An Irish rugmaker on the importance of personality and longevity when designing your interiors
An Irish rugmaker on the importance of personality and longevity when designing your interiors

IMAGE

‘When it comes to women’s health, you have to be your own best advocate’
‘When it comes to women’s health, you have to be your own best advocate’

IMAGE

Page Turners: ‘Burn After Reading’ author Catherine Ryan Howard
Page Turners: ‘Burn After Reading’ author Catherine Ryan Howard

Sarah Gill

The IMAGE staffers share the best blushes they’ve ever tried
The IMAGE staffers share the best blushes they’ve ever tried

Sarah Gill

How I found the one bikini I look forward to wearing
How I found the one bikini I look forward to wearing

Suzie Coen

Join us for The Motherload Live: Getting Your Spark Back
Join us for The Motherload Live: Getting Your Spark Back

IMAGE

Meet the sisters behind the hugely successful Nóinín in Kilkenny
Meet the sisters behind the hugely successful Nóinín in Kilkenny

Megan Burns

The Undecided: No wonder more of us are unsure about parenthood
The Undecided: No wonder more of us are unsure about parenthood

Sarah Macken

How to actually manifest according to an expert
How to actually manifest according to an expert

IMAGE

How to grow vegetables with minimum effort and maximum effect
How to grow vegetables with minimum effort and maximum effect

IMAGE Interiors & Living

Image / Editorial

These Illustrations Sum Up What Living With Anxiety And Depression Is Like


By Jennifer McShane
21st Jan 2016
These Illustrations Sum Up What Living With Anxiety And Depression Is Like

Dealing with any illness is extremely difficult, but what if your struggles aren’t visible on the outside? When it comes to talking about mental wellbeing it’s invariably a tougher subject to broach; often there aren’t any physical symptoms (hence why it’s frequently referred to as an ‘invisible illness’), so how do go about you go about adequately explaining to your GP that your anxiety is eating you up on the inside? That you feel so low that the things that used to bring you joy now make you want to weep? It isn’t easy. In fact, it can be one of the most difficult things to talk about openly. And though there are no exact?figures detailing the prevalence of anxiety disorders in Ireland, it is estimated that 1 in 9 individuals will suffer a primary anxiety disorder over their lifetime.

Which is why, when we see a video or an illustration that so perfectly sums up what it’s like to deal with anxiety and depression in everyday life, we feel rather compelled to share it with you.

So, to bring both some visibility to the subject, artist Gemma Correll illustrated what life both?is like through a comic sketch, which has gone viral since it appeared online.

She has said she is using her skills as an illustrator – combined with her own battles – to bring light to these invisible illnesses. “I suffer from clinical anxiety and depression, and I find that the best way to deal with it is to find humour in it,” Correll told to Mashable, explaining that finding a way to laugh can sometimes be the only relief you get when you deal with nonstop stresses.

Correll added that she created these entertaining illustrations to try to break down the stereotypes and stigmas that shadow depression and anxiety. She also hopes that her art will create a discussion for people suffering from these disorders, making them more comfortable to speak openly about it. “I do think that people should talk more freely about anxiety … the kind of anxiety that really affects your life and decisions.”

Her sketches may be cartoons, but they ultimately depict a deeper meaning.

And we feel she has hit the nail on the head in this case:

Anxiety

Screen Shot 2016-01-21 at 21.39.33

Screen Shot 2016-01-21 at 21.39.46

Screen Shot 2016-01-21 at 21.40.16

Feel free to venture to her website for more insightful sketches.

Via Mashable