(Originally posted on November 12, 2018. Another from way back before the chaos.)
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Not sure this will be a long post because this is a delicate topic that everyone seems to have a different opinion on. Using various mental illnesses is common in fiction. Many of us can name at least one story where a character has a diagnosis of some kind. Sometimes it’s done with care and the other times it’s done rather bluntly. Yet, how often is it done correctly?
I remember seeing various shows and movies where they tried to show someone was autistic or schizophrenic. The former was usually done the extreme and the other repeatedly showed up as the reason behind a person committing murders. As a society, we tend to look at all of these things as a hindrance and a portal to abnormality. Many artists take that and run to the darker side of human nature. Seems only recently that people are pulling back and showing characters who have these issues and are proving that one can live a full life with them. Still, they do seem to be the butt of jokes such as Sheldon Cooper from Big Bang Theory. Comedy can be a bridge to get the audience to consider mental illness, but it can’t always get them the entire way to understanding.
For myself, I don’t use a lot of mental illness in my stories. (Boy did that change.) I’m too nervous about getting something wrong and pushing the stigma that continues to create trouble. I might touch on depression and anxiety since I have a better understanding of that. For example, Quest of the Brokenhearted utilized my experience and thoughts on severe depression. Kira hit that point where she didn’t want to die, but didn’t care if she did. I’ll admit that I’ve been there in the past. It was fairly easy, and oddly cathartic, to do this since I had experience. Most authors don’t have that to work with when they try to make a character with a mental health issue. So, research is definitely a necessity.
So, I’m going to open the floor since this is a complicated topic and I’m always on the fence about it. Don’t want to say anything as if it’s a rule even though Wednesday will have a list of tips that are done in a tongue-in-cheek style. What does everyone else think about writing characters with mental health issues? Do you have any advice or experience doing this?
Legends of Windemere 
I’ve seen a lot of discussions on the subject in regard to kid and teen fiction (especially the latter), because of the desire for authenticity and sensitivity. In movies too. When Riley had that panic attack in Inside Out 2, it felt authentic, because the movie makers consulted mental health clinicians to get that experience right. When a book, TV show, or movie gets it wrong, people take to social media to complain.
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Social media definitely allows for immediate criticism. Although, I think there’s also the problem of thinking these things are the same for everyone. I’ve seen people get upset about various mental health being shown in a way that isn’t how they suffer. So, they think it’s wrong when it could just be another flavor of it.
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True. There is no one size fits all model. Sensitivity is definitely needed.
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I think it can either add a sense of realism or completely destroy the work. Depends on how it’s handled. If you use it in as a cliche then the work will go down the drain.
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Cliche is a tough one. Would it be cliche if it’s realistic, but commonly used?
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No sir, then you would be a commoner. 😉
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Eh, that checks out.
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I avoid the mental issues in characters for the reason you mention. I may get it wrong and further stigmatize the condition.
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That’s a fair decision. Getting it right requires a lot of research and even then you can get in trouble.
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I agree.
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Makes me nervous, but I did add a bit of PTSD in Once Upon at Time in the Swamp. I know there are variables there, so I felt relatively safe.
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I think people are more flexible with PTSD. I wonder if it’s because it’s induced by trauma. People can understand that messing with others.
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I don’t think authors should use any kind of mental health/non neurotypical issues as cheap stereotypes. You have to commit to being respectful and doing the research and avoiding those stereotypes.
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True.
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