What is the tattoo for anxiety?

Tattoos inspired by your mental health experience

The author of this blog, Rachel was so intrigued to see people’s responses to such a personal question that she decided to write a blog about it.

The posts covered lots of topics. They were inspiring. They reinforced my belief that openness about mental health is so important and that tattoos are a wonderful way expressing our feelings and experiences.

Some people had tattoos to remind them that they will get through it:

• ‘‘I have ‘it can’t rain all the time’ a quote from the film the Crow, which reminds me that however bad I feel, with depression and anxiety, it can’t last forever’’.
• ‘‘I have the word smile but the ‘i’ is a semi colon, I got it from a horrible bout of depression and self-harm. It reminds me it will pass, it’s not forever and to smile, you’ll get through it’’.

Some people had tattoos that reference surviving an attempt to take their own life:

• ‘‘I have ‘I survived 2016’ following my most serious attempt.’’
• ‘‘I have a small one on my left wrist over one of my ‘scars’. It is a single red drop of blood outlined in black It is to remind me that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. As long as there is even the minute possibility of hope, I will hang on, I will look for hope, I will not let mental illness beat me. It is a disease, but I will not let it eat away my soul. And yes, even my small tattoo can give me all this strength’’

My own mental health inspired tattoo

I have my own mental health inspired tattoo on my inner left arm that reads ‘Comfortably Numb’.

As a moody and confused teenager, overwhelmed with emotions and trying to navigate myself through school, exams, heartache and social life, I found refuge mostly in music. I used to steal my Dad’s CD collection and listen to it as much as I could, either on the school bus, at break time or at home in my room.

One band that my fourteen-year-old self really connected with was Pink Floyd. I had never heard anything like them before. They were both euphoric and melancholic at the same time. The music took me to a place where all the worries I had, all the feelings of low self-esteem, anger and sadness just disappeared. It was like my escape. It was healing.

​The song that inspired my tattoo

The one song in particular that allowed me to feel free and let me forget the world was ‘Comfortably Numb’.

The lyrics are beautiful. Songwriter Roger Waters explains that the lyrics are about what he felt like as a child when he was sick with a fever. As an adult, he got that feeling again sometimes, entering a state of delirium, where he felt detached from reality. The lyrics are reminiscent to me of how it feels to be in a heightened state of anxiety or a bad episode of depression. During those periods, it is common to feel delirious and detached from reality, as Waters did during his fever.

The imagery for me is relatable to that terrifying feeling of uncontrollable panic, the irrational feelings and behaviour that the closest people around me when I had bad anxiety struggled to understand – my ex-boyfriend, my housemates, my colleagues. When people can’t relate to you, it makes you feel like you’re alone, a burden on people and sort of drowning, but I felt like the song understood me at my worst, so there was comfort in that.

I got the tattoo because the song had helped me so much

Ten years after I discovered that song, I decided to dedicate a tattoo to it aged 24, because it had already helped me so much with my mental health. I wanted to have it permanently attached to me, at a time where my anxiety was particularly bad, so that I could remember when I felt low and desperate how I was making slow and steady progress.

I didn’t understand my mental health at school, and I didn’t have the tools to deal with it, so despite being an anxious young adult in London at 24, I was much more self-aware, had an improved sense of identity and was better at caring for myself.

My tattoo now reminds me at 28 how far I’ve come in managing my mental health and my life in general. My panic attacks have stopped. I’m a lot stronger and more confident.

My tattoo now reminds me at 28 how far I’ve come in managing my mental health and my life in general. My panic attacks have stopped. I’m a lot stronger and more confident.

Tattoos are a unique art form, personal to the individual

What’s so great about tattoos is that they are a unique art form, personal to the individual. For an individual who feels a creative urge to express, or even just for someone who wants to make a statement to themselves or to others, tattoos allow you to do that. For me, my tattoo feels like an act of solidarity with myself – a reminder to carry on against adversity, a reminder about how feelings will and do pass.

Comfortably Numb itself is an oxymoron, a contradiction, which I think also illustrates the complexity of mental health. How is it that I can feel numb, soulless, desperate, pained and bleak on the one hand, as though there’s not much point in carrying on with things, and also feel comfortable, protected, calm, ambitious, determined and strong on the other?

My tattoo reminds me of my strengths and weaknesses

I myself battle with mood swings fairly regularly, even if they are slight, which can make me feel like I am not really strongly defined as a positive or a negative, a happy or a sad, a comfortable or a numb type of person – but can interchange between all of these things in the same day, week or month.

This is another reason why I love my tattoo: it reminds me of the strengths and weaknesses in my personality, the areas I am proud of and the areas I need to work on. I can’t be put in one box because there are many elements to me, some good, some bad. As someone who has been misunderstood before, this gives me strength. I am much more accepting of myself these days and the fact that I sometimes just need to allow myself to be alone, to wallow in the person I don’t like being for a bit, and that is ok.

In a depressive or anxious moment, I can take comfort in numbness, because I know I’ve been there before and can overcome it, and that the feeling is temporary. I feel the happiest I’ve ever felt now and that is partly because I know how dark it feels to be on the other side – remembering the younger versions of me where the negative swamped the positive most of the time.

For me my tattoo feels like an act of solidarity with myself – a reminder to carry on against adversity, a reminder about how feelings will and do pass.

Having experienced mental health problems has made me a better person today

I believe that having experienced mental health problems has made me a better person today. It has given me the power of hindsight and wisdom, it has allowed me to feel grateful for my life now and be proud for how much better I am at coping. It has allowed me to feel a strong connection and empathy with others who are struggling, and to help them.

The tattoo I have is wrapped up in all of that – it is part of me and the journey I have had. It is part of my identity, my image, my love of music, my love of deep and meaningful conversations and my relationships with others.

Tattoos can be a perfect conversation starter about mental health

It strikes me that tattoos are a perfect conversation starter about mental health. People often ask me what mine means and I don’t always go into detail but sometimes I do. Getting the elephant out of the room is something we still need to do in a world where mental health stigma still exists. It isn’t always easy to weave mental health into conversation, but tattoos can do this for us. They spark curiosity and interest from others.

If a tattoo can help others feel empowered, if it can symbolize overcoming an illness that has plagued them for years, a celebration that they’ve come out of the other side fighting and well, then that is fantastic.

Tattoos can too quickly be dismissed

People don’t always understand tattoos and are quick to dismiss them as spoiling or damaging yourself. But I don’t see it that way. Some of the posts we received on Instagram talked about covering up self-harm scars with tattoos – turning the horror of depression into something beautiful. Taking the focus away from a dark past and instead to a positive future.

My comfortably numb tattoo might seem at a first glance to be a negative tattoo. But to me, it is positive. It is my emblem of continual self-improvement and better mental health. It is an emblem of strength and recovery.

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40 Anxiety Tattoos to Give You Strength and Help You Cope

When anxiety strikes, mantras can be extremely helpful in calming the physical symptoms of anxiety, keeping the mind focused and in the present, and challenging distorted thinking. Reciting things like ‘breathe’ and ‘inhale, exhale’ can prompt us to practice mindful breathing when our bodies become overwhelmed, and powerful words like ‘courage’, ‘fearless’, and ‘warrior’ can remind us that we’re stronger than we think in times of challenge. If you’re looking for anxiety tattoos to raise mental health awareness and help you cope with the symptoms of anxiety, we’ve curated 40 beautiful designs to inspire you below!

10 Semicolon Anxiety Tattoos

If you’re looking for anxiety tattoos, you’ve probably seen a lot of options with semicolons. Semicolon tattoos were inspired by Project Semicolon – a nonprofit organization dedicated to suicide prevention. Over time, the semicolon has been used to represent mental health awareness, including anxiety. If you’re looking for semicolon anxiety tattoos, here are some ideas to inspire you!

10 ‘Breathe’ & ‘Inhale, Exhale’ Anxiety Tattoos

When anxiety hits, our breathing patterns change. We begin taking short, fast, shallow breaths, which make the symptoms of anxiety worse. Mindful breathing – taking in a slow breath through the nose, holding the breath for a few seconds, then exhaling slowly through the mouth – can help ward of anxious feelings by giving us something else to focus on. Once our breathing has slowed down, we feel more calm. Many people opt to tattoo the words ‘breathe’ or ‘inhale, exhale’ somewhere prominent on their bodies, like their inner wrist or the top of their hand, as a visual reminder to be more mindful of their breathing pattern when anxious thoughts and feelings arise. If you’re looking for anxiety tattoos to remind you to practice mindful breathing, these ideas are equal parts effective and beautiful!

10 One Word Anxiety Tattoos

Sometimes a powerful word is helpful in reminding us how strong we are when life gets challenging. Words like ‘courage’, ‘fearless’, and ‘warrior’ are popular anxiety mantras, and we’ve curated our favorite variations of each of these below.

10 Quote Anxiety Tattoos

If you’re looking for short sayings that can calm the physical symptoms of anxiety, keep your mind focused and in the present, and help you challenge distorted thinking, these anxiety quotes are worth considering! I hope these anxiety tattoos help you find a symbol, word, mantra, or quote to help you shut down anxious thoughts when they arise. Breathe, stay focused, and remember: you are not your anxiety. This post contains affiliate links. If you liked this collection of anxiety quotes, please share this post on Pinterest! And if you’re looking for more tattoo inspiration, please follow our Tattoo board where we share all kinds of fabulous ideas we find each day!

How to Ease Anxiety Before a Tattoo

You’ve set a date to get your very first or next tattoo. While it should be an exciting event, you feel stress kick in as the big day approaches. You’re not just concerned about the pain and discomfort (which are ultimately fleeting) but the potential for regret along with other unknowns. Is there any way around it or is it simply an unavoidable reaction to what’s to come? And if the former, what is the answer for how to ease anxiety before a tattoo? Follow the tips below.

How to Calm Your Nerves Before Getting a Tattoo

Remind Yourself of the Worthy Reason for Getting a Tattoo

Anything that is worth doing is hard. While this expression may not be true all of the time, it is apt in many cases. When it comes to the anxiety you’re feeling because of the pain/discomfort to come, it is indeed an appropriate assertion. So remind yourself of the worthy reason that you’re getting a tattoo. We’re sure there is an important meaning behind it, some motivation that makes you want to turn a concept into a work of body art. This ties into the selection of your tattoo design. In choosing a design that you won’t ever regret, you will get over anxiety and calm your nerves.

Express Your Anxiety to Your Tattooist

Your tattooist is putting their handiwork on your body, for life. They want to hear what you have to say. They have worked with dozens, hundreds, or maybe even thousands of clients. Through it all they have heard and seen it all. They won’t think any less of you for expressing your anxiety. In fact, they will applaud you for being communicative on the matter. They will be open to hearing your concerns and addressing them with practical and useful advice. Further, it can make them more sensitive to your needs throughout the session, checking to see if you need a break or glass of water, and so forth. And if you find in your initial consultation that a tattooist is NOT open to this communication, then you will know that they are not the right one for you. At that point you can find another artist/studio that is more accommodating.

Start Small

People are more likely to feel anxiety about a medium to large tattoo. The impending hours of being “under the needle” can certainly weigh on your mind. If you’re prone to anxiety we suggest starting with a small tattoo. It’s the same advice we give to someone who has a very low threshold for pain.

Get Tattooed With a Friend of Family Member

The forced restrictions of 2020-22 have limited the opportunity to bring a comforting friend or family member along on your tattoo appointment. While that may or may not change in 2023 and beyond, there is one way to have them with you (and calm your nerves) for your tattoo – convince them to get one too! Matching tattoos are a great way to get them to buy-in, as are family-themed designs along with other concepts that convey a bond between people (athletics, etc.). Book your appointment together (same studio and time, but different artists) and you’ll feel your anxiety wash away.

Ready to move forward? Enjoy a stress-free tattoo experience by booking your consultation (and subsequent tattoo) with an Adrenaline Studios near you.

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Tattoos, not attitudes. Piercings, not pricks. From the beginning, Adrenaline’s focus has been on delivering the best customer service possible within the body modification industry.

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