Anxiety and depression are two mental health disorders that many of us simply don't understand. Nick Seluk, the artist behind the popular Awkward Yeti webcomic, partnered with Sarah Flanigan, a reader who submitted her story to him, to explain how dealing with these mental illnesses is a daily struggle. Their collaboration ended up with an explanatory and relatable comic that you'll find below.
Feeling anxious or depressed at one point or another is absolutely normal, but some of us are living with depression every day. It can be difficult for those who don't suffer from these chronic disorders to understand those who do, so they can sometimes say some fairly insensitive things; "Why don't you just get over it?" or "What happened? You were so energetic yesterday."
"As someone who's experienced and has been around anxiety and depression, it was easy to do these cartoon drawings in a way that complemented the storyteller's everyday problems," Seluk told Bored Panda. "Sometimes, those who haven't experienced the extremes don't understand what it's like, almost to the point of resenting it."
Thank you, Nick Seluk, for talking to Bored Panda about your awesome project!