Real monsters - Mental illness

[Spectre]

I found this artists work interesting.
Real Monsters

He has been drawing monsters representing different mental illnesses.

Do you think this way of viewing it is helpful? As an entity?

A thought of my own is that according to the big five, a lot(if not most) of mental illnesses has their root in high levels of neurotisism.
By that reason its not uncommon for a high neuroticism scorer to suffer from several conditions.
With that in mind, I think it should be illustrated as a hydra. Neuroticism as its body but it manifests itself by showing its many ugly heads(the specific conditions).

Anyways, what are your thoughts?

 

[Lexicon]

Kinda brings serial killer BTK/Dennis Rader’s frog monster, or “Factor X” to mind. The name & form he gave to his homicidal urges.

His bizarre drawing:

I could see perhaps how removing yourself from the illness could feel helpful in the short term for some people. For me, I found it more beneficial to accept myself. All of myself. The messed up parts are a part of me. But they do not make up all that I am. Not by a long shot.

 

[Spectre]

Kinda brings serial killer BTK/Dennis Rader’s frog monster, or “Factor X” to mind. The name & form he gave to his homicidal urges.

His bizarre drawing:

I could see perhaps how removing yourself from the illness could feel helpful in the short term for some people. For me, I found it more beneficial to accept myself. All of myself. The messed up parts are a part of me. But they do not make up all that I am. Not by a long shot.

Hmm I am not sure the two views are mutually exclusive.
I will have to think some more.

 

[Lexicon]

Hmm I am not sure the two views are mutually exclusive.
I will have to think some more.

They don’t have to be mutually exclusive, no. I assume it varies per the individual. I dig the idea of the hydra as a metaphor for general neuroticism, though I personally feel like giving our illnesses form beyond ourselves in the shape of inherently evil creatures could increase stigmatization of said illnesses.

All depends on the people, I guess.

 

[Spectre]

They don’t have to be mutually exclusive, no. I assume it varies per the individual. I dig the idea of the hydra as a metaphor for general neuroticism, though I personally feel like giving our illnesses form beyond ourselves in the shape of inherently evil creatures could increase stigmatization of said illnesses.

All depends on the people, I guess.

Well, neuroticism is not inherently wrong per se. It has benefits as well.
I wish the dimension could be dragged into the light.
Perhaps the stigma would lessen then.

BTW did you like the images themselves?

 

[Lexicon]

BTW did you like the images themselves?

I felt neutral about a lot of them, however, I liked how Borderline Personality Disorder had no face to speak of.
Anxiety was cute.
I appreciated the insectoid appearance of Body Dysmorphic Disorder.

 

[Forever]

In during the harshest mental periods of my time, I can’t see how picturing them as a cute monster would help.

While I think it’s nice what they’re doing to create more awareness, it does in no way show true empathy for those conditions.

 

[Forever]

An additional thought now after reading some of the descriptions.

The pictures should all be used for some video game company for kids to play with on their game console.

I haven’t ever felt more insulted reading them and imagine how demonized and victimized people with the disorder feel.

 

[Lord Lavender]

Personally I found the art style a little too trival and "cute" for how serious and scary those conditions can be and I've had experience both first and second hand of many of the condtions on the list, I think its okay to draw them but to be more accurate I would suggest people with at least second hand experience if not first hand to be the ones to describe them. Its well intentioned I will say and does raise awareness but I think its not just well presented.

 

[prplchknz]

I don't know how i feel about this, i read the monsters and i'm neutral and don't see how it would help reduce stigma. tbh but i don't hate it, so i'm on the fence

 

[Quick]

I like the artist and what it represents. Good find.

 

[Quick]

I think it's important to note that what the mental illness represents in not only this case but in a more substantiated way, is that a mental illness really is a sub personality within the psyche. Many things that make up our personalities and traits can very well be treated like sub personalities that essentially have a perspective and motivation of their own. Jordan Peterson talks a bit about this in some of his lectures.

 

[Spectre]

I think it's important to note that what the mental illness represents in not only this case but in a more substantiated way, is that a mental illness really is a sub personality within the psyche. Many things that make up our personalities and traits can very well be treated like sub personalities that essentially have a perspective and motivation of their own. Jordan Peterson talks a bit about this in some of his lectures.

I have seen some clips with Jordan Peterson when he mentions sub personalities, but I have not explored it further.

 

[Quick]

I have seen some clips with Jordan Peterson when he mentions sub personalities, but I have not explored it further.

You know, it's something Jung talked about as well..

 

[Frosty]

I dont like this. It feels like they are trivializing serious illnesses in stretches to be clever and therefore not doing justice to how tough these things can be.

The bipolar one with the ‘infuencing everyone around them’

Great. Way to remind me that because of my illness I suck and CAN hurt people around me. One of the top things I struggle with when it comes to that just sort of thrown in there to add to the flavor.

And the social anxiety one ‘living out ordinary lives which they can never have’- again, wonderful. As if people with social anxiety dont already feel different enough socially- now they get reminded of a big fear that they will NEVER get past that.

I dunno. I dont like these. Im not enraged by these- but they, and things like this, tend to be realy depressing to me. But if they help someone I suppose, more power to them.

 

[Spectre]

I dont like this. It feels like they are trivializing serious illnesses in stretches to be clever and therefore not doing justice to how tough these things can be.

The bipolar one with the ‘infuencing everyone around them’

Great. Way to remind me that because of my illness I suck and CAN hurt people around me. One of the top things I struggle with when it comes to that just sort of thrown in there to add to the flavor.

And the social anxiety one ‘living out ordinary lives which they can never have’- again, wonderful. As if people with social anxiety dont already feel different enough socially- now they get reminded of a big fear that they will NEVER get past that.

I dunno. I dont like these. Im not enraged by these- but they, and things like this, tend to be realy depressing to me. But if they help someone I suppose, more power to them.

Do you think there is a way to describe the mental illness states so "healthy" individuals can get an understanding or do you think they can never grasp it?

 

[rav3n]

This is unhelpful. People with mental illnesses aren't monsters but they can cause a lot of unwitting damage. It distracts from the need to fund ongoing help for them, including but not exclusive to, providing confined care for incurable psychopaths and violent offenders who refuse their meds. Mental health care should be perceived in the same manner as physical health care. Are people monsters if they suffer from diabetes or cancer?

IMO, this debate is all about cost. The wealthy don't want to pay more taxes to care for them, whether as maintenance for outpatients, inpatients and research. The sad part is that everyone around people with unhelped mental health issues suffer too and preventative care helps everyone, including the wealthy.

 

[Frosty]

Do you think there is a way to describe the mental illness states so "healthy" individuals can get an understanding or do you think they can never grasp it?

Yes. I think there are tons of descriptions out there of mental illness that ARE closer to what people actually experience.

There are plenty of sites out there where people who have these illnesses might frequent, and people at these places who- some- would probably be able to give better descriptions of these illnesses to people who ASK.

I think asking is the best way for people to learn. And in order to get people to share, things like this, where illnesses are compared to monsters, is stigmatizing, and works to do the exact opposite of making people comfortable to discuss what these things REALLY are

 

[magpie]

I'm strongly against viewing mental illness as an entirely separate entity. However, the illustrator can do whatever art project they want and I support their right to express their perspective in this way. I don't think you need direct experience with something to be allowed to have a perspective on it. This sort of thing definitely isn't my cup of tea though.

 

[Spectre]

Yes. I think there are tons of descriptions out there of mental illness that ARE closer to what people actually experience.

There are plenty of sites out there where people who have these illnesses might frequent, and people at these places who- some- would probably be able to give better descriptions of these illnesses to people who ASK.

I think asking is the best way for people to learn. And in order to get people to share, things like this, where illnesses are compared to monsters, is stigmatizing, and works to do the exact opposite of making people comfortable to discuss what these things REALLY are

Hmm

I kind of thought it would be rude to ask.

Do you care to share your experience?