Thank you so much for helping people understand just how alienating they can be to someone depressed, medication or not. Stretches of weeks of wanting to crawl up and die while people explain how easy snapping out of it. You are a hero.
I love this comic, as it really is a good analogy. What I don’t understand is what part is the hand cut off? Is that like taking medication? Just thought I’d ask.
I’d gladly sacrifice both my hands if I could only get rid of my asperger syndrome, social anxiety disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, paranoia, and the long-lasting (14 years so far) deep depression they have caused.
There are artificial limbs available for people without hands, but no prostheses whatsoever can replace a ruined mind.
“oh boo hoo! No one is depressed but me! Grow the fuck up. Everyone is depressed all the time.” I think you are the one who should grow the fuck up, you ignorant fucking twat. How is that comment supposed to motivate depressed people to cheer up? So you’re saying you depressed people should stop having a mental disorder because there,are other people with mental disorders? I bet you tell people with cancer to just “grow the fuck up.” I think you should just fucking die, because the world would be so much better without people like you. Fuck yourself.
Thank you for this. For most of my life i had gone without the medication that i needed and the psychiatric help that i needed even more because the people around me always treated my feeling like an over dramatic play for attention. After graduating i sought help and was told that i was bi-polar. I was given anti-depressants to help even me out and am now going a lot better. Thank you for promoting greater awareness.
Excellent comic. I’ve often said that I’d rather be missing a leg than have Asperger’s and its associated problems, including depression. It might be difficult to deal with, but at least people would be more understanding and supportive. No one would said “What’s the matter with you? Can’t you just walk normally?” Your comic echoes my sentiments perfectly.
To play Devil’s Adv for a moment, you’ll note that dude comes off as rather a bit of a dumbass for shoving his busted hand in everyone’s face as if he expects them to do something about it. The solution to both problems is obvious: see a friggin doctor!
Moonman: Actually, this guy can even point to his smashed hand or depression — he actually SEES friends, which implies still getting out of bed & still having a social life. If someone’s really really depressed, they probably don’t realize it, they probably stop socializing, and they probably don’t even get out of bed. They don’t have the motivation to pick up the phone, much less make an appointment with a doctor of any type. It’s really hard, with such low motivation to do ANYTHING AT ALL, to look at yourself and say “Wow, I’m really depressed. That’s why I don’t feel like getting out of bed. That’s why I let the phone go to voicemail. That’s why I just watch TV all day. That’s why I just go to work, go through the motions, come home, veg, and fall asleep with the TV on. Maybe I should see a doctor.”
People who are depressed need intervention from friends, family, coworkers, professionals, etc. and our culture makes that dicey, as well as trivializing the problem as illustrated above. Not one person said, “Wow, you seem to have a real problem. Would you like me to go to a doctor with you?” If you’re on the inside of a mind with a mental disorder, it’s hard to tell there’s a problem. After all, identifying a problem requires a comparison to some elusive mental “norm” that’s not clearly defined, and an objective perspective that’s nearly impossible from inside the disorder.
I use a wheelchair and also manage depression and anxiety. I often find my psychiatric disability MUCH more of a barrier in my life than my physical disability. I think this comic is 100% right on in showing that visible disabilities are recognized while invisible disabilities (which are very real) are so often not recognized.
@Cherity, yes. as somebody who has invisible disabilities (depression and anxiety and/or being overwhelmed by stimuli easily) i feel like i’m being creepy when i try to even say that i have a disability. and really hate how much i find myself envying people with visible disabilities when trying to get help/accommodations. and all of the internalized ableism behind those feelings.
As a bipolar individual with a host of other things, I find putting my hand out there and being proactive to be helpful in that it allows others to know they aren’t alone. It has helped many in my classes and in my life come to terms with their issues and brought into discussion how others around them perceive them or perceive those with these problems. I posted this comic to my Facebook because people don’t realize that it may be invisible, but depression is viscerally painful. Thank you for this comic, it opens a space for dialogue for those of us are finding words to express it.
So, I’ve got to disagree for the well being of all those suffering from depression in this post. Depression is a very different thing from physical pain, and the answer really is to get your mind off of it. I suffered from depression for yeeears, the kind that makes you homeless and gets you locked up for felonies, but getting your mind off of it really is the answer. I certainly agree that people who don’t know what it feels like generally lack the tact to get the point across safely, but one of the issues of depression is the instinctual response to all help that goes “You just don’t understand.” They don’t. That’s cool, though, be happy for them. Even though you’re depressed, go out with them. Try your damnedest to have a good time. You won’t every single time, but the more you try and the more you put into it, the more you will get out of it. The trick is realizing that your needs, wants, emotions, and thoughts are all separate concepts. You really can circumvent your emotions by believing, despite them, that all is well. Look for the good things in life, write down a positive experience every day, if you have to, eventually you’ll start seeing the positive in everything, the beauty in the every day, the novelty of human interaction. The misconception that only motivation begets action is keeping people down, you can create motivation through action, and that’s when you find the most beautiful things about being human, about being YOU.
I’d like your permission to use this comic as part of a presentation to high school students. I volunteer with a grass-roots group called the National Alliance on Mental Illness. NAMI is currently promoting its campaign: Ending the Silence to help educate middle- and high school students that mental health issues are actually medical issues. I’m a mere volunteer, with zero authority, so although I’d like to get this into the NAMI power point, that’s way, way above my (non-paid) pay scale. Instead, I’d just like to print off copies, and hand them out. And I probably have to change “fuckin'” to “friggin'” and alter the line, “get laid” because: why piss off uber-sensitive ass-backward folks if it’s not actually necessary? After all, this would go to some pretty young kids…
Love the comic; I think it speaks volumes. Will not use without your permission, and credit.
Well I cannot say that its logical to attribute a mental emotional pain to the physical pain of having a hand smashed but I do understand the metaphor of the comic and the type of audience it is aimed at.
Mental emotional pain can be very debilitating much like a broken hand could be in the sense that it really just plagues and feeds on your mind and makes you feel so weak powerless and helpless.
I myself suffer from it but I am not sure if I am bi polar or manic as these pathetic doctors in my town where I live wont even push to identify and give me an accurate diagnosis. Instead they just write lies and BS about me in their private notes each time we have a session.
I can say I do know how it feels to be a prisoner trapped within my own mind. It hurts so bad sometimes to the point where I just want to end my life and say fuck it all I am tired of being in this world and suffering. It hurts deep down into my very core and sometimes I cry until I get head aches and my throat goes dry scratchy and dead.
I have even had episodes where I tried to OD on pills, walk out into traffic, and cut my own throat or stab myself in the stomach with a knife. All while crying and screaming I want to die and not have to deal with lifes shit anymore. It is VERY painful and people dont understand they just look at you like you are psychotic or stupid or an attention seeker because you truly want to take your own life but they will never see or understand that. Im gonna show this comic to my family and pray it gets through to them so that the next time this happens to me… MAYBE… MAYBE they will understand just how hard it is to go through this shit. Thanks for giving me a visible representation of what goes on inside my head and how people treat me so I can make them AWARE.
Thank you so much for helping people understand just how alienating they can be to someone depressed, medication or not. Stretches of weeks of wanting to crawl up and die while people explain how easy snapping out of it. You are a hero.
Saw this on imgur. Had to find the source. It is fucking beautiful and true and I like it.
I love this comic, as it really is a good analogy. What I don’t understand is what part is the hand cut off? Is that like taking medication? Just thought I’d ask.
I’d gladly sacrifice both my hands if I could only get rid of my asperger syndrome, social anxiety disorder, narcissistic personality disorder, paranoia, and the long-lasting (14 years so far) deep depression they have caused.
There are artificial limbs available for people without hands, but no prostheses whatsoever can replace a ruined mind.
Thanks for posting this.
Thank you for making this comic, it means people, like me who suffer from depression have a way of explaining the situation.
The change in the state of his “hand” is the worsening of his depression. He is trying to force a smile even though the pain is almost unbearable.
Brilliant. Been there.
Physical injury=\=mental state
Thank you so much for posting this. This is exactly how I feel, and it is so hard to put into words. Thank you.
i really feel this comic. living through depression with friends or family who dont get it can be very difficult
this is so true,
I find it amazing though that some people still don’t understand – even after seeing this. I’ve seen posted the words “Uhhh, I don’t get it”
This is brilliant. Thank you.
This is great! And so true. You’re expected to not show any pain no matter how terrible you feel inside just because “it’s in your head”.
ohh boo hoo! No one is depressed except me!
Grow the fuck up. Everyone is depressed all the time.
“oh boo hoo! No one is depressed but me! Grow the fuck up. Everyone is depressed all the time.” I think you are the one who should grow the fuck up, you ignorant fucking twat. How is that comment supposed to motivate depressed people to cheer up? So you’re saying you depressed people should stop having a mental disorder because there,are other people with mental disorders? I bet you tell people with cancer to just “grow the fuck up.” I think you should just fucking die, because the world would be so much better without people like you. Fuck yourself.
Hi!! Thanks so much for this.. I translated it to spanish for my friends (link = website). Maybe someone here has use for it, too.
Thank you for this. For most of my life i had gone without the medication that i needed and the psychiatric help that i needed even more because the people around me always treated my feeling like an over dramatic play for attention. After graduating i sought help and was told that i was bi-polar. I was given anti-depressants to help even me out and am now going a lot better. Thank you for promoting greater awareness.
Excellent comic. I’ve often said that I’d rather be missing a leg than have Asperger’s and its associated problems, including depression. It might be difficult to deal with, but at least people would be more understanding and supportive. No one would said “What’s the matter with you? Can’t you just walk normally?” Your comic echoes my sentiments perfectly.
To play Devil’s Adv for a moment, you’ll note that dude comes off as rather a bit of a dumbass for shoving his busted hand in everyone’s face as if he expects them to do something about it. The solution to both problems is obvious: see a friggin doctor!
Moonman: Actually, this guy can even point to his smashed hand or depression — he actually SEES friends, which implies still getting out of bed & still having a social life. If someone’s really really depressed, they probably don’t realize it, they probably stop socializing, and they probably don’t even get out of bed. They don’t have the motivation to pick up the phone, much less make an appointment with a doctor of any type. It’s really hard, with such low motivation to do ANYTHING AT ALL, to look at yourself and say “Wow, I’m really depressed. That’s why I don’t feel like getting out of bed. That’s why I let the phone go to voicemail. That’s why I just watch TV all day. That’s why I just go to work, go through the motions, come home, veg, and fall asleep with the TV on. Maybe I should see a doctor.”
People who are depressed need intervention from friends, family, coworkers, professionals, etc. and our culture makes that dicey, as well as trivializing the problem as illustrated above. Not one person said, “Wow, you seem to have a real problem. Would you like me to go to a doctor with you?” If you’re on the inside of a mind with a mental disorder, it’s hard to tell there’s a problem. After all, identifying a problem requires a comparison to some elusive mental “norm” that’s not clearly defined, and an objective perspective that’s nearly impossible from inside the disorder.
I use a wheelchair and also manage depression and anxiety. I often find my psychiatric disability MUCH more of a barrier in my life than my physical disability. I think this comic is 100% right on in showing that visible disabilities are recognized while invisible disabilities (which are very real) are so often not recognized.
@Cherity, yes. as somebody who has invisible disabilities (depression and anxiety and/or being overwhelmed by stimuli easily) i feel like i’m being creepy when i try to even say that i have a disability. and really hate how much i find myself envying people with visible disabilities when trying to get help/accommodations. and all of the internalized ableism behind those feelings.
As a bipolar individual with a host of other things, I find putting my hand out there and being proactive to be helpful in that it allows others to know they aren’t alone. It has helped many in my classes and in my life come to terms with their issues and brought into discussion how others around them perceive them or perceive those with these problems. I posted this comic to my Facebook because people don’t realize that it may be invisible, but depression is viscerally painful. Thank you for this comic, it opens a space for dialogue for those of us are finding words to express it.
This is the best metaphor EVER and I’m going to show this comic to everyone I have ever met in my life. Thank you.
Cram it, Drake.
I don’t have friends that refuse to understand my depression.
People like that aren’t even friends. They’re liabilities.
So, I’ve got to disagree for the well being of all those suffering from depression in this post. Depression is a very different thing from physical pain, and the answer really is to get your mind off of it. I suffered from depression for yeeears, the kind that makes you homeless and gets you locked up for felonies, but getting your mind off of it really is the answer. I certainly agree that people who don’t know what it feels like generally lack the tact to get the point across safely, but one of the issues of depression is the instinctual response to all help that goes “You just don’t understand.” They don’t. That’s cool, though, be happy for them. Even though you’re depressed, go out with them. Try your damnedest to have a good time. You won’t every single time, but the more you try and the more you put into it, the more you will get out of it. The trick is realizing that your needs, wants, emotions, and thoughts are all separate concepts. You really can circumvent your emotions by believing, despite them, that all is well. Look for the good things in life, write down a positive experience every day, if you have to, eventually you’ll start seeing the positive in everything, the beauty in the every day, the novelty of human interaction. The misconception that only motivation begets action is keeping people down, you can create motivation through action, and that’s when you find the most beautiful things about being human, about being YOU.
This is a great blog, would you be involved in doing an interview about how you created it? If so email me! beegabgbdeek
I’d like your permission to use this comic as part of a presentation to high school students. I volunteer with a grass-roots group called the National Alliance on Mental Illness. NAMI is currently promoting its campaign: Ending the Silence to help educate middle- and high school students that mental health issues are actually medical issues. I’m a mere volunteer, with zero authority, so although I’d like to get this into the NAMI power point, that’s way, way above my (non-paid) pay scale. Instead, I’d just like to print off copies, and hand them out. And I probably have to change “fuckin'” to “friggin'” and alter the line, “get laid” because: why piss off uber-sensitive ass-backward folks if it’s not actually necessary? After all, this would go to some pretty young kids…
Love the comic; I think it speaks volumes. Will not use without your permission, and credit.
Well I cannot say that its logical to attribute a mental emotional pain to the physical pain of having a hand smashed but I do understand the metaphor of the comic and the type of audience it is aimed at.
Mental emotional pain can be very debilitating much like a broken hand could be in the sense that it really just plagues and feeds on your mind and makes you feel so weak powerless and helpless.
I myself suffer from it but I am not sure if I am bi polar or manic as these pathetic doctors in my town where I live wont even push to identify and give me an accurate diagnosis. Instead they just write lies and BS about me in their private notes each time we have a session.
I can say I do know how it feels to be a prisoner trapped within my own mind. It hurts so bad sometimes to the point where I just want to end my life and say fuck it all I am tired of being in this world and suffering. It hurts deep down into my very core and sometimes I cry until I get head aches and my throat goes dry scratchy and dead.
I have even had episodes where I tried to OD on pills, walk out into traffic, and cut my own throat or stab myself in the stomach with a knife. All while crying and screaming I want to die and not have to deal with lifes shit anymore. It is VERY painful and people dont understand they just look at you like you are psychotic or stupid or an attention seeker because you truly want to take your own life but they will never see or understand that. Im gonna show this comic to my family and pray it gets through to them so that the next time this happens to me… MAYBE… MAYBE they will understand just how hard it is to go through this shit. Thanks for giving me a visible representation of what goes on inside my head and how people treat me so I can make them AWARE.