‘Depression Chicken’: My 36 Comics Featuring My Fluffy Alter Ego Who Suffers From Depression And Anxiety (New Pics)

The Chicken has its origin in a little sketch I drew in my notebook during a work meeting. Later I drew a comic where the Chicken calls itself a "dark soul in a fluffy yellow body" (this comic is also in this post) and I think it also describes me as an author in a way. I mean: imagine the little cute chicken standing in front of the monsters like anxiety or depression, don't we always feel like that when we face mental health issues?

My comics illustrate a lot of situations from my personal life, but I think when it comes to mental health, it should always be addressed. In the end, we've all been there and I see in the reactions from my community that many can relate to my little stories. What happened to me and what I drew seems to have been experienced by many other introverts: the empty small talk, the situations where we felt our social batteries going empty... Maybe sometimes I am more direct in my comics than I am in real life, like in the comic where I say: "I can't come, I'm busy not giving a d*mn".

I almost always have been single and that's also a theme in my comics. Basically, I don't have a problem with it and it's my conscious decision to be alone. On the other hand, the depressive part of me thinks that no one would be with me anyway. So when I draw a comic that "not everyone shares the view that I would be cute", it reflects my self-perception.

Through the years of my Chicken presence on Instagram, a pretty big community has formed on my profile, for which I am very grateful. A lot of people have told me that they identify with my comics. On the one hand, that's a very nice feeling, because it gives me and others the feeling that we're not alone and that mental health issues unfortunately simply exist and it doesn't mean that someone is weird when they're feeling bad. On the other hand, I feel sorry that many people find themselves in this situation. So if someone comments on Instagram or here on Bored Panda that they don't understand my emotional state - it's possibly great for them!

What I want to emphasize is the fact that I am not a professional in mental health. I write short comics that illustrate my thoughts and life situations or sometimes give tips on what has helped me overcome my problems. Some may find it helpful, some may not. But what I would recommend to everyone is to seek professional help. I myself have had many years of therapy, which has helped me to a large extent. Nevertheless, I want to keep doing my comics. Of course, I feel bad from time to time, but I want to write more funny comics and make people laugh. Maybe it will give someone a little comfort now and then...