Mental Illness in Fiction

“Anyone who has actually been that sad can tell you that there's nothing beautiful or literary or mysterious about depression.”
― Jasmine Warga, My Heart and Other Black Holes

I feel like every depiction of mental illness in fiction is problematic in some way. It’s hard to find a portrayal of mental illness that isn’t romanticised but maybe this is partially because, in real life, every experience of mental illness is unique?  


You see a character with the same diagnosis as you and so you expect them to have the exact same symptoms as you and to the same degree and manifested in the same behaviours. If a particular symptom is more prominent for the character you may think it is being exaggerated for shock value and if it is less prominent for the character you may think that they are romanticising the illness. 

For example, you may say the worst part of your depression is your suicidal thoughts, but not everyone with depression experiences this and that doesn’t make their experiences any less valid or mean that they need representation any less.

Representations of mental illness aren’t necessarily wrong just because they don’t represent your particular experience of that mental illness.

We need representations of all mental illnesses and different symptoms, manifestations, and experiences of the same illnesses.

I hope this doesn’t anger anyone, I know this thought may be controversial, but I’m not saying that this means there is no problem with the fictional portrayal of mental illness because there most definitely is.

We need to understand that our view of issues like this is influenced by our own experiences. I believe that we need more representation of positive experiences with therapy and getting help but that is because that now represents my own experience. But a few years ago, I would have said the opposite. 

I would have believed that positive portrayals of therapy and recovery were wishful thinking and only used in movies and books to ensure the expected happy ending. But unfortunately, not everyone lives happily ever after when it comes to mental illness.

But both of these representations are important.

We need to show that there are people who will react in the right way when you tell them about your illness, even if it takes fifty negative reactions first.

We need to show that recovery is possible, even if it takes changing your therapist, type of therapy or medication.

If you omit all of the dark parts of mental illness you fail to represent those who are still in the darkness and if you omit the light you fail to show that things can get better. It’s a difficult balance to get right and a dangerous one to get wrong.

It is so important to discuss how mental illness is shown in the media, I’m not debating that. But there are fictional portrayals of mental illness which I think are romanticised and problematic but others really relate to and if it helps someone else, even if I don’t understand how or why, maybe that’s enough.

“That millions of people share the same forms of mental pathology does not make these people sane.”
― Erich Fromm, The Sane Society

Comment below what you think are the best and worst portrayals of mental illness in fiction. 

If you like this post you may also like:

•  My Recovery Playlist. 
• Stigma Should Not Be Your Trademark
• There are No Ugly Ducklings

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