Other Opinion on mental illnesses?

[SunRaHunter]

I agree with Idea .
I'm new to this particular site but have roleplayed on a few other smaller sites, and people tend to make a character around a mental illness, as if it's a vital character trait. A lot of mental disorders and illness are inflicted by environmental stimuli, meaning they could be, when used properly, a great catalyst for a characters reasoning.
But using them to identify a character is a bad strategy.

 

[Chimney Swift]

Also, sometimes it's a good idea to just not diagnose your character with a specific illness, but rather play around with their mental health symptoms without specifying a disorder that you're claiming to represent.

This is because by doing that, you're making a character into a specific portrayal of a marginalized group, which puts you under pressure to portray that condition (and the community surrounding it) accurately and with tact and sensitivity.

It's okay to play a character who is quirky, meticulous and becomes anxious in chaotic or disorganized situations, but when you call them OCD, you've committed to realistically portraying the nuances, realities and social consequences of that disorder.

 

[Imaginarium]

I agree with Idea .

The characters need to be as well written as any other character and you need to have some use for the traits you portray. More depth to the character is generally not a sufficient reason in my book. How does being mentally ill factor into the story? Are you wanting to write about the challenges of dealing with a certain kind of situation, which may or may not be influenced by the illness? Does it have anything to do with how the character views intra-personal relationships? etc.

 

[Wordy]

Probably already been said but I don't like it when mental illness is romanticised.

 

[caustic]

They must be adequately portrayed, that is key. Study the illness you wish to play as you would any other disease (like diabetes, asthma). If you falter there, your OC will and you leave behind poor stigmas or portrayals. Utilize mental illness with purpose, just as you would, I must reiterate, a disease like Asthma. That is at least my opinion on OCs with mental illness. Mental illness exists. Making it an off-limits thing is a little silly but if you write it, write it well or not at all, honestly.

 

[Tove]

If you plan on going down this road you have to be prepared for what comes with it when making characters with an mental illness. You should first do some research and be mindful of those that actually do suffer from an illness or have friends and family that do. There's nothing more damning than to stick a character with something without any knowledge behind it.

 

[Kylesar1]

I'm all about acting what you put down on the CS. If they have a mental illness, it needs to be conveyed, not necessarily in a shove down your throat manner, but it needs to be somewhat clear. It's not even just to mental illnesses. It's the personality in general. If someone is incredibly shy, that doesn't mean they just stutter a bit and play romantic hard to get but talkative as hell around strangers. It has to be conveyed and kept in mind.

The same goes for mental illness. A lot of players just make them unlikable and murderous then just say it's a mental illness. No sort of specifics. It's like me telling you I drive a car but not specifying what kind of car.

 

[Sleek]

Coming from someone going through a depressive episode with anxiety issues, with a family history of like issues, I can see why. With no knowledge, it's laughably sad how bad some of the depictions can be. However, if done correctly, it can work.

Depression (for example) in a character would likely manifest in general apathy or what could easily be perceived as laziness (and in male chars and some female) and would result in some angry outbursts or general irritability.

As much as it's ridiculed in general media, the concept of a trigger is also important in doing a char with an illness that is closely tied to said triggers, like PTSD.
PTSD can be anything from the result of an abusive upbringing to being a veteran of the armed forces. Triggers can be certain phrases, enviroments, or sounds, and what it is usually is different on a case to case basis etc.

As long as you do your research and know how it would believably affect your char, it shouldn't be an issue.

 

[lauren.]

I support the inclusion of mentally ill/disabled characters in text, so long as they're written in ways that don't fall into offensive stereotypes, and are researched properly. I think some people probably are guilty of adding these elements to their characters to be unique, and don't take into account the struggles that truly come with some of them, and essentially romanticize the illness or use it at random times when they feel like it in character, without recognizing the less-appealing ways that the disorder would realistically affect the character.

 

[Politely Nefarious]

The biggest problem with mentally unstable characters is either lack of research... or the tendency to make the flaw all-consuming. Not unlike a gay character whose shtick is to be gay. Or a cheerleader, whose shtick is to be blonde and vapid. Instead of a rounded person, they become a name and placeholder for the behavior attached. It's the sole focus.

For example, I could rant forever about 'sociopath' and 'psychopath' portrayals. How nobody does their research. How few realize they are two different conditions. But that would be pointless. I don't expect Average Joe to understand life with an extreme personality disorder. I don't feel insulted at misrepresentation by the general media, or the RP community at large. Just mildly disappointed that so few bother to educate themselves. To understand what makes an affected mind tick. The more you know, the more you can break down the behavior. Structure the character's personality ticks around it.

Ignorance is not an insult. It's carelessness at best, willful at worst. But it's easily prevented. Which is perhaps what makes it so off-putting.

 

[Lcalhoun]

I actually have a mental illness. As long as the illness is well-researched and portrayed, I don’t really see the issue. Often times, though, mental illnesses are trivialized or glamorized, both in real life and in writing.

 

[FlyingDemon]

I'm not really tolerant towards this kind of character, you have to do research because certain things or attitudes can go far..

 

[dva]

all of my characters have mental illnesses. each character has taken on a little bit of my personality onto them. which is why i have like, lol, 2.5 characters... but i agree with what others are saying here: research the illness your character is going to have. do not romanticize it. hold your character accountable for their actions. don't villanize the illness. i try to stay away from people who rp characters with schizophrenia (unless they have it themselves) because they basically play the joker from batman and it's just redundant and annoying. writing a character with mental illness that relates to you is incredibly therapeutic!!!

 

[Insanitation]

Honestly they don't bother me regardless. If they're too ridiculously inaccurate then I'll probably crack in-character jokes that may or may not lean on/break the fourth wall, but that's about it. I'm here to write fictional stories with people, not study for a psychology exam. Reality's what I'm escaping from. A few triggers are fine, I consider myself very flexible. I'll still nope out if I have to scroll at all to see a full trigger list (this includes data tables or strategic spacing that places them side by side) or I've gotta walk on eggshells to have a conversation with a person.

With that said, my "crazy" characters typically either have an ambiguous or completely fictional condition.

 

[Tomassci]

I am not against, as long it's accurate AND doesn't it make the roleplay "kill kill for no reason".