The mental illness monsters: Artist visualizes what illnesses would look like if they were mythical creatures.

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Depression has often been described as the black dog, but now one artist has taken a very different approach in visualising mental illness.
Toby Allen, a Cornish artist, has imagined what eight common mental illnesses would look like if they were monsters.
He drew what he believed anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, social anxiety, avoidant personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, paranoia and dissociative identity disorder would look like as monsters.

Mr Allen's Depression monster is designed as one that floats around endlessly with its eyes covered to hide itself from the world. This monster wraps its liquid tail around its victim to share its depression with them

Mr Allen said: ‘The artwork is not at all intended to make light of these conditions but instead is intended to give these intangible mental illnesses some substance and make them appear more beatable as physical entities.’
He told Suvudo he hopes the drawings will help to reduce the stigma around mental illness and that they will help bring an element of humour and understanding to the conditions.
Mr Allen says he started by designing the Anxiety monster as anxiety is something familiar to him meaning he found the design came naturally.

 

He says he designed the monster to be small enough to sit on the victim's shoulder and whisper things in their ear.
He explained that he made the monster a dark colour to reflect the oppressive feeling he associates with anxiety.
His Social Anxiety monster has pale anaemic-looking skin because it spends most of its life underground.

Mr Allen says he started by designing the Anxiety monster as anxiety is something familiar to him meaning he found the design came naturally

The Avoidant Personality Disorder monster is similar to the Social Anxiety monster except that it prefers to live above ground, mainly hiding in trees. Mr Allen designed this monster with leaf-like wings to act as camouflage so it can hide from people

Mr Allen also drew the monster with hard plates that act as a means of defence.
He says that the Avoidant Personality Disorder monster is similar to the Social Anxiety monster except that it prefers to live above ground, mainly hiding in trees.
He designed this monster with leaf-like wings to act as camouflage so it can hide from people around it.
The Borderline Personality Disorder monster Mr Allen describes as 'the most delicate but perhaps the most sinister of monsters'.

Mr Allen's Schizophrenia monster is a 'vile creature' that manipulates its victims - it also uses hallucinogenic gases to control and influence others

Mr Allen's Dissociative Identity Disorder monster is able to alter its form into whatever it likes - it can change its physical form as well as taking on different personas

These creatures, he says, gather in swarms around their victims to heighten their emotions.
He designed this monster as made almost entirely of ice so that it is clear and invisible.
Mr Allen's Schizophrenia monster is a 'vile creature' that manipulates its victims - it also uses hallucinogenic gases to control and influence others.
The Depression monster is designed as one that floats around endlessly with its eyes covered to hide itself from the world.

The Borderline Personality Disorder monster Mr Allen describes as 'the most delicate but perhaps the most sinister of monsters'

The Social Anxiety monster has pale anaemic-looking skin because it spends most of its life underground

This monster wraps its liquid tail around its victim to share its depression with them.
At the same time, it also absorbs the victim's positive energy.
Mr Allen's Dissociative Identity Disorder monster is able to alter its form into whatever it likes - it can change its physical form as well as taking on different personas.
Finally, the Paranoia monster has long ears which it can use as radar to look for dangerous activity.

The Paranoia monster has long ears which it can use as radar to look for dangerous activity

However, in reality, Mr Allen has designed the ears so that they are actually useless as they have curled cartilage and thick fur that confuses and muffles noise.
Mr Allen told Suvodu: ‘I have received so many wonderful messages from people who have one or many of the disorders I have drawn, each telling me how much the work means to them and how It has helped them to think about their condition in a different or more positive way.
‘It is such a joy to hear from people who really appreciate all the hard work that has gone into the project and I also received many requests from people that want me to draw their own “monster.

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