This comic blows the lid off depression
Cartoonist Nick Seluk of The Awkward Yeti specializes in re-imaging real-life medical stories and bringing them to life in a way that lightens the heaviness of the topic matter, rendering complicated disorders more relatable to the general public.
So, when he was contacted by a 16-year-old girl who suffers from crippling depression and anxiety, Seluk knew exactly what to do.
Depression comic
According to the World Heath Organization, 350 million people of all ages, across the world, suffer from depression. Despite its prevalence, though, individuals with the disorder feel a tangible stigma surrounding it.
Depression comic
The Medical Tales Retold series, of which this comic is a part, started in early 2015 as a co-venture between Seluk and Tapastic.com.
"I had already been doing a lot of medical themed comics, generally explaining simple concepts through developed organ characters," Seluk told CBS News. "Then, Tapastic and I came up with the idea to involve my audience by having them submit their own stories. I ended up getting several hundred submissions."
Depression comic
One of the primary frustrations people with depression face is that those around them often don't understand why they can't simply snap out of it. On the surface, they look all right. They just don't feel all right. And unseen conditions can be difficult to communicate.
So, that is one of the aspects of depression Seluk chose to draw out and illustrate.
Depression comic
"Among hundreds of submissions, the stories that stood out the most had some imagery built in, didn't draw out technical jargon too much, and had some sort of structure," Seluk says.
"Sarah's story took such a nice, simple, relatable approach to a concept I was already pretty familiar with. I had already developed an Anxiety character, so it was a perfect fit."
Depression comic
Of all the images in the comic, this is Nick Seluk's favorite.
"I love the image of Depression holding her down while Anxiety stomps on her head," he says.
Depression comic
The comic straddles the fine line between accuracy and whimsicality in its anthropomorphizing of both anxiety and depression, as characters who constantly utter unhelpful comments in Sarah's ears.
Depression comic
When producing this comic, Seluk says the hardest part was creating that sub-storyline; the "embellished dialogue," as he calls it, between Depression and Anxiety.
Depression comic
"I wanted it to lighten the story in my own style without taking away from the seriousness of the issue," Seluk told CBS News. "I drew on thoughts I had had as a teenager for some of that dialogue."
Depression comic
Importantly, Seluk doesn't limit his depression comic to depictions of the bad days. He illustrates the good days too.
Depression comic
Statistically, women are nearly twice as likely as men to develop depression. In fact, according to the Mayo Clinic, one in five women will suffer from depression at some point in life.
So, Sarah's story is likely representative of the experiences of millions and millions of people throughout the world.
Depression comic
"The hardest part of living with depression and anxiety for me is feeling like I have to hide it," Sarah Flannigan, the inspiration for the comic, told Upworthy. "I've always been known as the happy one in my group of friends. Everyone's always so shocked when I tell them I have depression or they see the self-harm scars."
And that's precisely why Seluk's comic is so important.
Depression comic
If anyone can dispel the stigma from a condition like depression, it's an artist with years of experience distilling the human condition.
"I started drawing as soon as I could hold a crayon," Seluk told CBS News. "I don't remember a time when drawing wasn't a serious hobby since then."
Depression comic
According to Seluk, feedback for his Medical Tales Retold series has been overwhelmingly positive from the beginning.
"Those dealing with anxiety and depression relate to it," he says. "Those who know someone suffering say it helped them understand it better."
Depression comic
More than the positive feedback, though, Seluk says he is most thrilled by all the media attention his comic has gotten a mental health story.
"I think it has helped a lot of people, which is really what Sarah and I had set out to do in the first place."
Depression comic
Ever willing to tackle unexpected topic matter, Nick Seluk recently also put together a book, called "Heart and Brain," that deals with everything from paying taxes and getting up for work to dancing with kittens and starting a band.
It is available for preorder on Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and it will be available in stores October 20, 2015.
