![Image](http://i.imgur.com/olcef.jpg)
This comic was probably meant to be a silly take on the creationism v. evolution debates, but I've found it also makes a good way to explain depression and anxiety to people without mental illnesses. It can help people understand why all those annoying, harmful, yet maddeningly common responses like "but you have so much to be thankful for!" don't help. In my head, depression is a big, hulking Viking. You can try to talk to it and tell it that your life is good, that strangers don't automatically hate you, and that you shouldn't sleep 14 hours a day, but no matter how many times you talk to it, it just chops your face off. Depression, anxiety, and many other mental illnesses are very difficult to rationalize with. That's why we need something more, we need therapy and support groups and sometimes medication. This is all my personal issues, I understand that each type of mental illness is its own fucked-up snowflake, but I hope it helps someone out there get a little more understanding from a friend or family member who just doesn't get it.