Mental Illnesses In Lighter Than My Shadow

Hard times are inevitable. Everyone experiences difficult times in their life, whether it be relationship issues, failure in school or the diagnosis of a mental illness. Instances of such hardships can be seen in the comics Lighter Than my Shadow by Katie Green, Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo, and Me: A Graphic Memoir by Ellen Forney, and “Adventures in Depression” and “Depression Part 2” from Hyperbole and a Half. Each comic features a main character who gets diagnosed with a mental illness. Lighter, Marbles and Depression are comics that differ in the mental illness the main character possesses, but share main arguments, or thesis. In each comic, the importance of friends and family during a life-changing event in order to seek

Often times, the individual denies that anything is wrong, and refuses to seek help unless urged and encouraged to do so by someone close to them. This can be seen in Lighter, when Katie’s parents are adamant about seeking help. They take her to therapy and hire a dietician to help her eating habits. After a while, Katie confesses her therapy sessions are not helping, so her father takes her to Jake, a spiritual healer. At the time, Jake healed Katie of her problems, however, their relationship eventually fell through after Jake sexually assaulted her. That incident was extremely traumatic for Katie, but allowed her to become an independent woman. In Marbles, Ellen’s mother serves as the main form of support and encouragement. Due to her illness, Ellen had numerous expenses in order to maintain her moods, stating “This is not a disease for an artist’s budget” (Forney, 230). Ellen’s mother recognized this issue, and payed for Ellen’s treatment. This allowed Ellen to stay on her path toward recovery, and stated “What would I have done without my mother’s support?” (Forney, 230). Similarly, in Depression, Allie’s mother is the sole reason that she decides to seek help. She went to the doctor so her mother would quit crying, as she stated “If I go to a doctor, will you quit making that sound?” (Brosh, 69). Although her mother did not recommend going to the doctor directly, she encouraged the suggestion, resulting in Allie’s doctor’s appointment. Each friend and family member played an important role in the main character’s life that encouraged and allowed their path of