24 Beautiful Tattoos Inspired By Mental Illness

    Body art as recovery.

    by
    Arianna Rebolini
    by Arianna Rebolini

    BuzzFeed Staff

    ,
    Tracy Clayton
    by Tracy Clayton

    BuzzFeed Staff

    We asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to share tattoos that represent living with mental illness, or help maintain mental health. Here are some of the inspirational responses:

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    buzzfeed.com

    "I used to think being strong meant never faltering — always being there for other people, and never having to ask for help. When I was 17, I was diagnosed with panic disorder after months of crippling panic attacks, sometimes several a day. I had to change my definition of strong. Strong means asking for help. Strong means admitting when you are weak. Several years later, my fight continues. The ellipses remind me there is always more to say. The sentence is never over. Even when all you want is for it to be over, there is more fight in you." —sfeldman26

    3.

    Gloria Ruiz

    "I'm a bipolar patient, and I got this tattoo in a really unplanned way. But it's so appropriate. It's a sri yantra: 49 triangles, two opposing forces that make momentum. My life might get difficult, but I feel like I'm made of perpetual motion, like a stormy sea. And I like to think that the ocean and my soul can't be tamed." —Alfonsina Soledad, Facebook

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    fatgirlsdoingthings.tumblr.com

    "I have a thigh piece that says 'I deserve good things' because the concept of deserving the same things as everyone else, and being equal them, has been a particularly hard one for me to accept, both as a fat girl and as a survivor of physical/emotional/sexual abuse. I became really determined to get this tattoo as a symbol of how far I’ve come in my self-love journey, and as a reminder that I have inherent worth as a person!" —Amisha Treat, Facebook

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    buzzfeed.com

    "My tattoo is a music staff wrapped around my arm, with the melody from two lines of a song by Jason Upton. The lyrics are 'where the spirit of the lord is, there is freedom; freedom reigns in this place.' It turns into a banner on my wrist saying 'selah,' a Hebrew word used between the biblical psalms. No one is absolutely sure of the meaning of the word, but one interpretation is 'don’t stop paying attention, there is more coming.' It's my freedom-from-self-destruction tattoo." —loveleavesfootprints

    8.

    Corey E.

    "In 2013 after escaping an abusive relationship and conquering the depression that stemmed from that relationship, I decided to get this tattoo. Carpe diem: 'seize the day.' A lot of people tried to discourage me from getting it, because it’s a common tattoo and seemingly cliche, but it resonated with me, and when I look in the mirror, I am reminded to make the most of each day to the best of my ability, to appreciate everything I do have as opposed to what I don’t have yet, to appreciate my freedom, to try and love myself more each day and not dwell on my painful past experiences. It reminds me to keep fighting on days where I am depressed." —Corey E.

    9.

    buzzfeed.com

    "My skeleton key (which desperately needs touch-ups) was inspired by my struggle with depression. I got it when I was 22 years old. I was not well, and hadn’t been for years. Luckily I was in college and was able to utilize my university’s mental health clinic. During my sessions, my therapist shared with me that many people with depression put themselves in a self-created prison, and one of the keys to getting well was to learn how to get myself out. My tattoo is a reminder that I hold the key to freedom from my prison of depression. I am in control of my depression, not the other way around. Eight years have gone by so far, and it still serves me well." —lizbeth6891

    10.

    buzzfeed.com

    "In 2014, I suffered from a severe panic disorder and extreme anxiety. While in therapy, I explained it felt as if my anxiety made me lose all of the things that made me special. My therapist said that I didn’t lose anything, that I still have all of my gifts and personality, and that I just don’t realize I have it. I equated this to characters from The Wizard of Oz: Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion. The Wizard tells the Tin Man he had a heart all along, and gives him a symbolic heart so he never forgets that he has what he’s looking for. I got this tattoo so that I never forget that I always have the things that make me special, even when my anxiety kicks in and I begin to doubt myself." —christopherc4811e9de0

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    buzzfeed.com

    "I have 'this too shall pass' on my shoulder. Every time I'm depressed, it reminds me that it's only for a moment, and will pass." —haleeee

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    buzzfeed.com

    "I struggle with depression, and have spiraled into suicide attempts and self-harm. When I was 16 years old, I found Christ and things went up from there. I still struggle, but now I know that I have worth in His eyes. My LOOK UP tattoo is to remind me to look up to God, not be ashamed of myself or my past, not to look down from fear of people or how I see myself, and be proud to walk with my head high. And, if I feel like being sarcastic, I can make 'my eyes are up here' jokes.” —amandaw47ecb15a6

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    buzzfeed.com

    "This tattoo is for my recovery from self-harm. I got the 'future' part done on my 18th birthday, a birthday I never thought I would see because of my depression, anxiety, eating disorder, and other things. I got the 'past' part on the first anniversary of giving up self harm. Relapses happen, but what’s important is that we choose recovery again. These tattoos help me do that, when it’s hard to remember the point of it all. Recovery is possible and worth it." —arur

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    buzzfeed.com

    "I struggled with depression growing up and self-harmed from age 12 to 16. When I graduated high school, I decided to get an anchor tattoo because I refuse to sink. Everybody had an idea of me just giving up, and the anchor went against that expectation. I chose to get it in white ink since it wasn’t a tattoo for the world to see; it was for myself — a personal reminder that it is possible to overcome the hardships of life, and of my dream to become a counseling psychologist." –jasminejadema

    18.

    buzzfeed.com

    "I have been chronically ill for my entire life. From an immune disorder at birth which led to two kidney transplants, to the chronic pain which none of the dozens of doctors I’ve seen can figure out, to every cold or flu that comes from spending life on anti-rejection drugs. When I’m not feeling well, I will often call my mom, and every time she’ll say, 'Just breathe, drink a cup of tea, and keep moving.' Last year, I got my first tattoo. It just says 'BREATHE' in my best friend's handwriting. Every time I look at it— either during my multiple hospitalizations, on a day when I’m in so much pain I can’t move, or just when my anxiety is trying to pummel me— I look at it and I take a deep breath and it helps me keep my mind at ease with the things that I cannot control." —imawhaleofatale

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    buzzfeed.com

    "I got my tattoo after recovering from EDNOS. Pretty simple: The cage represents my eating disorder, and the bird represents my mind." —yourenottheone

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    buzzfeed.com

    "I had this tattoo done to remind me that I’m resilient, and that I am capable of overcoming anything. I suffered from anorexia in high school, but I recovered to be stronger than ever. Now I love my body, and I know I can rise above whatever I go through." —colleenb46a412af5

    21.

    buzzfeed.com

    "I got the idea from Project Semicolon, and it really resonated with me. I always loved tattoos on other people but never thought I’d like something enough to put it on my body forever, until I saw this. I have depression, anxiety, and the occasional panic attack. The idea behind the semicolon is that it represents a sentence the author could have ended and chose not to. YOU are the author. The sentence is your life. I look at it every day and feel like a survivor." —janam4b10867dd

    22.

    buzzfeed.com

    "It was hard for me to remember to stay strong as a kid, so I would wear special bracelets or even stickers on my hand to remember to keep trucking along. But those things were removable, and I needed a permanent reminder to keep fighting. So the second I turned 18, I got a tattoo on my wrist, where I could see it at all times. I got a bow and arrow because of a quote I saw that was something along the lines of, 'Life is like a bow and arrow, you have to be pulled backwards to shoot forward.' I made sure to get the arrow in the back position because that is the moment when I need it most." —daciemerollin

    23.

    buzzfeed.com

    "'Stet' is a form of Latin verb, and is a term used in editing and proofreading. It roughly translates as 'let it stand' — or, as my editor friend Craig said it better: leave it, nothing wrong here. Some people might think that I should change who I am — tone down what they consider my crazy — but, actually it is fine for me to remain as I am." —roxannemackey1

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    buzzfeed.com

    "I got this tattoo of a quote from Albert Camus — 'In the midst of winter, I found there was within me an invincible summer' — with a sweet olive tree for my birthday. I’ve had a lot of personal issues, most recently a divorce after 24 years of marriage, and somehow I always pull through." —jenniferlegerm

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