![Colourful 6 panel comic, each panel is a square.
Panel one opens with the narration, "When I was little, my mum had a lot of big feelings." Under the narration is a Black woman facing us, wearing a green apron, washing up at the sink. Next to her is her young daughter wearing a pink top looking up at her concerned. The mother says "Not now. I have a lot on my mind." The young girl replies "Okay, Mum."
In panel two the narration continues, "When she took deep breaths, I imagined her breathing all the feelings out." The mother holds a baby in one arm and a feeding bottle in the other hand. Her eyes are closed and her head tilted back slightly. She's seems to be breathing out the words "Fatigue, stress, anger, worry." Behind her the young daughter rests her finger thoughtfully on her lip as she looks at her mum's face questioningly.
In panel three the narration continues, "But sometimes they get too big." The mother is now facing us, driving a car, hands on the steering wheel and seatbelt across her chest. From the back seat the young girl looks forward anxiously. The mother says, "I'm scared I'll crash the car. I need to pull over."
In panel four the narration continues, "It wasn't easy for her to get the help she needed." The scene shows the mother in a medical setting facing a healthcare professional who is explaining "We've done various tests and can't find anything. Try to exercise for the chest pain."
In panel five the narration continues, "As an adult, I had the privilege of learning more about these feelings." The scene shows an adult classroom setting with the backs of heads and a teachers standing at a green chalkboard which has the word 'Anxiety' written in all capitals on it. The teacher is saying "Ethnic minority patients receive the lowest quality mental health care."
In panel six the narration concludes, "Now, I can look back and feel proud of my mum for everything she survived." The scene shows the mother and her now grownup daughter sitting together on the sofa. The mother is reading a leaflet from the NHS and says "So anxiety is what I've had all these years." Her daughter looks across at her lovingly.](https://images.prismic.io/wellcomecollection/5d55d298-4307-498b-bf63-fd14cbf90960_My+Mum+vs+Anxiety.jpg?w=1338&auto=compress%2Cformat&rect=&q=100)
My mum vs anxiety. © Sarah Akinterinwa for Wellcome Collection.
About the artist
Sarah Akinterinwa
Sarah Akinterinwa is a Nigerian-British cartoonist and illustrator who regularly contributes to the New Yorker Magazine, and has been featured in the LA Times and the Guardian. She creates humorous cartoons and comics about life, love, and anything that inspires her.