Other Opinion on mental illnesses?

[Virchow]

I’ve seen people criticize others (rather harshly) who make characters with a mental illness, asking them to remove it and whatnot, claiming “they can’t possibly know what it feels like to have it”.
I honestly see nothing bad with it as long as it is done well and the character acts accordingly. Most important of all, the illness shouldn’t be a free pass to make them a murderous being.

 

[Falka]

It's not my business what anyone chooses to roleplay as and I believe that a lot of the criticism comes from pointless virtue signalling rather than genuine concern. That being said, many people truly don't understand the mechanics of the mental illness they've chosen for their character (or they make it their single character trait) and that tends to be extremely cringey, not to mention lazy.

Basically, do your research and don't be offensive.

 

[Chimney Swift]

Personally, I feel like a lot of people play mentally ill characters for the wrong reasons. They use their character's illness as an excuse for pointlessly edgy or even cruel behavior towards other players (like you said), or as a ploy for attention. The characters, as a whole, tend to promote a negative stereotype about mentally ill people. In reality, the vast majority of people with mental illnesses are not bloodthirsty "psychopaths" or constantly experiencing hyper-vivid hallucinations of "voices" and "dead people". In fact, this cliché has influenced the public image of mentally ill and neurologically disabled people so much that when people see us behaving in a manner associated with mental illness, they immediately see us as dangerous.

When RPers " research" mental illnesses, this almost invariably means they spent 10 minutes on WebMD or the NIMH website. They basically never talk to actual people with the condition (or even read sources written by those people), and they base their whole character off of a brief list of hallmark symptoms. Of these, they usually cherry-pick and exaggerate the most negative or dangerous characteristics (like self harm or psychosis), resulting in an inaccurate and angering stereotype of the condition,

I rarely see an accurate, well-researched portrayal of any disability in RP, because people either treat it like a tragic flaw or an edgy accessory. Both of which, by the way, are not okay. Writing can be powerful, but it can just as easily hurt people. Write what you want, but be conscious of what you write.

 

[Thaurer]

I've had mentally ill character. And yes, I've portrayed them as violently lashing out sometimes - using the illness as partly a reason.

Yeah, smite where I stand, I did it. I mean, I also used part of the back story and etc. for it but nonetheless. PLUS, while not all people that have do that, some still do. Like me. Not all the time, but I lash out too.

 

[Soulless]

Yeah, I can definitely see a reason people would be upset. As an actual person with mental illnesses, I personally don't get offended by the exaggeration of people making characters with them. I mean, we got a whole ton of horror content in the media that exploit the negative qualities of mental illnesses, so there's nothing really different there to me. I guess because there's so much of it glorified, I and others kind of have to laugh it off so we don't feel hurt by it. Then again, sometimes even the smallest views on mental illnesses may impact other people's views on mental illnesses as well, adding onto the stigma. I agree with Chimney Swift about people playing mentally ill characters and I wonder what makes playing a mentally ill character right for certain reasons? For me, I probably just wouldn't join that roleplay but that's just me

 

[memphis]

Chimney Swift brings up many issues I personally have with people trying to portray mental illness in their characters. I think it is perfectly fine to write mental illness, but only if you're going to put in the effort to properly research and accurately portray it. I am all for people writing outside their limited bubble of life-experience; I think it's great to step outside your comfort-zone when writing! However, if you fail to put in any effort to research and accurately portray a touchy subject such as mental illness, you may end up rubbing others the wrong way.

Another issue with writing mental illness here yet to be mentioned here is the romanticization of it. I see this happen quite often. I think romanticization of mental illness plays a large part in why people either write mentally ill characters as violent loners prone to outburst, or being sad, yet edgily artistic. It's actually quite shocking to me how people romanticize very serious topics and issues, such as mental illness, poverty, and addiction. These things are not romantic, nor should they be written as such. Again, I believe it is perfectly fine to write some of these touchier issues; it only becomes a problem once you romanticize it.

 

[Ronan]

I highly encourage people to write mentally ill/physically disabled characters, but only if done right.

As others before me have commented, there is a serious glorification of mental illness within the role-playing community and in published books. It is often used as a plot-device or as the sole defining factor of a character, and that’s not OK.

It’s not OK to slap a Wikipedia’d mental illness you Googled five minutes ago to fit a characterisation plot hole or to make them a special snowflake. Mental illness is very real for some people, and in a world where we constantly battle for accurate media representation from all walks of life, you also have a responsibility as a writer to accurately portray it and to treat it with care. If you write a character with Aspergers and someone who actually has Aspergers tells you it’s wrong, listen to them. You do not get a say in whether it’s right or wrong. It is not your place to speak over them; it is your place to sit back and listen.

 

[Dair]

Well I mean if they aren't trying to be rude about it then I don't see any reason why it would be a bad thing. If you actually really want your character to have a mental illness then power to you. As long as its not a joke its fine. The argument that you don't really know how it is is stupid. Who knows what its like to be an elf, a random alien from a random planet, a dog, a robot, or even the other gender? Granted that is something you can leave up to the imagination though with mental illness we have facts.

That's why it can't be a joke. If you make a character with down syndrome as a joke then you're an arse. If you make a character with down syndrome to actually serve a purpose as a character flaw then you could do your research and actually attempt to do it faithfully.

TLDR If it isn't a joke its fine.

 

[Filianore]

I don't see the issue with making a character mentally ill. Ever. The issue comes with how the illness is portrayed.

Any illness can be researched and as such any person can write a character having anything if they put forth the effort. When the effort is there, it shows and people with mental illness really do appreciate the representation. But if other characters start vilifying the mentally ill one and this isn't a behavior that is punished then there is an issue. Even worse, if the bullying of the mentally ill character is rewarded (and that isn't at least portrayed as unfair by the narrative), there is an issue.

If the character is a murder hobo and the only reason (and, perhaps, the cause of this) is their mental illness, there is an issue. I think this one tends to stem from lack of research, too. If the mentally ill character is defined entirely by their illness, there is an issue. Even people who define themselves by their illness aren't really looking at the big picture. They still have hobbies and friends, even if it's a struggle to maintain their hobbies or be social.

There is also the issue of the message you are sending to the people reading. This is less of an issue if the character is part of a private RP but just because it's "realistic" for someone to, say, go through an entire character arc and have a tragic ending in a suicide, doesn't always mean you SHOULD write it. You don't want to encourage anyone.

Writing is what you put into it, I guess is my point. If you are careful and put forth the effort, what's the harm? If we censor every character out there you'll never have anything to read or write.

 

[Jules8008]

I am a person who actually enjoys playing mentally ill characters. So, usually, when someone refuses, I ask them for a good reason and also ask why they think I shouldn't be allowed to play it. I mean, according to that, I also wouldn't be allowed to play the opposite gender.

Of course, it all depends on the level of research. for instance, if my partner seems to not have read anything about the illness (aka. tries to use stereotypes, a la "Depressed guy who is sad 24/7 and doesn't know any other emotions than sadness. Oh, and he's also lowkey suicidal" or "Schizophrenic gal who learnt to deal with his voices/shadows in a mere day, no therapy needed because he's so #speshul"), I straight up refuse. But if they don't use those? Yeah, feel free too. Again, I, myself like to play mentall ill characters. Of course, I did my research, I wouldn't dare to play a topic like that without research.

 

[Chimney Swift]

Well I mean if they aren't trying to be rude about it then I don't see any reason why it would be a bad thing. If you actually really want your character to have a mental illness then power to you. As long as its not a joke its fine. The argument that you don't really know how it is is stupid. Who knows what its like to be an elf, a random alien from a random planet, a dog, a robot, or even the other gender? Granted that is something you can leave up to the imagination though with mental illness we have facts.

That's why it can't be a joke. If you make a character with down syndrome as a joke then you're an arse. If you make a character with down syndrome to actually serve a purpose as a character flaw then you could do your research and actually attempt to do it faithfully.

TLDR If it isn't a joke its fine.

You have to realize that there's more to a respectful portrayal than not being intentionally insulting or invoking the most obvious stereotypes. A well-intentioned character can be just as hurtful if they are poorly researched or romanticized.

And as I said earlier, proper research is not a quick thing you do while writing out your CS. Ideally, it should be days or even weeks worth of learning about how your mental illness of choice would effect someone like your character. Research MUST include talking to people who actually have the disorder or reading their personal accounts. Medical journals, while useful, are not appropriate as the sole source of your research. That's like writing a book report based on the Wikipedia synopsis instead of reading the book. Also, sometimes medical journals use insulting or outdated jargon that most people prefer to avoid (I.e, no physically disabled person enjoys being called "handicapped" or "crippled").

I reiterate, there's nothing inherently wrong with writing a mentally ill character. But the mere fact that you weren't doing it "as a joke" does not absolve you from the impact that a poorly handled sensitive topic can have.

 

[Dair]

You have to realize that there's more to a respectful portrayal than not being intentionally insulting or invoking the most obvious stereotypes. A well-intentioned character can be just as hurtful if they are poorly researched or romanticized.

And as I said earlier, proper research is not a quick thing you do while writing out your CS. Ideally, it should be days or even weeks worth of learning about how your mental illness of choice would effect someone like your character. Research MUST include talking to people who actually have the disorder or reading their personal accounts. Medical journals, while useful, are not appropriate as the sole source of your research. That's like writing a book report based on the Wikipedia synopsis instead of reading the book. Also, sometimes medical journals use insulting or outdated jargon that most people prefer to avoid (I.e, no physically disabled person enjoys being called "handicapped" or "crippled").

I reiterate, there's nothing inherently wrong with writing a mentally ill character. But the mere fact that you weren't doing it "as a joke" does not absolve you from the impact that a poorly handled sensitive topic can have.

It was pretty late where I'm living so I don't think I covered what I meant properly. I do agree with you on this entirely though I feel like researching something for weeks, while commendable, isn't super necessary. Yes research had to take place, no doubt, and if you don't then you're not doing it right.

All in all I agree.

 

[Seahomie]

My opinion on mental illnesses? They fucking suck ass and anyone who happens to suffer from one is strong as Hell. They're real, and that doesn't mean strictly depression either. Schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, bipolar, and there are countless others that predate asylums. Multiple cultures have their own history on potential remedies and causations for said illnesses, so they're real. Everyone experiences them in their own way, so symptoms may vary slightly, but if someone wishes to play a character who has an illness (I believe the statistic for depression is 1 in 4 people have it), then by all means they should have the right. As long as appropriate research has been taken into consideration of course.

 

[Funkybub]

I couldn't make a character with a mental illness. My characters are my way of escaping that stuff.

 

[Lethargic Yuki Co.]

I only write characters with mental illness (aside from autism, as I have it myself) after doing some research.

 

[elextrified]

When done correctly (and by correctly I mean with time and effort spent on research beforehand and not just a buzzfeed quiz of "do i have a mental disorder,") I absolutely love it when people create characters that suffer from a mental illness! As someone who suffers from a mental condition myself, I think it's absolute bs to demand that only the mentally ill themselves have mentally ill characters. As long as it's done correctly, not stereotypical, enforcing stigmas, and/or making a mockery of those who suffer from the condition, do it! Mental conditions aren't this rare thing that only .2% of the population suffer from. They're common, they're real, and I think it's awesome when people make a character that portrays this message.

 

[Angelsofblood]

I think we look past most Canon characters and the burdens they carry in psychological trauma. In the military, we refer to combat stress as the muscle memory action of a trained reaction (i.e. waking up, grabbing your rifle, putting on your uniform, etc.). Removing said rifle, uniform, and etc., causes anxiety as that normal action is disrupted.

I can only imagine the physical and mental trauma that our characters (especially the super hero variety) carry day in and day out. It would only be natural for that legacy, the regret and doubt of their choices, to linger with them.

Honestly, I would love to continue this discussion because it gets to the heart of who and what our characters are.

 

[Leyara]

I think it's great for people to explore different personality types in their characters. Even if it involves an illness, it could be a learning experience for them, or increase their empathy levels for real people who struggle with said problems. That is, if proper research is done, and they aren't simply guessing the symptoms. The only time it would bother me is if it didn't make sense. But I'm pretty lenient still and have dealt with nonsensical characters in the past, because they still managed to be endearing even if their illness was a bit unrealistic. Lol Maybe that writer was still learning that style, too.

 

[Hailey]

I don't mind it, unless the person seems like they know nothing about it when the roleplay gets going, then it's annoying.

 

[aBoxNamedGD]

to be fair unless you have that illness/know very well about it, you shouldn't use it on your character.

 

[The Mechanist]

Honestly only the most learned people in that field should make such a character, sonas to be both respectful and accurate at the same time. If you don’t know what you’re talking about then don’t try it

 

[Ashfeather]

It's ok if you do your basic research and don't caricature it/romanticize it like crazy I think. As someone who has been mentally ill myself, I wouldn't know what anyone else with my particular illness would experience it as either so no need to claim "you're not portraying it right!" because it differs from person to person (gasp! diversity, even in this?!). I have a certain anxiety diagnosis, but I know people with the same diagnosis experience it wildly differently and I assume that goes for most similar things. I doubt if I wrote a character with my issues, everyone would think it was accurate if I said "this character has this diagnosis". I tend to not write it out, but rather let the behaviors speak for themselves without involving labels since that is usually the problematic part.

 

[ReadingTheRunes]

I believe that it is nothing to be ashamed of and people that ridicule it should be taught about how it can really affect someone's life. One diagnosis (for example anxiety) can differ significantly from person to person and there is no right answer for how someone should act.

 

[Gallus]

I support people writing about mental illnesses/disabilities. In fact, I like writing characters with mental illnesses/disabilities! It can expand someone's perspective on other people and generate a better awareness of how varied it can be. Plus, as someone with a mental illness, it helps to have a character that can be empathized with. It's like a little reminder that I'm not alone.
That being said, I do not condone romanticization or poor research of it. Mental illness can be tricky to portray, especially if one has never had experience with it, but that's no excuse to have a character with depression be instantly "fixed" the moment they kiss their soul mate. Trust me, I wish it was like that, but real life is ruthless and mental illness does not give a flying fornication. Another annoyance is when a character is solely defined by their mental illness. Just because someone has autism does not immediately erase their love to tell jokes or play tennis. While mental illness can affect how people live their lives, one must never forget that first and foremost, they are writing a person. Find out the real symptoms, how it can vary, and read up on actual accounts from people with said mental illness. There are hundreds of forums, subreddits, vlogs, etc. from people wanting to share their experiences.

 

[Idea]

When it comes to an issue like this, I feel the need to fall back a bit on my views on religion. My innitial instinct is "this is a work of fiction, so why is misportrayal such a big issue?". However, my attitude towards the portrayal of religion is very different, and the more I grew to realize this I found a general hypocrisy in how I viewed things that needed to be squashed.

What I came to find through my experiences in dealing with the matter of religious portrayal in media is that it's not always bad to misrepresent things or even to do poor research. When priests are made to be pedophiles for no reason other than some random cases at one point in time, when a movie, series or anything else portrays the entire church as some exploitation machine etc... Most of the time, I view that as outright difamation. However, I find many examples of completely acceptable cases of misportrayal both serious and non-serious. The thing that I found to link these together was that the writer made it clear in some form that the portrayal was not meant for accuracy and does not exist to comment on the matter, instead uses it as a token. While this isn't the most tasteful thing ever, I'd argue that it is acceptable.

So, how does this apply to mental illness? Well, let's take a common example: Someone makes a villain that is insane, and thus make him sadistic or pull random stunts etc... Essentially this is used as a proxy motivation for certain actions. I find this is acceptable under two conditions:

1.The character is no less subject to good writing criteria than any other. Being crazy does not justify being completely dehumanized, for instance, unless that is for some point.

2.The aspect of being mentally ill serves a purpose without establishing itself as a representative or representation of mental illness.

I feel like, at least in point 2, most mentally ill characters follow. They are often treated as individual fictional characters dealing with a disfunction in their brain. This is a fictional character with an unspecified problem referred to as being mad or being crazy, which can and are most often used as synonyms for a mental illness of some kind but carry different connotations already. To me so long as the narrative does not put a special focus on the mental illness beyond being the device it is often treated as, it's acceptable because there exists the clear awareness of the distinction of this individual villain from any group of real people, so the worst that can then happen is the villain ending up being poorly written.