Traces of Madness

Traces of Madness

By Fernando Balius, Illustrated by Mario Pellejer
Graphic Mundi, 2024. 1 volume unpaged. Graphic Novels
 
In Traces of Madness, Fernando describes what it feels like, both mentally and physically, to lose your grip on reality. His life spins out of control when the voices he hears inside his head, depicted in the narrative as a monster, work to destroy his self-esteem and, worse, urge him to hurt himself. Various psychiatric diagnoses and prescribed medications do more harm than good, prompting Fernando to question whether stifling his voices is truly the right path for him. Throughout his experiences, he finds that his connections with others lend him the strength to survive.

Social Categorization is something that helps us navigate a complicated world with a myriad of people, but it often leads us quickly to prejudice.  So when our brains put someone in a little box based on their illness or disability (or some other noticeable trait) we need to be actively aware of the bias that entails and make sure that we aren't dehumanizing people down to a single trait. I found a line from the graphic novel to be especially apt: "I didn't know any 'psychotics' or 'schizophrenics' (I later realized there are no such things--there are only people)."  As with all subjects, hearing directly from someone with experience can be the most enlightening option. This is an honest window into a lived experience not well understood.  

If you like Traces of Madness, you might also like:
 

Psychiatric Tales

By Franckie Alarcon
Bloomsbury, 2011. 139 pages. Graphic Novels
 
This books delves inside the mysteries of mental disorders - presenting explanations and recollections using the cartoonist's own experiences as both a psychiatric and care nurse and as someone who himself has suffered from depression. Being able to see the issue from both sides allows Darryl to present matters in a forthright and instantly accessible way which will allow many to understand the trials of both sufferers and those connected to them - perhaps for the first time. Topics covered include Bi-polar disorder, self harming, suicide, depression and the author also shows how for some famous people mental disorders were part of what may have made them great. Frank, hard hitting and moving.
 

Where Black Stars Rise

By Nadia Shammas
A Nightfire Book, 2022. 1 volume unpaged. Graphic Novels

Nadia Shammas and Marie Enger's Where Black Stars Rise is an eldritch horror graphic novel that explores mental illness and diaspora, set in modern-day Brooklyn.
 
RBL