What's Wrong with Me?

This piece is meant to inspire a conversation about mental health. Many people with anxiety or depression also have very difficult life circumstances. They face problems like addiction, abuse, intolerance, poverty, disability, and other struggles. However, they talk about their emotions as though they were inappropriately strong. People often seem to feel that they are overreacting to their bad circumstances. I wanted to make a piece reflecting the compassion I have for such people. It features a depressed octopus surrounded by animals fighting one another and a very harsh environment. Dolphins are also a major predator of octopuses. Instead of reacting to their bad circumstances, which they cannot control, the octo internalizes the feeling of being helpless and worthless.