by imightbedeadtomorrow
I have been suffering with Depression for over 10 years.
Over the past 3 years I have developed crippling Anxiety. I have been on Medication and have been seeing a Therapist. Nothing seemed to get me out of the rut for a long time. I lost jobs, lost friends, distanced myself from family and anything remotely resembling happiness. I always found it difficult trying to explain to my partner and to my therapist how I was feeling and they could never understand my mumbling and incoherent rambling.
One day I drew a picture of a balloon with eyes and a mouth and squiggly lines all throughout its head (where the brain would be). It described what I felt everyday so easily and helped me explain to people close to me how I felt and for once in my life, they understood. I shared the image online within some forums which discuss Anxiety and Depression, usually quite heavy topics people thanked me for helping them show their therapists and their partners what they were feeling. I continued to draw to express how I was feeling and would often share them online to help others, I had an overwhelming response and within days the drawings had thousands of views and hundreds of comments.
1 in 4 people around the world will suffer from some form of Mental Illness in their lifetime. One of the most difficult things to do in these situations is convey your emotions to your loved ones and people trying to help you (your therapist/GP etc). A number of these situations often lead to suicide because people are unable to explain how they’re feeling to one another and it all gets too much. Here's a personal look at those issues from someone that suffers from Major Depression and Major Anxiety. These illustrations, whilst talking about a very serious and intense subject it remains light and humorous throughout.
Art therapy is a form of expressive therapy that uses the creative process of making art to improve a person’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being. The creative process involved in expressing one’s self artistically can help people to resolve issues as well as develop and manage their behaviours and feelings, reduce stress, and improve self-esteem and awareness. You don’t need to be talented or an artist to receive the benefits, and there are professionals that can work with you to dive into the underlying messages communicated through your art, which will aid in the healing process - we ALL need a outlet that expresses your creative emotions, whether that be drawing, writing, composing or meditating.
For more creative work by our author please visit their Instagram page (@imightbedeadtomorrow)
