who can't relate). Plus, I learnt a lot about other illnesses. Don't be so narrow minded.
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Brilliant art work & building great awarness for this hidden yet crippling mental disorders <3
Yep, social anxiety and agoraphobia are linked to it, but still misses general anxiety disorder with panic attacks, by which I mean we're not necessarily having it in social situations.
Load More Replies... I'm a student in psychology, and your drawing really fit with all the description that we can see in class. That's an amazing work !
I'm always curious why society has selected a hand full of mental illnesses that should be taken seriously and the small handful of ones that people can "just get over" things that are though to only effect a small group of people like children so when an adult has it they need to just grow up. ADD doesn't go away when you graduate and it isn't just a learning disability. It's there when you try to drive, when you spend five minutes trying to get that word back that you had in your head and you couldn't spit out. When you can't remember a simple task you've been given seconds ago or when you just can't stay on task even if it's a task you want to do and you love to do, sometimes your brain holds the leash and you can't pull it free. It's a deafening silence in your head begging for your attention. It'd be nice if people would stop calling it just a learning disability, it sucks all the time not just in school.
I didn't know I had it until I tried to hold down a job in my field and couldn't manage multiple tasks with differing priority levels and a very rapid paced and stressful worm environment. I always just assumed I had a horrible attention span and ability to focus and stay on task while in college.
Load More Replies... How would you portray ADD? I'm forever told that "oh I know just how you feel" and "I'm just the same" or "you don't run round lots?" And it's infuriating as they don't see that it's not just one little thing but lots,constantly and endless energy in your head or the need to disconnect and having to scratch and bite yourself to stay engaged and stimulated or the way it destroys friendships. Never being able to achieve a dream or idea as its too big or quickly too dull. Held in place by your own enthusiasm and ideas.
These are all very spot on, but on anorexia, I know a lot of people, including myself, it felt like a voice in the back of your head, so a figure behind them like whispering in their ear would have completed it
These are insanely dope!!! How can I get in contact with the artist?!
He's on Facebook, his page is Shawn Cross - Artist
Load More Replies... I find these pieces valid and beautiful. I am curious as to the process of creating of this art.
Well done I really enjoyed passing by really would like to see what you could do with dyslexia
I have social anxiety really bad, and have had it pretty much all my life, and I've never seen anything so accurate! I'm kind of glad that it was social anxiety rather than general anxiety, because I never see anything with social anxiety, it's good because I have SAD rather than GAD
everytime I see post that I don't understand but somehow get so many viewer or upvotes I always assume it must contain some secret language or so. :|
This has been enlightening. The pictures reminds me of that game "Limbo".
As an autistic person the autism one is the funniest thing I’ve ever seen idk why
Incredible, powerful, accurate, Thank you! The ones speak to me most are PTSD, Bipolar, Autism, Depression, Anxiety, Cotards Delusion, DID. Always protect your Brain kids! Have you ever thought of creating one for PNES(Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures) II believe it may qualify, and would be interested to see how you see it. https://www.epilepsy.com/article/2014/3/truth-about-psychogenic-nonepileptic-seizures
Good thing I don't suffer from any of these. Or...DO I? No...What am I thinking?
I don't understand the BPD picture, I suffer from BPD, but for some reason I don't understand what is happening and why it's happening...in the picture I mean
I have PTSD, and immediately cried upon seeing your illustration on it. It's painfully accurate and I appreciate the artwork as well as bringing awareness to people who may not understand.
Don't understand all the crosses for Schizophrenia. Don't know how they are tied to the disorder, please someone try to elaborate and explain to me why they might be there
Why oh why are all these illnesses portrayed in this way !! we have an illness like malaria or chickenpox. Illustrating this with pen and ink gives a total missinterpratation of what is simply an illness like any other.
Absolutely amazing pictures. I would love to order one of the pictures. Is there any way you can do it? / Emma
I wish you would do one about OCPD, ADHD or Alexithymia. I suffer from these three. :(
These are amazing but the ocd picture only showed one type of ocd and it's the only one most people think of but it's not necessarily most common. It's a misconception that's it's purely a cleanliness or neatness obsession. It is so much more than that. It doesn't help awareness of that illness.
I do think the artwork is really good but OCD isn't just about cleaning as I have OCD and I'm not obsessed with cleaning and I don't think clean clean clean all the time. Jennifer xx
Absolutely fantastic. Actually gave me goose bumps because of how accurate some of these feel for me.
This is amazing! Maybe you could do one for Body dysmorphic disorder, I guess you get requests all the time xx
I found these images a bit triggering. I spend a lot of energy trying to remind myself that mental illness is not mysterious or sinister or having a destructive motive of its own, and that there is no "dark force" at work. I appreciate that these pictures do represent lived experience for some, for me too. But personally I find that personifying the illness makes it scarier than it already is. Certainly it's an interesting post though, and it's encouraging to see from the comments that a lot of people take solace in these pictures.
Great thing to look at if you wanna learn about this kinda stuff but have a artist soul
I wish the artist or someone else could comment on the "#5 bipolar disorder" drawing's symbols...
I would like to see ADHD. Constantly being bombarded with everything around you and not being able to filter things out.
So does this mean you stopped after the 18? Wish I could see some more...
Would have been interested in the artists take on Post Partum Depression, or worse, Post Partum Traumatic Stress Disorder.
The darkness in every one of these really disturbs me - I think they portray people living with mental illness as goulish, halloween characters full of darkness, dangerous and to be feared and despised and dis-intergrated. I see from the comments people living with the various disorders are either really committing to them being an accurate depiction for them or saying 'it's nothing like that" - I am not adverse to the dark AND I think the Ink IS powerful - but it does not describe my lived experience... of two of these diagnoses. It is well known tha mania is a state of hyper connectivity to ideas, thoughts nature, ideas, words, schemas, patterns AND most people in manic highs pretty well wants to involve other people to come on board the fast train. I find these images repellant and want to claim some ground back from them. There is ALWAYS a third face - and space in our times that is something more than the duality, the pain, the harm and hurt. We are people - not monsters.
I do not know what to say because I always wanted to draw these worlds feelings but I did not know how to make them. This artist is siper because with her designs tells a lot of things and feelings. . . I like how to draw because it is similar to how I will like to learn to draw.-/ Non so cosa dire, perché ho sempre voluto disegnare questi mondi sentimenti, ma non sapevo come farli. Questo artista è super perché con i suoi disegni racconta un sacco di cose e dei sentimenti. . . Mi piace come disegnare perché è simile a come mi piacerebbe imparare a disegnare.
I think it's good artwork in and of itself but terrible for getting your point across on your idea of mental illness and the people who have it. If an artist needs people with the disorders to be the majority of people who think their art is a 100% accurate depiction of it, then they're not a very good artist.
Amazingly accurate and impelling art. Having people in my life who have some of these disorders, and having worked in mental health, I'm in awe of someone taking on the task. We need this. Art explains more than words can say.
I wonder if he could put these in a coffee table book with the definitions of the diseases and his motivation. I think that these are amazingly accurate. I would definitely buy that book.
it is amazing art,great. Like every one has problems, but life is so much different with a disorder.
hey im doing a report on anxiety and the multiple disorders that go along in it, is it okay if I were to use some of these, as long as I cite them?
Does anyone know if the artist is selling copies of these? I'm diagnosed with five of those, and honestly as disturbing as some people think they are I find them hauntingly beautiful and so very fitting of how my I feel most days. Especially the PTSD and Social Anxiety.
I have Generalized anxiety disorder, I want to see that drawing :-)
Hello, I really liked your artwork. However, I am having trouble understanding the one with autism. Could you please help me understandt it???
A lot of people with autism (myself included) feel like their brain has so much to say, so many thoughts to express, but their mouth can't put it out. Often my mind keeps jabbing at me wanting me to express what I mean, but my words will come out wrong and I won't be able to verbalize what I'm thinking, because in reality my thoughts are so many at once, and rarely 'coherent' enough to put straight into words.
Load More Replies... You should do one with ADHD. I was diagnosed after my teachers said they couldn't "control" me. I refuse to take meds because I manage it very well on my own. But I've noticed many children have been diagnosed with this and the meds they take turn them into zombies. I am curious what your interpretation of this is. You pretty much nailed everything else!
Should do one on ADHD. I was diagnosed with it, but refuse to take meds for it. I manage it very well on my own. I like to think I just have a hyperactive brain. But i see many children getting diagnosed with this and the meds they take turn them into zombies.. I would love to see your interpretation of this, you pretty much nailed everything else.
What about ADD!? These are amazing and I was on the edge of my seat waiting for the exact feeling to be sprawled out in a sketch
Stunning work. I didn't even know some of these disorders existed. I enjoyed looking at them...even though they saddened me only for the simple fact that so many of us are affected by these diseases and actually feel this type of pain that you have beautifully illustrated. Thank you for showing us your work. God bless you
Loved your art work! You should do some more like epilepsy, cancer and ect.
Brilliant work, bringing these illnesses out of the shadows of their stigmas and shedding light and hope to all who suffer through them , thinking they are alone.
I will have to come back again. My granddaughter had drawings here. I am A VERY PROUD GRANDMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for your brave and accurate portrayals of mental illness. There are so many stereotypes that go with it and this was beautifully illustrated. If you do a generalized anxiety I hope to purchase it. Thank you!
Please could you draw General anxiety disorder or the nightmare of coming off SSRI's xxx
Please can you draw general anxiety disorder or the nightmare of coming off SSRI's xxx
If I could draw, I'd draw my depression crying, in the fetal position and chained to my house, surrounded by food containers. But I can't draw.
For me this is what stigma looks like. When people see this it's no wonder they are scared of the mentally ill, insecure around them or want them to be locked away. They may say "it's not you it's the illness the real you that which is like we want it to be" but obviously you cannot be separated from the "thing". I don't think of myself as a monster or possesed by one. I see myself as someone who feels and expriences things everyone feels or experieces but more intensely in certain situations. But like everyone else I do not feel the same all the time nor does anne experince the same states of mind all the time.
I find these grotesque. It would seem people think mental illness must always be a horrible and traumatising experience. The worst part is the opinions and unacceptance by people who have no experience but plenty of judgement. Autism isn't even a mental health issue, so including that shows some ignorance and bias.
Hey. Person on the autism spectrum here. To me, this is incredibly accurate. This isn't saying that mental health is always a traumatising and horrible thing, but it's illustrating how they certainly can be. You won't meet a depressed person saying their illness is beautiful and nice. You won't meet a person with Borderline Personality Disorder saying it has never felt horrible. And I don't wish to vouch for anyone on the autism spectrum, but autism is alienating. To me, it's feeling like your mind has a lot to say but your mouth won't co-operate. It's hearing people day in and day out telling you you might be misunderstanding. Because your brain doesn't work the way others do. Autism isn't an illness, but don't you dare tell me no one has ever felt pained or scared from any of these illnesses. They're grotesque because having an illness or disorder that isolates you feels terrible, at times. I can rise above my illnesses. That does not mean I haven't felt them push me down.
Load More Replies... Absolutely brilliant. Would have loved to have seen a piece for addiction....
Fantastic way to express these conditions. Thank you for opening the door, the heart, and the mind to create a sense of compassion, empathy, and understanding. I have spent my life working with children with emotional handicaps and it is such a hard road. The real monsters are the administrators who think teachers can cure everything with consistent punishment and overly testing them on academics.
Please don't forget to add ADD or ADHD, because that is a HUGE disorder that is often accompanied with other ones featured above, and affects millions of people.
Dear Artist, you must have gone through some really thick stuff to be able to purge on paper in this way. You are really strong. Kudos. Thank you.
Brilliant art work. But I mist the one for migraine I'm very curious about his one.
The illustrations are much too laden with assumptions that are fatalistic, depicting life with mental illness as inherently grim.
What a dark beautiful pictorial description. As for anxiety though, there are more than social anxiety... maybe something eating or pulling your heart down. But amazing art all in all!
These are haunting, yet frighteningly accurate images of these horrific illnesses. It's about time that mental illness is getting the attention it's needed for so long, unfortunately too late for some. My daughter struggles with a few of these and holds resentment towards me for having her on medication as a child. She believes it set her brain and body up for the need to have them forever. I don't think one medication is enough for bipolar, usually, but she swears she will only be on one medication or she will be able to handle zero medications. This makes me sad... I wish I could organize balance the seratonin and reasoning in her beautiful brain. Thank you for these. It lets me know we are not alone.
Are any of these available as a print, by any chance? I feel like I need the Autism Spectrum on my wall :(
This is amazing. WIll there be more? Like one for every day of october? Please.
Absolutely amazing. Thank you so much for these. I was actually a little bummed when I came to the end. I truly hope you challenge yourself farther and take on the oh so many more illnesses out there! Excited to see more of your work! You give us a voice through your art. Thank you.
These are all truly beautiful in a dark, macabre way. I would love to see your illustrations of 'Histrionic personality disorder'. I have had this disorder since my mid teens and seeing it from an outsiders art would be incredible.
Wish they had done panic Foster or anxiety as well, s**t even perpetual migraines.
These are brilliant, Shawn! Perhaps when you have time, if I may ask you to do an illustration of DID or Dissociative identity disorder? Would love to see it and someone I care deeply for has it and she would love your style. Thank you in advance <3
These images really hit me where I wasn't expecting. Thank you so much for creating these, they're absolutely beautiful. I'm not sure how you managed to do it, but you were able to create something that so deeply describes what many people that live their whole lives trying to explain. Thank you.
Shawn, I work in Mental Health and just want to say that your artwork is fantastic. The depictions tell a lot. Really good work.
I didn't see anxiety/panic attacks... like the anxiety I have is not just social.. anything can trigger it .. I feel like I'm scared of every thing and I think of the worst things possible and I can't control it and I start to panic/shake ... 😔
Stunning. Absuolutely fabulous artwork, with a huge impact. I'm really impressed with those.
Even when it would have been easy, ADHD gets zero respect. Easily way more known than half of these.
wow...when you read Bored Panda's comments on such post, it's like 90% of the planet (or at least of Bored Panda members) have mental illness! :s Maybe (just maybe), it's just disparity from the "norm" (that doesn't really exist) and not illness...and you have to live with been different from others
Impresionantes tus dibujos. Deberías hacer un calendario, yo como estudiante de psicología que soy, lo compraría !!! Sigue así ♥
Can't wait to see the others you do. 13 more to go. Looking forward to seeing ADHD..
If I have one overall critique it's that maybe I would remove the "headings", or, even better incorporate them into the world more, give them a bit more expression. I would probably get rid of the #inktober thing entirely, and just put that in an introduction to the collection, but I suppose the purpose of the repeated labeling is in case people shared just one of the pictures rather than all of them.
No shout out to epilepsy? There are 1 in 26 of us diagnosed (and suffering) in their lifetime. Where's everyone hiding?
Maybe because epilepsy is not a mental illness and these drawings are for mental illnesses specifically.
Load More Replies... I saw the one for PTSD and couldn't stop the tears. That is the most accurate representation of what I'm dealing with.
I can't understand the last one. Why there is a lot of holy cross?
I think these could help non sufferers to understand more what life is like to sufferers. I think this artist did a great job at expressing!
I could look at a book like that all day a little more work and that could be published
This artist amazes me, I wouldn't mind letting them ink my bedroom wall with mine (severe depression).
All catched in mind palace in zoo. Section: Introspektrals. What keeps them locked? It is your unfree will.
Wow, thank you so much for sharing these. They are so interesting and engaging. I have worked in mental health. If a person identifies with such an image it could prove truly invaluable for explaining their experience to others.
Those are so great;an eerie insight to how it feels to have social anxiety.
I think the comments on every piece are a testament to how well this artist manages to capture the sometimes overwhelming struggle of living with these illnesses- it's a powerful tribute.
Wow really touching. All my love to people suffering from any kind of mental dissorder.
Can I make a request?? A disorder I have, and is very rare, is called Munchausen's (Not the by proxy one though). I would really appreciate if you could illustrate it :3 Because it's so rare, I often go around feeling so lonely and hurt that no one else ever seems to possibly know my pain, or even want to get to know it...
Wow, all thumbs up. The drawings are amazing, and so spot on. So grateful to be (almost) healthy.
I have ptsd and a couple of others... I thought they were part of the ptsd its self?
there are many subtypes for each disorder (sometimes symptoms of a disorder are individual disorders themselves ) and i've noticed specific subtypes here have their own illustrations, like paranoid schizphrenia, depersonalization ( type of dissociation disorder), social anxiety and etc
Load More Replies... I need one for me too, anxiety and panic disorder, one that would work would be a choking or smothering sensation, you fell like your having a heart attack.
Screw mental illnesses! Mental illnesses are many times never detected and are people are called crazy for no reason, we should stand against such such individuals and spread awareness of mental illnesses
Those images are so beautiful, I can totally relate. Please draw one for eating disorder!
Autism is not a mental illness so I don't know why its even on here. Autism is part of me and that image is really offensive to me.
I also have Autism. It isn't an illness. It's a disorder.
Load More Replies... I have autism. And you have a low intelligence! :)
Load More Replies... I feel your comment is inappropriate. Mental illness is as real as any physical illness.
Load More Replies... those are the names of the actual disorders though...
Load More Replies... What are you talking about? Nowhere does it say that the artist has experienced all / any of these!! Myself being a sufferer of depression and anxiety find these fantastic and a great insight into what people go through (for those who can't relate). Plus, I learnt a lot about other illnesses. Don't be so narrow minded.
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