Mental Health

Hello! This new section of the thingswithout.com website is dedicated to all things mental health. For now it has a few resources:

  • We Need to Talk About Mental Health
    • A short comic that I think will help us have better conversations in a climate where there is a lot of fear and anger.
  • So You’ve Had a Psychosis
    • A whole bunch of tips and tricks for recovering from psychosis from a person who’s had a few and is now in better mental health than she ever was!
    • This doc will probably evolve over time. I’ve been studying psychosis for years now and I’m always finding out something new or remembering something I forgot to include.

And here is a gallery of fun one pagers about mental health that I quite like. If you have favorite comics you wish were included, let me know in the comments below!

Comic Transcript: Thing 1 has lots of rays coming in at them. Thing 1 has even more rays coming in at them. Pop! Thing 1 has exploded into lots of little pieces. Thing 1 is a jumbled mess of pieces pulling itself together. Thing 1 has pulled some of itself up, but on of its eyes is falling off the agglomeration of broken pieces. Thing 1 catches its falling eye and looks itself in the eye. Thing 1: We got this. Thing 2: How are you? Thing 1: I broke, and now I’m sad. Thing 1: How did I let this happen? Thing 1: I hate I was so weak. Thing 2: What if you breaking wasn’t a sign of weakness, but a symptom of having been strong for so long.
webcomic, see text below for full transcript
Webcomic, please see text below for full transcript
Folks say just be yourself work hard stay focused you can achieve anything. Thing 1: They make it sound simple. Thing 1: but it's so hard. Thing 1: my body can break sometimes Thing 1: And looking at the gulf between where I am and where I want to be... I feel so small, useless and pointless. Thing 1: I feel so tired. All too often. I am ashamed. Thing 2: it's ok to feel tired. Thing 2: it's ok to have naps.Folks say just be yourself work hard stay focused you can achieve anything. Thing 1: They make it sound simple. Thing 1: but it's so hard. Thing 1: my body can break sometimes Thing 1: And looking at the gulf between where I am and where I want to be... I feel so small, useless and pointless. Thing 1: I feel so tired. All too often. I am ashamed. Thing 2: it's ok to feel tired. Thing 2: it's ok to have naps.
Webcomic. Boot: I didn't always take in the best foods. Boot: Lots of Can'ts, Shouldn'ts, Not Good Enoughs, Don't Deserves, Get Over Its... lots of negatives. Boot: I'm trying to eat more Cans, Wants, Wills, Worth Its and supportives. Boot: It's not always easy, but we are what we eat.
Comic Transcript Thing 1 looks up at Thing 2. Thing 1: Sometimes I forget. Thing 1 looks down. Thing 1: That it’s ok to be me. Thing 2's mouth is wide open with shock. The Things stand in silence. Thing 1 looks down, Thing 2 looks on with concern. Thing 1 has a big smile on their face. Thing 1: But then I remember again. Thing 2 is delighted.
Fun Restoration Comic Transcript Thing 1 and Thing 2 are having a conversation. Thing 1: There’s always people with more energy who do so much more than me. Thing 1: I get so tired sometimes. Thing 1: They’re living while I’m resting. Thing 2: Resting is living. Thing 1: Yeah? Thing 2: But if you’re not enjoying rest. Thing 2: Maybe the question is, how can we make resting more ? Thing 1: I like that question.
Survive Comic transcript Boot: When I was younger, anger and sadness kept me alive. Love was too impossible and made feelings too intense anyway. When I got older that embarrassed me ... and now that I'm even older still I say “you smart young boot, you stayed alive. You worked to be responsible with your anger and you lived... There is no shame in your sadness and anger. No shame staying alive out of spite. You survived. You held on And got us here. And I am glad.
webcomic - see text below for full transcript
Transcript: Boot: You Boot: You are mighty