How do you deal with a psychological trauma?

[Zin_Trollborn]

I decided I wasn't going to deal with my own emotional bullshit anymore.
I don't feel happy to draw anymore? fluck it, I'll go do something else.
People unhappy about my work? Wow they have too much free time to get unhappy at something that isn't going to change their life, fluck'em too. (not talking about constructive criticism which I enjoy).

I'm still happy to get nice feedbacks but basically, I work with this :

Is this fuckitol-attitude of mine making me egoist and bitter? Probably and I embrace it.

[Klaustasya]

Yeah, normally people would just trash any critique that is not constructive but just plain aggression, too bad i didn't protect myself like this XD but you're right

[StrixandLem]

Yeah, it happened to me, and I felt terrible about it. It took me a long time to process the trauma, because I could not separate the criticism from the personal attack (as it was in that case).
Finally a friend said to me, "That's how it works: those who don't have anything good to say try to destroy what good you could say. Don't give up!"

[Zin_Trollborn]

Aww I just wish people would trash and insult my work because I have a really fun time dealing with that kind of persons XD
But it's fine, take your time to get yourself back together and come back when you'll be ready ^^

[ratscout]

If someone is literally just trashing your story, don't even give them the time of day. They don't deserve it. You seem to be a lot more of a popular creator on here, so your work is going to get both a lot more praise, and a lot more flat out abuse than the rest of us, so if I were you, I would genuinely consider getting a therapist for your mental health (if you don't already have one). They can help you discover coping strategies that work for you and that will help keep your stress and anxiety down. Otherwise, there are other(natural) techniques you can do to keep your stress down. Some suggestions from my sisters who are doctors:

Listen to music with a beat (i.e., rap, rock) in your right ear to stimulate your logical, left brain. It will help calm you down.
Inhale essential oils through your left nostril.
And a piece of advice from me: Make a list of everything you love and are good at when making art !

[seasa]

this has been a long time struggle of mine that sometimes i think that i'm too weak for this (well,i'm a pretty sensitive person).
i have an on-going series that i start rebooting/remaking recently due to inconsistent art and long hiatuses. the comments i get from discover are fine, probably because there's only a few of them per updates, but recently i started uploading my own language version again, and every updates makes me anxious.
several people keep telling me that my character's faces are too long and that i should fix it, another one told me that my drawing of hands is straight up ugly, i stared at my drawings for a long time to see anything wrong with the hands and i seriously don't understand it. if they genuinely want to support me i understand, but sometimes with the way they're written it feels like they're just passing by while trying to point out any bad things they can find.
there are also comments telling me "aren't you're bored you keep remaking this comic" when i started uploading there again, another one swore at me and called me labile (emotionally unstable) when i told them i decided to remake my comic.
right now i'm still torn to decide whether i should upload there again or not, as i'm still not recovering from these... i guess in the end i'll wait for a few more episodes and upload them later on, but still, this used to be fun but now i don't even know why i'm doing this anymore

[Klaustasya]

Thank you very much for your reply ////// i already screeshoot the natural methods you listed and i'll try it up soon ^^
About the therapist, i do have one so i should be okay under that point of view and the healing therapy for this issue has just started, it will take a long time but it's fine

[Klaustasya]

This is very similiar to my case.
I'm sorry for what you're going through but i do understand getting stressed for other's people comments: i'm hypersensitive, and this is something that my doctor said, like not just psychologically so i really tend to be emotive unstable all the time and get traumatizee by everything, but this is why i have a therapist (though i saw some small improvement just after 5 years).
Maybe you should take a break from that site? Or try another one! But don't get discouraged with other's people opinion, and toss away everything that is not constructive: that "labile" thing is plain verbal abuse in my opinion, don't do the same mistake of me, taking everything i get because it's gonna kill your creativity in the worst scenario.

[QueenofBabyLoon]

Happens to me every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.

But what I have realized is the following, there is a very specific form of critique that is the only one worth registering. When people desire to give their opinion as a means of improvement, they truly use the sandwich method. Even unconsciously.

Same thing with writing. When something grates on my nerves badly, I just ignore it and don't take the time to criticize it. People don't lose their time being dismissive unless they want to hurt you. Keep that in mind. The ugly, mean comments are meant to hurt you. They might sound objective, they might even look like they raise some interesting points. But no one will invest time criticizing something they hate. Unless they want to hurt you. The evil intent overthrows all validity of the comment. However, if I see something with potential that is badly executed and if I decide that it is worth the time I will invest into writing a comment about it, then I will unconsciously use the sandwich method. Because, as written above, I decided it had potential, there is something to sandwich the critique between that is worth mentioning.

But that doesn't help you. Even if the intent is evil and you know it, it still stings and hurts as fudge. I like to write a mean reply in Word. Something like: "You illiterate monkey, who ever gave you the right to criticize something you are one thousand lightyears away from understanding?! I would like to meet the person who gave you your high school diploma so I can slash his tires." Actually, my replies are much less polite than that. Giving back meanness liberates me, it defuses a bit of the pressure. Once I am done writing the reply, I generally just delete it because the negative energy has been partially exorcised out of me. I don't say there aren't some remnants of doubt and self-loathing, but they are definitely less than if I had taken the criticism lying down.

[Habonde]

Yo I feel this. Negative comments that come off as aggressive make my anxiety spike.
What I usually do in situations like that is wait for my anxiety to wear off before I do anything. Most of the time I usually just ignore comments that aren't helpful in any way because I just don't have the energy to deal with people who just want to bring you down.

I'm sorry you've had to deal with this by the way. ;; hugs
Getting remarks like that can really take a toll on your confidence in your work. I hope you're able to get a boost in creativity again soon so you can get out of that block! ;v;

[Klaustasya]

Untill a month ago i used to ask myself "why people even bother commenting things they don't even like?" and just recently found the answer (in your previous reply too): because they want to hurt you, just as you said.
Now, i don't know if it's just me, but i gain absolutely nothing from hurting someone online. I might answer a bit unpolitely sometimes but only if i was hit on a sensitive spot.
I don't want to sound like i hate the people online (because otherwise i wouldn't spend my time being here) but i admit that they are often way more cruel when you can't see them in real life.
I don't think there would be many people directly telling to your face that "you suck!" or any other kind of insult to you and your work, but maybe i'm wrong ^^"
For example, what played a huge emotional weight in the critique i received (it was more bullying though) was having it from a very popular comic artist. She was still nobody to call me "garbage" but maybe i got scared by her numbers, and thar was silly.

[Klaustasya]

Thank you hugs back
This is the first time that i get blocked in art for this kind of situations, usually if people criticize my work i don't care too much but my persona is a different matter unfortunately.
I'm trying to recover i guess ^^

[QueenofBabyLoon]

Fennecky, let me tell you something coming from someone who has been reading comics (of all kinds) and watching animation since the age of about 2 and is now closer than ever to her 30s. In YOUR case, whatever mean criticism comes your way, it is based on jealousy. Pure and simple.

The people who write such comments to you hurt way more than you do. It eats them alive, that jealousy. I am a very jealous person and I swear, there is nothing more painful than having that feeling of inadequacy hounding you 24/7. You take it out on people you are jealous of, people you envy. It doesn't help you make it better, but you hope it makes it just a bit more difficult for them. (Obviously, I've stopped with such antisocial behavior at a tender age, but not everyone has parents who care enough to beat it out of them as you can see yourself).

And that meanness from that super popular comic artist you should take as a compliment. Why would someone with 1 million subscribers and 10 000 comments be browsing other people's work and take the time to bully another artist?! You are a very smart cookie, Fennecky, you can figure that one out on your own. But let me give you a hint, it is called competition.

And something else, you can have a contract with a publisher, your comic/book might lead to the next Netflix series, but if you know deep down that your work is garbage and is popular only because the undereducated masses can't understand anything on a higher level, you will hate that indie comic artist who has maybe 10 subscribes and maybe 2 comments, but who produces quality. You will hate the guts out of him/her.

[Klaustasya]

Wow intense XD
But you're right, i feel jealous too sometimes towards other artists, i usually keep that for myself though.
I...actually know what she was jealous of and i doubt my works here are the problem: i had a friend in common with her and when she was finishing her "discussion" she just told me "stay away from X, she doesn't need your bullshit"...and this is where i understood that she probably have some issues. Worst part, that friend in common took her side =_= so basically in the end i had to cut ties with the other person as well, because i was also afraid that she was leaking something.
And this the story about how i start being afraid of internet friends ^^"

[QueenofBabyLoon]

Holy … I generally forget that artists can be petty humans too. Darn, you poor thing. You deserve a big hug.

You took the right decision by letting them go. You don't need that much negativity in your life. But at least you know that any attack on your art was complete BS with no foundations. It doesn't make it hurt less, but it should help you be more objective about your abilities.

It is normal to be afraid and I see you are doing an amazing job about getting help where help is given (most important thing in the world). Slowly, but surely, you will take steps to regain confidence in yourself. Just remember that the darkness of others can't dim your light. Not even the smallest bit.

[Klaustasya]

Thank you very much for your kind words
I really appreciate what you say and i feel a bit better now!
I'll do what i can to take care of myself in the future ^^

[wekanian]

I experienced that before. This commenter even judged my mental age from my writing because they thought my story is not logical enough for their taste. It got me deep into writing rut. But I kept going because other readers were waiting for my updates. I wrote without my heart in it and even writing it upset me. By miracle I managed to pull it off and people never pointed out any difference with my writing in my previous updates so I guess I was fine XD It takes time to make me forget it and to be able to write like usual. But I did.

All the others have replied great tips for you. Generally, we shall let go of the trashing because in the end of the day there are MORE people who will enjoy your works. Thinking about those people who love my works and reread their nice comments kept me going.

Yet, taking all the time you need if the comments really gets to you is not wrong. But don't kill your creativity. Be resolved that you will come back and show those people what you are really made of

[monotone_ink]

It's worth taking the time to differentiate between critique and abuse when dealing with comments--if it's obviously abuse, ensure that you dismiss it, for they generally don't have any worth.

Worst comes to worst, it's best to take a break from reading comments in general and spending time on something else relaxing. Shit talk may just be shit talk, but it mentally affects everyone, even competitive fighters.

[demthorshie]

I used to care when people would leave negative feedback or rude critiques of my art but as of late, I just don't care anymore. Most of the people who have criticized something I've drawn usually aren't qualified to do so, meaning they're usually not artists or they're not very experienced to begin with. I think that everyone is entitled to have their opinion of my work, just as I am entitled to not give a damn what they think.

[Im_moron]

well, I have been under art blocks via humiliation, but I'll go with this ramble instead:

I used to be the guy who thought that all forms of feedback is justified and things needed harsh criticism to improve (even critique towards me)

and after a series of events (something regards to a me making ties with a really crappy person who took advantage of my time, which is a story for another day)

I had seeked someone for help in terms of how to give and take criticim after he had basically hard trashed me and tried to get me into shutting my dahm mouth up and never critiquing him.

and well, at the same time I had also actually payed someone big in the tiny webcomic community to reviewed my comic :U

and to describe it, starting with the person I asked in regards to criticism, as I was trying to figure out something wrong:
they told me, that I am not always wrong, and sometimes when someone trash talks you, not criticise, TRASH TALKS, you don't need to really need to take what they said, which I at first said "heh, okay"
they also said that not everyone is going to take criticism, and I should just not poke the hornet's nest if they refuse to take my advice.

then comes the big man reviewing my comic, got excited and basically I made it obvious that I was going to take every little thing he gave feedback on, and need I tell you this guy was well... I wouldnt say enormous but he had a following, and he reviewed comics a lot, and he litterally just stopped me there and told me:
"you don't have to take everything I say."

a guy who has a following (also a big fan of his), and he frequently reviews comics a lot, and he told me, even I don't need to take everything he says... This kind of turned my world upside down

with those two events, I'm gonna give you this as a 2 cents:

I'm sure people have already told you this, but make your stuff because you want to, don't just make art because of the adoration of other people, and even if your goal is entertainment of others, it's outta loop back to "because its for you"

yes, you can still take some criticism and you definetly should sometimes try and listen to people, but if someone suggests or just tries and force you to make a change that just isnt you, not because the change is to make your art better, but because the change will completely alter the vision that YOU want for your art, and its something you wouldnt wanna do, it's simple, you can just discard the feedback, since it just doesnt concern you at all.

of course if multiple people start calling you out on something, do definetly consider seeing why they feel the way they do, especially if you're an author publishing books!

like its good to look into what people are trying to say so you can improve your art (seeing this is probably your intent), but here's a thought, dont forget to look for things that might just be BS or something you can just reject as a change, since it's not helpful or it ruins your vision, or it's someone insulting you for the sake of insults.

I'd much rather prefer for someone to crash and burn from their foolish ambitions than someone telling them their ideas are bad and them never trying it.

otherwise, don't sweat it! I say just keep making your art! always experiment/try something new, and refine your work
make things because you.