The Real Monsters of Mental Illness

The Real Monsters of Mental Illness

For those who are affected by mental illness, the effects are all too real. But for others, it can be hard to understand the experience. U.K.-based artist Toby Allen has been drawing mental illnesses as monsters since 2013 and publishing the poignant illustrations on Tumblr. He gives an anthropomorphized face to many mental illnesses like anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and depression. The project was born out of his own anxiety, for which he found the process of creating his drawings cathartic.

The Huffington Post reports, “I hoped to draw attention to mental illnesses that often get ignored or aren’t taken seriously,” he said. “I want to make people aware of how damaging these illnesses are and how much of a burden they can be to those who suffer from them. The project also highlights conditions that some people may have never even heard of, so the work aims to raise awareness for these. I hope that people can relate to the work and that it helps them to see their illness in a different light, make it appear more manageable.”

You can see the “Real Monsters” series on Tumblr.