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Writing Advice On Mentally Ill Characters
Piece Of Advice: GO HARD!!!!!
When I see a mentally ill character who is prim and proper and only has "desirable" and not "inconvenient" traits I throw up inside my mouth and I want to spit it back at you!
Write mentally ill characters who are the biggest piece of shits alive!
Write mentally ill characters whose depression is demonstrated through self-destructive habits that hurt their loved ones emotionally and physically!
Write characters who have anger attacks so brutal they have to consciously convince themselves not to pull an Edgar Allen Poe "Black Cat" stunt on their pets!
Write mentally ill characters who are abusive and aren't justified or excused due to their past!
Write mentally ill characters who don't do the "sympathetic" or "good" things like taking their medicine or believe in "safe" things!
Write mentally ill characters who are burdens on their loved ones!
Write mentally ill characters who don't have perfect loved ones to turn to and don't blame their loved ones!
Because this is reality! Depression, anxiety, insecurity, anger issues, and general mental unwellness are not hurricanes that convenientally avoid wrecking the most important parts of a character's life!
Real life people deserve to see their dangerousness, suffering, and messiness reflected in characters!
Write hopeful stories about non-sympathetic and not-so perfect victims learning to grow! Sometimes the most hopeful thing alive is to learn that your worst fears of being a burden on your loved ones, of being a horrible person, of losing people you care about, are absolutely true and then have the courage to continue.
As a mentally ill person myself, I have been a mental load on my family! My mother can't understand me and has misappropiated the "cause" of my problems! My dad is a general piece of shit who is dealing with his own demons! My sisters don't live in the house and barely bother with contacting me.
And I am still alive. I am a horrible, incomphrensible burden with no friends and I am as happy as I can be! I feel whole. I feel complete.
Why can't stories ever seek to include people and stories like me?