Rachel Lindsay turns a critical eye on mental illness medications and the mainstream perceptions of sanity in her first graphic novel, RX.
Diagnosed at 19 with bipolar disorder, Lindsay had to reprioritize her life around the medicated daily ritual. Work became a means to an end; Lindsay ditched her artistic dreams and took a full-time job as an assistant account executive to pay for ongoing treatment. Her involvement with an advertising campaign for Pristiq, an antidepressant by Pfizer, tested the limits of Lindsay's mental fortitude. The reality of her experiences clashed with the magical transformation of patient lives implied by the ad's bullet points, affecting her morale and self-perception. She spiraled into a manic episode, quitting her job and going on a spending spree. This led to her involuntary hospitalization at a mental health facility, where she learned to reclaim her identity and happiness through a maze of medication and self-control.
Lindsay uses humor and visuals to explore the vulnerability of mental illness. The black-and-white sketches move from sedate and clean lines depicting the ordinariness of her 9-to-5 life to the frenzied and energetic scratching that becomes symbolic of her mental unraveling. The ongoing stresses of conformity versus individuality merge into a thought-provoking discussion of whether to medicate or not medicate: "Life planned around being medicated, out of fear of yourself, fear of ruining your life... again. But in exchange--whose life was I actually living?" --Nancy Powell, freelance writer and technical consultant