Cartoonist Allie Brosh describes her fight with depression using painful and raw, yet comical, realism in her blogs. A blog titled Adventures in Depression uses…
Renowned British poet Lemn Sissay suffered terrible abuse in foster care. He was subjected to violence, emotional cruelty, racism, and severe maltreatment in a system…
“I didn’t know how to explain it to anyone and I didn’t understand it myself, so I just didn’t talk about it.” “Out of Sight:…
The song “Stressed Out” by Twenty One Pilots gained popularity in 2015, and discusses mental health by using subtle and not-so-subtle lyrics. The very title…
In her signature quirky style, illustrator Gemma Correll presents stickers to celebrate self-care. She identifies acts such as asking for help and taking time to…
Brian, a graduate from a university in California, struggled financially and emotionally. He often experienced anxiety, panic, and shame about his student loans. Upon graduating,…
“Whatsoever I’ve feared has come to life. Whatsoever I’ve fought off became my life.” “Fell on Black days” is a song by Soundgarden with lyrics…
After being raped by her boyfriend at the age of 16 and living for nearly a decade with the shame and guilt of the assault,…
“I’ve got a right to be depressed.” The song “Fill in the Blank” by Car Seat Headrest explores living with depression, and struggling to understand…
Henry Rollins’ spoken word poem “I know you” touches on feelings of loneliness, isolation, and inability to fit in. He starkly portrays the pain of…
On October 1st, 2016, a Canadian medical marijuana company called Marijuana for Trauma opened a location in Edmonton, Alberta to treat PTSD in military veterans….
Canadian musician Matthew Good discusses his paralyzing battle with bipolar disorder in this TEDx Toronto presentation. He begins the story with his voluntary stay at…
Rapper Eminem’s song “Beautiful” speaks about battling depression and feelings of hopelessness, while also touching on themes of resilience and perseverance. His lyrics reflect the…
As an advocate for mental-illness awareness, spoken word artist Rage Almighty often deals with themes of depression and suicide in his poetry. In his recent…
In 2016, a wave of suicides occurred in Canada’s indigenous populations. Communities in northern Saskatchewan particularly witnessed several youth suicides. In October of that year,…
What lead singer Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers originally perceived to be an overly emotional poem ended up becoming one the biggest…
“The Morning After I Killed Myself” is a poem by 22-year old Meggie Royer, who writes at Writings for Winter. She has two published poetry…
This short by The School of Life discusses the dangers that come with a challenging childhood, among them, triggering of anxiety, self-hatred, and shame. While…
This funny yet poignant cartoon by Ryan Pequin of Three Word Phrase captures one of the realities of depression. Individuals suffering from this debilitating illness…
William Wordsworth experienced much loss in his life. His parents died when he was an adolescent, and several of his own children died when they…
