Lifestyle

10 Illustrations That Anyone With Anxiety Will Relate To

by Jerriann Sullivan
Via Pranita Kocharekar

Artist wants anxiety illustrations to help people feel less alone

To help make those who suffer from anxiety feel less alone, one artist has created a series of incredibly relatable images that anyone with the disorder will appreciate.

Artist Pranita Kocharekar began creating images showcasing emotions many people will anxiety consider typical for a project titled “Acknowledging Anxiety”. “I spoke to a lot of friends suffering through minor anxiety and illustrated our conversations,” the 24-year-old Mumbai-based illustrator told ELLE.

Kocharekar says her own experiences with anxiety led her to open up about her emotions to friends. From there she wanted to create something people could relate to that also had a comedic tone. “Instead of sharing an article about anxiety, I wanted to express it as purely and genuinely as possible – so people could relate to it and acknowledge it,” she said.

Anxiety is prevalent in various disorders including generalized anxiety, panic, and social anxiety disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. “It’s very easy for a person suffering through anxiety to worry about having anxiety,” Kocharekar told The Huffington Post. “I hope that my illustrations will ease them a little.”

Kocharekar’s pictures highlight some of the common anxiety-related emotions people experience. Like the restlessness or wound-up feeling, that often comes with anxiety.

Panic over little things can strike at any moment.

Other times the worry lasts all day.

Anxious feelings can also turn mundane tasks into stressful situations.

With so much worrying it can be hard for people with anxiety to concentrate.

At times anxiety can convince you that any conversation will be a negative one.

It can also be hard to make decisions with so much worrying going on.

Restless sleep due to worrying can be a common symptom of anxiety.

And certain activities that other people love just aren’t an option for some people with anxiety.

And forget about googling anything medical-related because, thanks to anxiety, what you thought was a common cold could actually be a rare diease.

Kocharekar images are starting to go viral as people with anxiety discover them and thank her for sharing their feelings so perfectly. Comments like “definitely!” “Spot on!” and “I can totally relate to my current situation!” are added to her Instagram daily. See more images from “Acknowledge Anxiety” here.