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.
Autism Spectrum Disorder
I think it's beautiful and perfectly shows the sadness from not being heard or understood.
Are you autistic? I don't think this is an accurate account of my existence. I can speak but when I do it's as if Im speaking the wrong language. No one can understand and I end up on the sidewalk watching the world pass me by.
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I think it's not only the inability to communicate, but also the fact that, as an autistic person, I can ascribe some of the symptems as my brain is screaming and insisting I behave certain ways that I know on some level are wrong.
Are you certain that the behaviors you describe really are wrong for you, or is it just society that makes you believe you should feel they are wrong? Maybe they are the ones being wrong. As long as you are not hurting anyone else, its ok to be you.
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ASD is not a mental illness or disorder. It is a neurological/communication disorder. As such thus is a limited illustration of a person who has ASD.
Thank-you for saying that. I wanted to but wasn't brave enough.I have ASD. I am not mentally ill. Just different.
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I'm autistic and this so relates to me - I can almost never get what's in my head to my mouth to speak out loud
This one actually made me cry. I have Autism AND ADHD. I get bullied alot. Ever sense I was a kid. Many people, even my own close family, don't inderstand that sometimes I just literally speak my mind. Thank you so much!!
I have Asperger's & ADHD. I'm very literal & don't understand sarcasm or social conventions. Yes, I, too, speak my mind. I didn't get diagnosed with Asperger's till I was 20. I'm 31 now. My last job was very, very accommodating. My first boss there, Nancy, she helped me use some aspects of my Asperger's to my advantage. I worked in accounting. Neither of us work there anymore, but she is my best friend. I held down that job for 8 years. When our company merged with another & moved cities, I cried out to her numerous times that I thought the other company would have power over me & fire me if they found out about my Asperger's. She assured me that she would not let that happen. I'm looking for work now, & I have a very real fear that I, once hired, would have to explain myself to my future boss & I'm afraid I won't get the same accommodation I got at my last place.
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Shawn, neither I nor any of my autistic friends and acquaintances find autism to be monstrous and torturous, the way you depict it; occasionally we get overwhelmed by sensory input and need to find ways to escape the overstimulus, and often we find ourselves saddened or angered by the way neurotypical people stigmatize us, pity us, and basically treat us as less than human, but it's the way people treat us that is monstrous here, not our autism. Unfortunately, your drawing only adds to that problem. How unfortunate. Perhaps you could have consulted some actual autistic people before deciding to draw autism as something monstrous and isolating? And why did you sew the mouth of your autism avatar shut? Most of us communicate quite well, thank you very much, though some of us are more verbal than others, and some of us need assistive technology. Also, autism is a neurological difference, not a mental illness. Even the DSM-V says so. Please do your research.
Kindly piss off. This describes how I felt a lot when I was younger. Tons of thoughts and feelings in my head and not a good enough understanding of how to verbalize them.
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sometimes autism feel like this, but other times you feel like an alien among your own kind: you don't fit in with normal people and sometimes you don't even fit in with others with autism and in the end you feel alone even though you are surrounded by people. All you want is to understand what is going on around you and for people to understand you too but because you don't know how to ask for help or how tell others what they need to know about you that you want them to understand so badly you end up alone with your own thoughts struggling to understand the world around you because nothing makes sense. You want people to understand but they can't and you feel like you are trapped inside your own mind screaming for help because you are trapped in a straight jacket made up of confusion and misunderstanding but no matter how hard you scream or how many tears you cry no one pays you any mind and no one cares enough to help and those who want to help don't know how soon they all leave.
I have a toddler with ASD, I see him cry when he starts to play and others leave. I was never diagnosed but it happened to me as a child. Back in the day this isn't even a thing so my mother just thinks Im misbehaving n beats me. Experiencing all that as a child I do my best to understand my baby. I hope he feels loved n understood that he ll never feel lonely growing up. For myself, it seems I can never get whats in my brain outside correctly. Making real friends was hard. I envy ppl who can effortlessly bring out their mind in the form of a single action, like a stamp, getting it right on communicating. No matter how hard I try, it just makes it more impossible, especially with my closest family. When family doesn't help it's hard growing up or as an adult. We just have to make sure 1 - survival skills, 2 - work on being love (understanding, communicating, whatever we lacked) with ourself. It is a hard process. But it takes acceptance. The world we want &the world it is seems at odds
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Autism is not a mental illness and shouldn't be here. It's a normal form of human neurodiversity. It seems most of these images are from the eyes of neurotypical non-mentally ill folks.
Yeah. Having an inability to speak and a constant urge to harm yourself is just natural diversity. Fuck off. You are one of those high functioning faggots who only ever cares about themselves.
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Damn fuckin right. The last thing we need is another mundie portraying us as broken monsters.
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Im Autistic and have ADD. I had the problem pictured above my whole childhood. But nowadays I don't even bother to try to explain, since they can never understand. others are just too different, and it's, ok. I must say I don't feel that their way is better. Neurotypicals are always bound by these ineffective and stupid social norms and rules. Saying one thing, meaning another. Feeling the need to do a whole social dance before getting to a point. Accepting the world as it is just because they are supposed to. I was miserable trying to force myself to be like "them", especially because no matter how hard I tried I never could. Now that I decided I don't have to, i feel like this picture over here. autistic-M...6d3c57.jpg 
Thank you for this reminder. As we work toward an ASD diagnosis of some kind for our 4 year old son, your words are the lesson I want to remember. Situations with social norms, rules, connotations, etc are always the most challenging for him. And instead of trying to make him fit into the situation, I am going to try to find HIS rainbow in the situation.
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This is not a mental illness it's a developmental disability/disorder... (don't say I don't know I'm air autistic)
Autism is NOt a mental illness, by adding it here you only serve to legitimise those who think it is.
It is a disorder miss. Perhaps you should check out the DSM-V
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This isn't autism as a whole. I think it's undiagnosed autism. When your brain is screaming but you've taught your mouth not to, because no one understands why you're upset. Worse--you don't either. Autism is a gift as well as a challenge, but when you don't know what's happening it's painful.
If you really want to draw something horror and autism themed, you should draw a person with mouths on their hands being grabbed at and stretched out uncomfortably by a great mass. Meanwhile, a doctor looking figure has their back turned, and is holding an iPad up and shaking their head.
I'm autistic and i can definitely say this is accurate. I have a hard time getting my thoughts and feelings into words and I know my brain is really different from everyone else. Something that's helped with communication is drawing my feelings. I'm extremely visual so for me it's a really good way to let others know how I'm feeling. I have a sketchbook specifically for meltdowns and anxiety attacks where I draw to the best interpretation exactly how I'm feeling. It's incredibly therapeutic.
I think this is a beautiful, yet sad representation of one person's take on autism, which is a DISORDER. At no point did the artist call it a mental illness. It clearly says mental illness AND disorder. As the mother of a child with autism, I feel this. No, she isn't nonverbal, but she often babbles and says things she doesn't realize are offensive. She lacks the verbal filter to understand how to express herself. Before you take offense, ask yourself, "Can I draw better?" Have you tried drawing something you feel represents it? This is symbolism, not the artist intentionally insulting anyone who suffers from this disorder. I don't look at this and see him saying that my daughter is a bald monster with a bloated belly. I see it and think it isn't possible to express ALL of the intricacies of autism in its many forms. I see it as him choosing one way to express it in art. Chill out guys.
It's beautiful but kind of seems like only half the picture to me. Though it's is hard to draw the whole picture I guess with everyone on the spectrum being so different. Kind of bothers me that it's part of this though, Autism is not a mental illness or mental disorder it's a mental difference that society isn't built for.
Yes!!!! But the other side of autism is it can be a gift you just have to choose to see it that way. It's difficult not being understood why you do things or why they have to be done in certain ways but it can be a gift for creativity problem solving being an expert in a field etc
This illustrates perfectly how I view my autism. This really struck a cord with me, I am so glad there are people in the world who understand what this feels like x
I completely disagree with many of these drawings. I'm bipolar and I don't think that the sketch portrays the disease at all. But, this sketch of Autisum is horrific. I have a grad child on the spectrum, fairly high. Not only is she beautiful outside, she is beautiful outside. How can you take such a wide spectrum and do a sketch that covers EVERYONE?
I wouldn't draw this one so sad, I personally find the autistic emotions as a gift very few will ever feel or understand. Being able to spend hours, days or years in any interest you may have without caring about social conditions: that's a very beautiful way to live and actually makes it up for not being so socially drived.
I am not voiceless, and my autism is not a mental illness... Why not depict the illness of society that is not accepting of us?
This is weirdly perfect. I have none of the other disorders or illnesses, so I thought they were over simplified. But wow, this picture is exactly what ASD feels like. Like a part of your brain is missing. Instead of quietly hiding your difference though, it is loud and apparent to everyone. I hope that others found the comforting resemblance in the other disorder pictures.
The majority of people with ASD also have what is known as sensory overload, which is caused by having anxiety or some forms of panic disorder. Autism effects every part of a person, including mental health....which is why a NEURO-PSYCHOLOGIST typically diagnosis's the disorder. Also for the person who said ASD isn't not a mental illness because it can't be cured. Please tell what cure there is for major depressive disorder and social anxiety, because I'd love to have that cure.
Neuropsychology isn't a field I'd accept. Because Psychologists only need one degree, a simple one. Whereas a Neuropsychiatrist has a doctorate which means 12+ years of study.
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As autism is not a mental illness as it cannot be cured, it is part of who we are. This image does say something to what feels like, we have a lot to say from the mind but society disproves of our way of speaking. I use to be told not to say so much of what interests me because not everyone wants to hear it and I should learn more to listen. It's a struggle to fit in with other people.
It feels like this for me. But also as a prison because my mind is going on lock down when I go into sensory overload. Mostly because people have hidden agenda's, say one thing but then act totally different. That's what makes it so confusing to communicate and interact.
First of all wtf that picture has nothing to do with autism Second of all its not a disorder 3rd it's not a mental condition it's a neurological one 4th it's not a thing to be sad about 5th i am autistic so I know how it feels and I'm fine with my life and I'm perfectly understood
Didn't your teacher tell you not to use words if you don't know what they mean?
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You are absolutely right. Autism to my mind is not a "disorder" in the first place but simply another way to be. I found this offensive . This is not my 3 children. They are happy, they are beautiful, bright and alive. And there is nothing "wrong" with them
Just wait til they are my age. Things will get tough when mommy isn't around.
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How? It is very clearly called Autism Spectrum DISORDER by actual doctors.
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TBH I feel like the ears need to be way bigger. We can act out a lot of our stress and frustration but the big issue is that we have no filter for external sensory input--we can't ignore noises in the background like other people can. It has a dramatic effect on us. Still, I like the illustration for bringing about conversations like this.
As a person with ASD, I'd say this is pretty effective at both displaying the need to be understood, and also the effect of being massively over stimulated...the clawing, the implication of rocking back and forth, the despondent stare into oblivion...anything to try and alleviate the stress and pressure of living in a world where every sound, sight, smell, and texture is dialed up to 11.
This is so apt. I have a hard time talking at times, but my brain won't shut up.
I was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome exactly 15 years ago and somewhat recognize this. My 23-year-old daughter suffers from "real" autism.
This made me sad my son has autism and I could not see anything that would describe how he probably feels
Don´t be sad, he doesn't have to keep feeling like this. Show him he's not wrong for not being like everyone else. Help him see his autism as a gift instead of a curse. Study up together on what autism really is and why. This will give him the words and help him explain to himself and maybe others why others think and behave differently from him.
Load More Replies... So we're monsters with mouths coming out of our heads now? ... Fuck you.
I believe that's the brain trying to have a say but the mouth being unable to voice it.
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I was told this is what my brain is of.. it sucks to not be heard but here, you made it easier to get understood...
You don't communicate like other people. Some things just affect you so badly, and you can't explain it.
Autistic people have sensory issues too and feel more secure in a cocoon
ive been on the spectrum for years...its killed me from the inside i didnt understand anything and no one understood me but i feel like lately ive been learning and helping autism isnt a disability its a gift x
All of you idiots screaming about how autism isn't a mental illness didn't read the f*****g headline jesus. It LITERALLY says "mental illness AND DISORDERS" in the title, where is your reading comprehension folks. Also the distinction between illness/syndromes/disorders is literally f*****g semantics. If you're *that* offended by someone erroneously thinking that autism is a mental illness, maybe you have something against the mentally ill. Just saying.¯\_(ツ)_/¯
This bothers me. This bothers me on so many levels, because I relate, but don't understand! Someone please help me here.
i love it & instantly began to cry cause it reminds me of my son. his brain has got a lot to say but his mouth doesn't work properly so he is never understood!
This brought my wife and I to tears, as our 3 year old son has autism and greatly struggles with speech...this is beautiful in so many ways, thank you!
Guessing this is pretty accurate for those who can't communicate the fact that, "I'm Autistic". Perhaps the rest of us should just refer to ourselves as Bob, or Chris, Sarah etc...
So much going on in the mind.. yet, unable to express their self correctly. Omg.. YES.. my daughter is ASD.. became a therapist to understand.. my heart breaks seeing this. As this illustration is on point.
thank you for this i have never in my life been represented in such a true image of myself as i, too, have teeth coming out of my skull x
Autism is not a mental illness. I have twin 6 year olds on the spectrum. It is a neurological disorder. I wonder if this artist has ASD or spoke with someone about it before doing this piece. Just very curious as to what inspired this depiction.
He probably did the sensible thing and went to a library and checked out the DSM-V and a bunch of documentaries.
Load More Replies... I have twin boys with ASD.. I don't really consider it a mental illness.
Autism isn't a mental illness. STOP stigmatizing these and stop and think about ableism plz
My daughter has autism. She isn't non-verbal, but there is more going on inside than she knows how to express.
I am on the spectrum and I have felt this at times. The mouth sewn shut by the world around us, by peers and caregivers who believe they know what is best for us or how we should respond. The mind screaming out from anyone to hear the deer in the headlight look from sensory overload.
As a parent of an autistic child this one really tugs at my heart. It's so very accurate 😕
What this is missing is the barrage of sensory input many people with autism experience. Also, autism is not a mental illness.
Loving someone on this spectrum is hard because it takes a long time to gain their trust and to let them know that you love them unconditionally, no matter their odd mannerisms and ways of expression.
Wow . This one is really on point. People that have this disorder are so intelligent and brilliant . So many words in thier mind they wish to speak but the words just dont come out .
I am autistic, and i think this is pretty spot on what its like having autism.
Autism and ASD is not a mental disorder its to do with emotions and stuff, enough said.
Autism is not really a mental disorder its more of a gift your born with
btw you ean "you're" and "it's" and what a comma is.
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My child is Autistic, she can talk but environmental (smell, touch, taste, light, sound etc) overwhelm her. If you are Autistic I hope you know that no 2 people on the spectrum have the exact same symptoms or triggers. This to me represents being trapped in your head without the ability to adequately verbalize what has you overwhelmed. Great representation of one aspect of the disorder.
I have to say, as someone with autism spectrum disorder, it does sometimes feel like this. Your brain is always working and thinking and connecting, and sometimes you want to share this exciting new thing you've come up with or discovered. But either you can't get the words to come out how you want them because it's living in your head as a thought not words; or you just can't find anyone who is actually interested. It can get lonely sometimes. And I can't even speak on behalf of those who aren't on the high functioning side of the scale. So I want to thank this artist for helping to represent what it is that is actualy going on.
If you find yourself in this kind of illustration, there is still hope in the person of Mr. Raun Kaufman. He was able to cross the bridge from his small world to ours by the unconditional love of his love ones that patiently built for him. Now, he is a man with a purpose with no traces of autism.
It does say in the title mental illness AND disorders. I know from experience that no two people with ASD are going to have the same experience as the other. This artwork may not represent to you what ASD is, but it may to someone else. It's ART. Enjoy it, don't enjoy it, be mad, be happy at least let it make you feel something.
Stop thinking this is the picture OF somebody who has this illness. Its about how you feel when you suffer from it. And this is exactly how I feel.
I understand this picture but i dont agree with it. It portrays that been autisic is a bad thing. Yes its hard at times. But so rewarding. I wouldnt change my son been autisic for the world. Its just finding ways to help him communicate what he is thinking and how he is feeling.
As many others on this post I too am on the spectrum(or what used to be a spectrum) and this also relates to me because the things I say aren't really the things I want to say or how I say them. My brain really has its own way of not thinking before doing and "yelling" it out instinctively instead of taking the time to see if it is correct or, and I hate saying this, "acceptable."
Nobody is saying ASD is a mental illness. It quite clearly states at the top mental illnesses AND disorders. As someone who lives with a partner who has ASD, this drawing beautifully illustrates ASD to me. I would also like to say that the majority of the comments posted here have helped me enormously to understand more. As much as I love my partner and support him totally, sometimes he can't explain enough to me how he feels not just in himself but re his place in the world. So many of your comments have helped me learn more to be able to understand more. Thank you.
I am autistic and this fits perfectly, and I don't mind it being here even though autism isn't a disease. Not being understood can make you sick
So many people are getting upset that this person decided to draw a representation of Autism Spectrum Disorder (kudos to artist for naming it correctly). As a person who deals with this on a daily basis, the artist gets a pretty good representation of how it FEELS to have this disorder. Mentally, there's a lot going on, things that we want to say and express, but we can't always verbally express what we mean and it's frustrating and saddening. It's art, quit trying to bash it, and move on if you don't/can't appreciate it for what it is.
This is so much how I feel. I've never been classed as on this spectrum, but there are many of its features with which I identify.
even though my autism isnt this severe there are still times that i feel like this
wow this hit me deep even though my autism is not as severe there are still moments where i feel this way
Although autism is not a mental illness I find this art sad and it hurts my heart to see this person's mouth sewed shut I'm sure it signifies not being able to speak.but wow..I have two children on the Autism Spectrum my son 5 years old and nonverbal I'm just saying this art made me feel terrible for my son and don't think it represents autism very well.
You know, if you really wanna draw out something horror and autism themed, draw someone with mouths on their hands being stretched out and grabbed at uncomfortably. Their hand mouths are being stretched. Facing away from the mass of ignorant abusers is a blindfolded doctor holding an iPad and shaking their head.
My brother has ASD and due to it at 21 years old has never been able to speak a word. This hurts to see because even though we love him so much this must be how he feels everyday
I had a student with atism, he is a great kid, I wish I could make his bullying teen class mates understand this.
This has to be one of the most hauntingly beautiful pictures of this illness I've ever seen!! Fantastic work my friend.
Brain is going a mile a minute wanting scream, mouth is shut tight, unable to find the words.
It's funny, the Bipolar didn't resonate with me as who I am, but as a Special Education Teacher, this one moved me to tears. It's stunning.
I'm autistic and I hate it I've never accepted it, I've been picked on, used , and treated like trash, people see me as a freck or as a 5 years old. I have a very small amount of friends that see me as a person. For years I only had my animals for comfort and I still do go to my animals for comfort seen there are only ones that have never hurt me.
wtf has this to do with autism ? did you ever meet a real autistic person? they are not retarted
Please don't be rude out of self righteous indignation on our behalf. Indeed, we are not (btw it's spelled "retarded"). But it does give a pretty good representation of how it FEELS to be autistic. We have so much we want to say, but we have a VERY difficult time expressing it in a way that people will understand/accept. It has taken me several years to get this far and being online helps, since you don't have to see the person you're talking to. The other part of the drawing that resonates is that we ARE a bit sad at not being able to adequately express ourselves. It's not a complete picture of autism, but a representation of one aspect of it that stands out.
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Im Autistic and have ADD. I had the problem pictured above my whole childhood. But nowadays I don't even bother to try to explain, since they can never understand. others are just too different, and it's, ok. I must say I don't feel that their way is better. Neurotypicals are always bound by these ineffective and stupid social norms and rules. Saying one thing, meaning another. Feeling the need to do a whole social dance before getting to a point. Accepting the world as it is just because they are supposed to. I was miserable trying to force myself to be like "them", especially because no matter how hard I tried I never could. Now that I decided I don't have to, i feel like this picture over here. autistic-M...b59534.jpg 
As the mother of a child with autism, this really breaks my heart. Probably the best representatiin of autism I've ever seen :'(
Autism is NOT a mental illness. And not all of us are unable to communicate verbally or with Neurotypical people.
Not just not being heard or understood...unable to express your feelings and the pure frustration. Excellent expression of the syndrome.
Thank you for including ASD! Your illustrations are absolutely on point.
This drawing reminds me of how Autism $peaks represents autism: Something inherently horrible. Truth is, if there's anything terrible about autism, it's how it's treated by society. Autistic people often are treated like children or animals. Like freaks or monsters. Something not-so-subtly represented in this drawing.
There are a lot of bad things about autism. I should know, I have it.
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This... this describes ASD perfectly. And compine it with Major Depression and anxiety... nightmare.
Um you are correct in knowing that it isn't a mental illness, but rather it is a DEVELOPMENTAL disability.
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Look 2 comments up from you "I'm autistic and this so relates to me - I can almost never get what's in my head to my mouth to speak out loud"
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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
*these hidden
I could understand it perfectly fine without you having correcting it, James.
I miss mine. Panic disorder. And hypochondria.
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.
Hypochondria relates to OCD above, maybe
This is an ongoing series, October isnt over yet
And all of them may link to mine: selective mutism.
Still a few more days to go...
Haunting and amazing images.
I agree with "iamthegrayone"
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 !
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Yeah, that's because psychology is based on stigmatization and dehumanization of disabled people.
Ummmm... no, it's not? I'm a disabled Psychology student. I know a handful of other disabled psychology students. We fight the stigmas. And it's not dehumanizing to find common issues(diagnosing criteria) among other people to try to help them have a better life.
One thing is clear to me - there is nothing quite as scary as the human mind!
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.
Wow! How can I get a copy? x
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.
Isn't that ADHD?
Add is tricky. At times I can feel bombarded by everything around me. No being able to filter out what is important and what is not. Other times I am in my own little bubble, hyperfocusing on my task oblivious to everything else going on around me.
I was wondering that myself. It's awful. The way it can feel so quiet in your head and you want to do something to wake yourself up a little and the feeling of not being able to control your brain is just uncomfortable to say the least. I hate the way I feel off meds because I feel like I don't have that controll over my brain. It's like it's it's own entity that's always trying to reign you back into submission.
I have OCD and non of my friends dont believe this is a real illness they say i can overcome and its just a phase! Thank you for this post and drawings totally creates awarness!