Nightmare Scenarios

After 20 years coping with psychosis, Matt Barrell has drawn on his experiences and perspectives to depict what he views as the "nightmare scenarios" of mental health. Over 24 colour pages, Matt, a former magazine sub-editor, has produced a graphic novel-style booklet illustrating a range of different mental health conditions. Each page offers stark portrayals of issues including Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, depression, schizophrenia, suicidal thoughts, psychosis, dementia, drugs abuse, alcoholism and gender identity. "Nightmare Scenarios began as an exercise in drawing. I wanted to practise drawing people. One day I saw a man strap-hanging on the tube and thought he would be interesting to draw. When I got home I drew what I remembered, invented a scenario that would explain his carefree demeanour, and the idea for a series of drawings was born: people depicted in mental-health crisis. Next I drew a man wearing pyjamas outdoors, and based his scenario on a guy I had met 20 years earlier in a mental hospital. Then I saw a TV program on body dysmorphia and drew a woman who was suffering from that as well as from agoraphobia. Gradually I realised that these stories were all around me: on the radio, TV, in my memory and of course on the internet. And that if I drew enough of them I would have a book and what an achievement that would be."-- Matt Barrell