How do you handle depression, anxiety, and negativity?

[hades]

Before I go on I will say that I am clinically diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and other disorders that may account for my own personal situation.

However, I am wondering what everyone does when they are faced with a heavy dose of negativity? I've been fighting off a major downswing that has managed to pull me in to art block and keep me physically ill. I haven't been able to do much and what I manage is downright bad in quality.

Not to mention I get anxiety at just the notification of comments, I'm terrified that I've upset someone or am getting another batch of complaints. Even though it doesn't turn that way often my initial reaction is to fear the worst.

Normally I can handle my anxiety and depression and keep it out of the public but I think it wont hurt to see what other folk due to aide their own.

[AnnaLandin]

I take as frequent breaks as I can manage. I get up and leave my computer, go outside, enjoy the sunshine (whenever that's around - silly unreliable Swedish summer weather!), go pet my fluffy cat, etc., etc. And then I come back when I feel less fragile.

I also take semi-regular breaks from the internet altogether. I unplug my computer, and spend 24 hours just not thinking about it at all. It doesn't matter what people are saying or doing on Twitter, Tumblr or Tapastic - there is nothing that can happen in those 24 hours that I need to know right then, and nothing that can happen that will in any way ruin my life.

Out of all the places to post webcomics on the internet, I think Tapastic is one of the better ones - it is, in general, a place with a very positive atmosphere, where I rarely have to be worried about the contents of the comments, as they are almost guarranteed to be free of hostility. Of course, the experience of others might differ from mine, but I have yet to discover any pockets of true negativity here, at least not in the comments of my comic.

[stephanielopez]

Hmmm know the feel. I have had depression and anxiety since age 12 and I am not 18. I was not clinically diagnosed until about two years ago. I usually force myself to do things, however I would do it alone and not go on social media. I push the negativity away because it isn't needed in my life. when it does i end up sleeping a lot. I just recently had on of those. When it comes to drawing i try to only try drawing sketches because if it is a high quality drawing it will take me a few days when it should only take me an hour or two. If I fall into an art block I usually play with my imagination or listen to my favorite music that would always calm my anxiety or depression. I usually stick with traditional and I mess around with different media. So i suggest just take things slow, go at the pace you are comfortable with and sleep well.

I am new to the Tapastic community, but people are really nice and a lot of people say good things about this website.

[infectedbloodcomics]

I normally take breaks and deep breaths and do something I really enjoy without isolating myself completely or for not too long. What's important, at least to me, is to be able to decompress without disappearing completely from the world, otherwise I'd lose my connection to it. This is a tendency I've been fighting off an on my whole life, because my own cozy world is so much more appreciative than the big, feisty one, but it's also a shortcut to more insecurity and plain bad health.

so, eating well, exercising, going into hiding just to recharge my batteries and thinking that we are all people who, hopefully, do their best and can fail, all of that helps. It's also important to remember that art should be a way to express yourself and not everyone will like how you express yourself - which is perfectly ok.

Good luck and take care.

[mg78]

doing team sport (maybe fun leagues) imho help.
stay in homeroom doesnt help for sure.
and change or work on our own "mentality". dunno if u know "Mens sana in corpore sano"

[elixiadragmire]

I've been having some nasty bouts of this. Like my stuff is no good, the story is just another bland patch of beige in the web, that I'm CLEARLY doing something wrong and that my lack of exposure and community spirit is in part my failure as a community leader and content creator.

For me I KNOW it hereditary, Nan worries to the point of overly nice, my Ant has anxiety issues, I too in the past have suffered from panic attacks too and have sometimes wondered if I'm mildly depressed.

On the flip side I try to constantly remind myself that I'm making molehills into mountains, that the only way around is to encourage positive thinking patterns. I have to admit when I get like this, I turn into a hermit and shut myself in, pour all my efforts onto my work ... one of the reasons Silversong was created in the first place was to fight off anxiety and depression. That in of itself helps, people views of the work should be second nature since it was made to help me first

[infectedbloodcomics]

one of the reasons Silversong was created in the first place was to fight off anxiety and depression. That in of itself helps, people views of the work should be second nature since it was made to help me first

I bet one of the reasons for many people to create anything artistic boils down to this, which is truly awesome.

[punkarsenic]

ngl, when i have a depressive swing i just quit. and i dont come back til its over. bc i dont want to. and i think thats a good idea. but try to fill your time with something else; reading, music, walks in the park, anything that seems to take your mind of the shittiness.

[DynamoToon]

This problem happens a lot and is a very serious issue. Many of my friends are in depression and, to be honest, I have suffered depression in my life. Everything feels horrible and you seem like you're fending for yourself in the world. Now I know everyone is different problems are different for each person, but whenever I'm down, I count all the good things in life. Like maybe all your family and friends, or your accomplishments in life, or (and this one always makes me feel better) the possibility of the future. Tomorrow is another day, and a whole slew of chances and opportunities wait for you. And if you cant think of anything good, think of this. When you've hit rock bottom, there's nowhere to go but up.

[KSlinger]

Honest truth? Get selfish. It's not like any one of us--- you or I-- are making grand, unrealistic promises. We're not claiming to be anything. We aren't lying. We aren't pretending to be what we're not. Your art is what it is and the story is yours. You don't need to care about how others perceive you because you are doing the BEST you can. You can literally do nothing more, and the fact that you're trying in the first place puts you head and shoulders above the rest.

And even if you can do better, what right does anyone have to make you feel inadequate? Like what you did wasn't good enough for them? You have a life-- family, friends, commitments--- and things don't always go to plan. How the hell would they know what you go through to create what you do? Or why you made the choices you did? Some skills take longer to learn. Some times you don't know what you're doing. Sometimes you drop the ball and sometimes things don't work out in the end. All you can do is pick yourself up and try again-- but in the meantime don't let anyone tell you that the story, art, or idea behind anything you do isn't worth investing in. I mean, Christ, you didn't have to do this! You didn't need to offer anyone a chance to share this journey with you! You put your work out there because you enjoy what you do, and you just wondered if, perhaps, someone else might enjoy it too. That is where your responsibility ended. You do not owe anyone anything.

And when we're lucky enough that people do enjoy something we create, we feel that success! It's addictive. It makes us giddy. What better reward for your sweat and tears than to know that someone else might have shared, for a moment, the same thrill you felt while creating it? And when you do feel success, don't torture yourself over whether or not you deserve it, or why it never came earlier, or in the first place at all.

Many people deserve more credit than they get, and many people get more credit than they deserve. Whether it's tomorrow or next week or next year, the NEXT thing you produce will always be better than the last. We all started in the same place, we will all get better in time, and this game never really ends. Do not forget why you started it in the first place-- FOR YOU. And don't let anyone tell you how you ought to feel about it. They don't know you and they never truly will. Just keep doing your best. That is all you need to do.

[Doubtcent]

I often have bouts with deep negativity rather than depression. It's never from anyone else, but rather from myself. The best way I deal with such things is by art. If I didn't have a way to grab these feelings the shift them in a way that's productive, I'd be a wreck. (Maybe I still am). Because my life really hasn't gone anywhere, with my job, my home life, relationships especially, I'm happy that I have something to work on. No escapisms, just pure creation. And if my hand hurts from drawing, I write instead. If I had somehow lost the ability to draw or write, I don't know what I would do.

[elixiadragmire]

I need to make this into a freakin poster and put it on my wall

[serenitysquirrel]

Lots of super dark chocolate or engaging in a hobby I haven't in a while.

[Vikiro_Hop]

Honestly for anxiety its usually allowing myself to get consumed with my work. I connect my work with self expression and as an emotional release, so even if I don't produce exactly what I want then at least the act of creating in and of itself can calm me down.

I know all too well that feeling of seeing someone respond and suddenly fearing you have somehow made an ass of yourself. It's hard not to fear the worse, but I've really only run into people giving each other positive feed back on here.

I've got one sure fire method, but would not recommend that to anyone. (self medicating, no good.) In the end sometimes I just need an afternoon to relax and be a complete layabout.

Light some incense.
Take a long hot bath.
Then either read a novel, or binge read some webcomics archives.
Then look up red pandas on youtube till like 4 in the morning. (Totally recommend that to everyone!)

[UzukiCheverie]

From myself? I'm mostly fueled by rage, pessimism, and narcissism, and I love myself too much to want to off myself before Time Gate's finished. Maybe after Time Gate's done, haha. So I'm kind of more of a dick than I am depressed, but I know how it feels to go through that sort of stuff, as I've been through rough points in my life where yes, I've found it hard to get out of bed in in the morning and just didn't care anymore.

In all seriousness though, I put a lot of my emotions into Time Gate and my comics. It's left my physical form somewhat of an emotionless husk, but I don't really care about that, because I want people to know me through my stories that I have to tell through Time Gate, which is, in an abstract form, a conceptual look at my own life, interactions, relationships, hardships, etc. Even the really fucked up bits have some sort of abstract meaning to them.

From other people? Not well at all. At least not the ones who are loud and open about it like it's a trophy. Of which I know a lot of people who do this. I actually have classmates who use their "depression" to get the attention of their peers and teachers, but none of us buy it, especially because it's pretty easy for us to call bullshit. I have no care whatsoever for those kinds of people. And I'm no good at comforting others, whether they actually have depression or not, so I don't like being put on the spot to help others, it's just uncomfortable for me and frankly, a little unfair to ask so much of me, just another physical human being on this planet who's just trying to get through the day. And those attention-seeking ones I mentioned just tend to overshadow those who ACTUALLY have depression and ACTUALLY need to get help, which is, ironically enough, just as depressing.

Sorry to fly off the handle like that u o u

[SpavVy]

I have and anxiety disorder, depression and mild autism but to be honest I have no special way of handling it. I'm not going to let it control my life anymore because I know now that I am in control. I deal with a lot of shit and I'll admit that it sucks dealing with depression and anxiety along with having family tell you that you have issues. But I'm also a vary determined artist who knows what she wants out of life and I'm working towards it. It used to control me but I eventually just got sick of it and learned to finally take control of my life again. Yes it lingers and sneaks up on me every now and then but it's nothing compared to what I used to deal with. When I see myself I see someone who works hard on her art and trying to get somewhere, not the depression or anxiety. At least not anymore, I no longer see myself as someone who has issues.

I honestly can't stand most people who claim to have it and use it as an excuse for everything or think it's romantic in any kind of way. It's not romantic, it's not fun and its not cute.

[ArtistHan]

These days, this has been helping A LOT

Especially when I talking on the phone with family members who usually upset me, I have this playing in the background and it just relaxes me...

[purrlpankras]

Well I have social anxiety, all I do is go in my cave blast metal and draw. Its the best way to keep my mind off things. ...also that's kinda the reason I draw so uh... /disturbing/ drawings. Id rather get my anger and depression out though my art rather it being someone or even myself.