16 Ideas for Mental Health Tattoos
Get Inspired By Our Favorite Forms of Mental Health Tattoos
If you have ever wondered what mental health tattoo would best represent your mental health journey, this post is for you! We will explore the meanings behind 16 popular mental health tattoo designs to understand why people choose each one.
At Icarus Behavioral Health Nevada, we support each client’s desire to show their resilience and share the story of triumph over past pain, however they wish. Some may pen poems about their recovery journey, others might rap about the struggle to overcome challenges. Clients who are visual by nature may prefer to make a bold statement by getting a mental health tattoo.
We invite you to continue reading to learn about some favorite symbols of mental health that renew hope.
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Mental Health Awareness Tattoos and Their Meanings
A tattoo is a very personal decision, one that’s made for life. As you read these tattoo design ideas, know that you can choose whatever tattoo will best tell your story. You’re certainly not limited to these designs, although they are meaningful tattoos to countless people who have chosen them.
If you are considering a tattoo to tell the story of your mental health struggles, these can each have deep meaning:
1 – Lotus Flower and Other Tattoos of Flowers
The lotus flower is a popular mental health tattoo because the flower rises out of the mud and becomes beautiful and strong. Lotus flowers are a frequent symbol of recovering from depression or surviving trauma, a reminder that growth sometimes comes from the darkest places.
Besides the lotus flower, others can have incredible meanings, as well. For instance, a red or pink rose can represent self-love, while a sunflower shows how one has turned towards the light after hard times. Flower tattoos can be small and discreet or in your face and bold, depending on individual preferences.
For those healing from mental health challenges, flowers remind us that new beginnings are possible, as they can be reborn stronger season after season.
2 – Barbed Wire
Barbed wire tattoos can look harsh, but they carry a message about the pain one has endured or the obstacles they’ve pierced through and overcome. Seeing barbed wire tattoos on the skin can be a reminder that someone has been tested but not defeated.
Wire also represents boundaries, which can protect a person from future suffering or harm. While this tattoo design is simple, its meaning is complex and can mean different things to different people.
3 – Broken Chain
A broken chain sends a message of freedom. For the mental health community, it can mean freedom from destructive thought patterns or breaking out of habits that once controlled them – drug use, drinking, or self-harm. It’s a reminder as well as a promise never to return to a life bound by chaos. Tattoo artists often suggest this as a grayscale or black and white tattoo design for maximum impact.
4 – Koi Fish Tattoo
In the Japanese legend of the dragon, koi fish swim upstream; those who make it transform into mighty dragons. In the world of mental health tattoos, this image represents people with anxiety, stress, fear, or self-doubt. Most koi fish tattoo designs feature bright colors like gold or red, shining light on their strength and courage.
5 – Semicolon Tattoo for Suicidal Ideation
The semicolon tattoo symbolizes suicide prevention. In writing, a period could end the sentence, but a semicolon denotes an incomplete sentence, alerting the reader that more will follow. Semicolon tattoos create mental health awareness and serve as an opening to healthy conversations.
When you get a semicolon tattoo, you will undoubtedly have people ask you about its meaning. It gives you a chance to shine light on the problem and reduce stigma.
Most people choose a charcoal or black semicolon with white hues for highlighting – discuss the look with your tattoo artist. They will make fantastic suggestions based on your skin tone.
6 – Lavender Plant
Lavender has proven calming therapeutic properties, making it a symbol of well-being for those on a mental health journey. Some believe in using its essential oils to calm themselves during times of anxiety.
Lavender spring tattoo designs can symbolize self-care, balance, and the importance of self-care. Lavender can be a perfect tattoo design for those who prefer a softer style that still has the impact to share the story of the journey.
7 – Phoenix, the Immortal Bird That Lives a New Life
A tattoo of the phoenix, the mythical bird that burns in the flames and then rises from the ashes, is a strong reminder of resilience and rebirth. In mental health tattoos, the phoenix represents new life, transformation, and strength. It reminds you that no matter how many times you have crashed and burned, you can rise again.
People often select this mental health tattoo after surviving a traumatic event or coming out of severe depression. Tattoo artists often choose fiery red and orange to tell this story of survival.
8 – Green Ribbon Tattoo Design
The green ribbon is an international symbol for mental health awareness. A green tattoo is a symbol of solidarity with the mental health community. The green is usually an emerald or kelly green, a bright, medium green close to the shade of a healthy spring leaf.
Those with co-occurring disorders, whether substance use disorder, depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder, may choose this mental health tattoo to help raise awareness and decrease stigma.
9 – Icarus as a Reminder of Victory over Suffering
Some consider the myth of Icarus a cautionary tale, but we interpret it as a symbol of resilience! Instead of dwelling on his fall, an Icarus mental health tattoo can serve as a reminder never to lose hope, regardless of any adversity. Icarus rose above the suffering to gain strength after hardship.
For our clients, this symbol can be a personal badge of victory, turning a tragic myth into a symbol of healing. Like Icarus, some of us fly too close to the sun, but we have the opportunity to avoid the fall by seeking help.
10 – Overthinking Head Image
An overthinking head tattoo design, sometimes creatively rendered with multiple faces, spirals, gears, or crowded images, is a reminder to stay focused on one thing at a time. It shows the inner chaos of racing thoughts – an everyday reality for people with mental health challenges.
This tattoo tells the world, “Yes, my mind is busy, but I’m learning to overcome it.” For others, it’s a reminder that the anxious thoughts shall pass in time.
11 – Powerful Dragon Gate Imagery
The Dragon Gate is a subtype of the koi fish design. The tattoo design shows the Dragon Gate, the exact point at which the koi transform into dragons. It is a metaphor for transforming into a better version of yourself at the end of a long journey or struggle.
12 – Butterfly, Moth, or Caterpillar to Represent Metamorphosis
Achieving good mental health requires a commitment to change and eventual self-acceptance – things that often pose a challenge. The butterfly grows its wings through metamorphosis, a process that completely changes its entire being. Like butterflies, moths undergo the same process.
The butterfly can be bright and colorful or understated and monochromatic, depending on individual taste. Regardless of color palette, the butterfly represents a complete growth cycle and the change from struggle to beauty.
13 – Top of the Mountain (Ideal Cover Ups for Scars)
A mountain peak tattoo can be an ideal option for a person who bears self-harm scars on the body. The climb to the mountaintop represents having enough strength and resilience to make the uphill climb successfully, making it a good metaphor for rising above mental health challenges.
The topography of the mountain itself provides a skilled tattoo artist a unique canvas. The scars on the body become 3D images that can be breathtakingly lovely.
14 – Seated Meditator Tattoo Represents Balance
A seated meditator (often mistaken for Buddha) symbolizes mindfulness and balance. He represents your choice to overcome stress and master calm awareness. People attracted to this mental health tattoo often enjoy using meditation, yoga, or breathing exercises to manage anxiety. The tattoo reminds us to pause and return to stillness when threatened by a return to racing thoughts.
Whether you ask your tattoo artist for a simple outline of a figure in the lotus position or a detailed image, this mental health tattoo can remind you that life is a journey. Along the way, you have the power to keep calm.
15 – Meaningful Affirmations: Writing or Phrases
Words have incredible power. Many people choose affirmations or inspiring phrases for their mental health tattoo. Phrases like “Still I rise,” “You are enough,” or “Peace, be still” become therapeutic mantras that accompany you everywhere.
Many choose to make these tattoos visible on their bodies, selecting the wrist, forearm, or calf. That keeps them nearby in moments of high stress, when they need a reminder to slow down, breathe, and maintain self-compassion; all they need to do is look down.
Affirmations can be placed on the body in beautiful classic calligraphy styles or creative, modern fonts, depending on the tattoo client’s individual preference.
16 – Animals That Represent Courage or Hope
Animal tattoos have great symbolic meanings. For example, lions represent courage; wolves, protection; eagles or elephants, loyalty; owls, wisdom.
For people on a mental health journey, an animal tattoo can serve as a symbol of protection, helping to support them in daily life. Animal tattoo designs can be realistic or abstract and bold or subtle. Whatever the choice, these tattoos remind us to be strong.
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Call Us Today for Help With Mental Health Struggles
If you’re struggling with mental health issues and don’t know where to turn, don’t lose hope. Our team is here to support you and help you address your challenges.
Whether you have depression, anxiety, or trauma to cope with, the entire team at Icarus Nevada can help. Our mental health organization offers certified, licensed providers with a focus on evidence-based healing for any mental illness.
Call us for help with your mental issues today; we can help you turn your life around as soon as tomorrow.
