Skip To Content
  • win badge

21 Comics That Capture The Frustrations Of Depression

For those who have suffered, are suffering, or simply want to learn more.

[Editor's note: This is by no means a definitive list. The comics featured here can not and do not represent everyone's experiences. But there are some things they do capture. Part of the difficulty of depression is that it is a pain that is unnameable. Sometimes, art is the best way to capture the things we do not know how to say.]

1. The dream of waking up and randomly finding the source of your depression.

2. The frustrating way people talk about mental illness versus other illnesses.

3. Your relationship to your bed.

4. Oh, the exasperating prison that is your relationship to your bed.

5. The inexplicable loss of interest in things that once gave you so much joy.

6. The never-ending cycle of paralysis.

7. The persistent, engulfing darkness.

8. And invisibly carrying that darkness with you everywhere you go.

9. The inability to communicate how you actually feel.

10. Not being able to recognize yourself.

11. Feeling SO OVER THIS SHIT.

12. The loneliness.

13. Having to deal with people delegitimizing your pain.

14. The difficulties of trying to share your feelings with family.

15. The particular difficulties of being a student dealing with depression.

16. Knowing how you ridiculous you sound and yet...

17. The difficulties of trying to get your friends to understand.

18. The unbelievable strength it takes to ask for help.

19. The roller coaster ride of healing.

20. Celebrating the little things.

21. And, of course, no list of comics that capture the minutae of depression would be complete without the amazing work of Hyperbole And A Half creator Allie Brosh.

Thank you for reading, now time for an internet hug.