tallguywrites: Darkness

Tallguywrites (

tallguywrites) wrote,
@ 2009-06-11 11:03:00

Darkness
A seven page story about my time working on an psychiatric ward. Many of the details here have been changed to protect the identity of the people portrayed.

(28 comments) - (Post a new comment)

	jabberworks 2009-06-11 11:14 am UTC (link)
	Wow, I love the building images. So graphic and striking! This has so got to be published. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	tallguywrites 2009-06-11 11:26 am UTC (link)
	The good news is that A Certain Publisher has approached me, wanting to publish Psychiatric Tales. I've got 35 pages of material, but will have to produce another 40 or so. A problem I'm more than happy to have. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	jabberworks 2009-06-11 11:34 am UTC (link)
	Yay, go for it!!! And in the short-term, it might make your job more interesting, because you'll be milking it for comics material. :-D (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	jabberworks 2009-06-11 02:16 pm UTC (link)
	And make sure you get a decent deal from the publishers! (Reply to this) (Parent)

lairdofdarkness
2009-06-11 11:50 am UTC (link)

That strip was really good. Having suffered from depression in the past, reading that story left me with a very positive feeling. Thank you for that. I remember after coming out of my last depressive period, thinking that I would like to create something that could help people who were suffering, see that there was hope. Sadly I didnt have the required skills to make that happen but I am glad that someone has.
I really hope that you can get the required material together because I will definately buy this book.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

	tallguywrites 2009-06-11 02:13 pm UTC (link)
	I too suffer from recurring bouts of depression/anxiety, so I see this subject from both the point of a carer and sufferer. Further strips I plan to do in this series will touch on my own mental heath problems. (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	knowmad 2009-06-11 04:15 pm UTC (link)
	Sounds great. I'm right there with you on the depression thing. Took me years before I was bold enough to try any medication. It's helped, though it's not like it makes the problems go away. Some people seem to think that, "Oh, you're on meds and in therapy, so why are you still depressed?" If the problems ever go completely away for people, I'd love to know! (Reply to this) (Parent)

	Certain Publisher? crazycrone 2009-06-11 11:52 am UTC (link)
	About time! Cool, too, if it makes you produce more of these strips. I agree that your buildings are amazing. They have this great mood and character to them. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	Re: Certain Publisher? tallguywrites 2009-06-11 02:14 pm UTC (link)
	I've always been noted for my drawings of buildings and cityscapes. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	caro7 2009-06-11 01:03 pm UTC (link)
	These strips are really, really good on so many levels. Very good news that they will be published. (Reply to this)

	finkenstein 2009-06-11 03:14 pm UTC (link)
	Gorgeous and wonderful!! (Reply to this)

	deepspacerhyme 2009-06-11 04:36 pm UTC (link)
	Your view on this subject in amazing. I am excited to show my girlfriend who has been active in the mental health community for a long time. Thanks for the work! (Reply to this) (Thread)

	deepspacerhyme 2009-06-11 04:37 pm UTC (link)
	also, is there a web page to see all the short runs you've posted so far other then your LJ page? (Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

	tallguywrites 2009-06-11 04:40 pm UTC (link)
	http://darryl-cunningham.blogspot.com/ (Reply to this) (Parent)

	wormulus 2009-06-11 05:13 pm UTC (link)
	I've really been loving these comics! I find them to be quite touching and sincere. Just wanted to say good job and keep it up. (Reply to this)

	mr_esty 2009-06-11 05:59 pm UTC (link)
	I'm too scared to try medication. It kinda runs in my family (depresion), but I still feel like I should be ""pulling myself up by my boot-straps". Anyway, enlightening comic, well done! (Reply to this)

	rocket_auk 2009-06-12 08:30 pm UTC (link)
	As a person recovered from a long history of mental illness and drug/ alcohol addiction, I just wanted to say that this is true, living a fulfilling and happy life is quite possible with some patience and some work. Thanks for the comics. (Reply to this)

	Thank you. dreamsleeper 2009-06-13 04:16 pm UTC (link)
	For all of these. Thank you. (Reply to this)

	mr_lambi 2009-06-13 08:00 pm UTC (link)
	Your comics are incredible. (Reply to this)

	mephron 2009-06-13 11:28 pm UTC (link)
	Thank you. (Reply to this)

Painfully True

doctorcarlo
2009-06-15 01:13 am UTC (link)

The truth put forth in these few pages needs to be shouted from the rooftops and sounded in every ear. So many people are negatively affected by varying degrees of clinical depression and unaware of the real cause of their depression. It is truly widespread.

I speak from personal experience: forty years needing medication and now fifteen years of being on medication. I am very lucky that my first medication worked well for me from the beginning and that I have not needed to have drastic changes to my lifestyle to disperse the cloud of depression.

Just as frustrating are those who have sought treatment for clinical depression and the treatments are not effective; they need to seek another medication; they need to check back in with their doctor; they must try again and again. I feel as though my heart will break when I consider the plight of those who live with untreated or misdiagnosed.

There is no way to over-emphasize the importance of your message here.

(Reply to this)

	ff00ff 2009-06-15 10:33 am UTC (link)
	I've seen more versions of that 2 panel serotonin release/reuptake diagram than I care to remember. The sun coming out at the end, they put that sort of motif on a lot of SSRI sample boxes :P. (Reply to this)

	poet_ninja 2009-06-15 07:35 pm UTC (link)
	Sir: just found this from over on MeFi. Thank you for this. It is important to get these messages out to the general public. Thank you. Thank you. (Reply to this)

victory_gin
2009-10-06 09:47 pm UTC (link)

On getting to the end of this I started crying. I've been depressed and in and out of treatment for years now, and attempted suicide at 18. At the moment I'm trying my fifth type of anti-depressant, hoping it will, somehow, help.

I've never read anything that understands so clearly and yet is still so hopeful: it's people like you, writing about the reality of depression and mental illness without judgement, who make it worth surviving for.

(Reply to this) (Thread)

tallguywrites
2009-10-06 09:55 pm UTC (link)

I've suffered my own serious bouts of depression. If anyone had told me a couple of years ago that I'd make a full recovery and gain something to live for, I wouldn't have believed them. It seemed to me back then that there was nothing in life to look forward to except more despair. Yet here I am now with a good future ahead of me. It can be done, but the solution is different for each person. You have to believe that you're worth something. It's a puzzle only you can work out yourself.

Take care
Darryl

(Reply to this) (Parent)(Thread)

victory_gin
2009-10-06 10:02 pm UTC (link)

I find looking at how much I've uncovered so far helps. I've worked an awful lot out about myself and have taken some big steps towards knowing myself better. I've also started to accept the fact that I might be in treatment for the rest of my life, in one way or another. As long as I'm still breathing, that's a victory, in a small way.

It's wonderful that you're so much better - but maybe you wouldn't be able to write and draw such meaningful pieces if you hadn't gone through a lot of feelings yourself? Anyway, thank you for your kind words and thoughts.

Rachel

(Reply to this) (Parent)

eat_sleep_fuck
2009-10-18 08:05 am UTC (link)

Beautiful, just beautiful. I'm glad there will be motifs of hope in your book. I hit the end of this and cried too. I love your artwork, in this series and in the other art I have seen whilst browsing by.
I'm trying to get assessed for ADHD or at least figure out what is going on, I know there is sometimes mis- and cross-diagnosis with BPD but everything I've read of mania is not in any of my previous experience (who knows though.) My mind does race but in a different way, and the bouncing around is due to my wandering attention. For years I struggled with depression and self-harm, not always at the same time, and I don't know if I can call myself cured now, but these past couple years have been rather amazing in that even though my life is not much different I have somehow turned it into a life I love living. Having lived through that and come out on this other side really helps in its own way. I don't know the likelihood of you encountering ADHD types in your work on the ward, or if there will be something present in the book about it, but I can definitely relate to the general stigma of mental illness even if I don't consider myself to be ill (I am still trying to seek help.) For ADHD it is more often that you are lazy, you can focus if you try really hard, you are unmotivated, you would remember if you cared, etc. This possibility is, thankfully, opening up like a wonderful light on my life. Wow, sorry for the lil' life story there.

I know I mentioned in an earlier comment but I cannot wait until your book comes out. More and more I entertain the idea of trying to get into some kind of psychology-related career. Maybe by going into something I am passionate about (and with a diagnosis) I can stay focused enough to finish and end up believing in my career.

(Reply to this)

	saveyoursanity 2009-11-21 02:18 pm UTC (link)
	I've read these and I love them all. Just a quick comment: here you say it can take up to two weeks for medication to work. I've generally heard it can take six to eight. (Reply to this)

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