DISCUSSION: Mental Health in stories

Community Episode Fan Community
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I’d like to know the community’s thoughts on mental health. Feel free to participate.

1- Did you ever read a story that talks about any mental ilness? (PLEASE refrain from creating a list, pick one story and only talk about it.)

2- Do you think mental ilness is a thing you never see or rarely see in stories? Or is it something you always see?
2a- If you think it’s something you rarely see, why do you think no one talks about it?

3- Do you think someone who’s going to/is writing about mental ilness should research?

4- What is your opinion on the bad guy having mental ilness as a reason to be bad?

5- If you haven’t already, would you like to write a story about mental ilness fully? (not a plot point, has to revole around it)

6- Your opinion on romanticizing and demonizing mental ilnesses?

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To be honest, I don’t really understand the issue of mental health. I don’t exactly know what it is because I don’t have any mental health issues I guess. I have read a few stories on Episode dealing with mental health, and I don’t understand it.

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What do you not understand…? It’s… mental ilness, an ilness that’s in your nerve system/brain…

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I know, but how people explain it in today’s world, confuses me.

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And how do people explain?

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as a person with a few mental health issues myself. I say its alright people do it. if they do it the right way. and dont use the wrong diagnoses. I dont think I have seen this on the episode but many places they diagnose the bad guy as a psychopath when he does not even act like one. it is important to do research on it. not just mental but every subject you write about.

about the bad guy has mental health. I wanna leave a sentence I been told a few times. your(insert mental problem here) is not an excuse for what you are doing.

I am actually working on one (not I am gonna published in a long time) where the mc has mental health problems trying to navigate her life. still trying to figure out if I shall use one there do exist or make one up instead,

DONT romanticize mental health. I hate when people do that

and another note dont make their mental problem there only personality

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i use to explain my autism like this

you are a playstasion

i am an xbox. we work differently but basically is the same

btw i do have other diagnoises than autism

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Agreed, I hate misrepresentation too.

I hate that, people think anyone with ASPD is the same, I can assure anyone who’s trying to write about it that every person is different. Not everyone takes place in criminal activities, to be honest, if your only excuse for the bad guy is mental illness, you’re not a good writer. :woman_shrugging:t2:

Mhm. Love doesn’t fix your mental state, it can make it worse sometimes.

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Im sorry for how long this is x3 didnt realize until i posted it all :no_mouth:

1- Did you ever read a story that talks about any mental ilness? (PLEASE refrain from creating a list, pick one story and only talk about it.)

Yes and hated how they were done

2- Do you think mental ilness is a thing you never see or rarely see in stories? Or is it something you always see?
2a- If you think it’s something you rarely see, why do you think no one talks about it?

Its a rarity because ppl dont want to portray it wrong or have no experince with it or dont know wat to say

3- Do you think someone who’s going to/is writing about mental ilness should research?

Yes…research go on forums, look up symptoms,talk to people…look up how therapy actually works and the diffrent types and look up pills since it doesnt make things better instantly some ppl can feel better with therapy others need pills others need both

4- What is your opinion on the bad guy having mental ilness as a reason to be bad?

I dont hate it. However ppl should know not everyones like that.

5- If you haven’t already, would you like to write a story about mental ilness fully? (not a plot point, has to revole around it)

Yes

6- Your opinion on romanticizing and demonizing mental ilnesses?

U shouldnt period.
Depression is the most romanticized next to anxiety.
I dont need a sad poem about how the scars on her wrists spilled stars. Or how “the world would still turn if im not here” I hate ppl posting bloody SH wounds or razors or whatever…thats messed up. I hate stock images of sad white girls(no offense i swear) with sad poems over it.

Unrelated: i hate how most MH stories only show social anxiety theres GAD and Agoraphobia and others. It seems SA is most promoted. Or they show depression as a sad girl and her crying and such…theres waaaay more to it than that

Unrelated: ppl shouldnt gatekeep MH either meaning “u cant have depression because mine is…” or stuff like “if u didnt get an offical diagnosis ur faking it”

  1. Moneys/health insurance is a factor
  2. Who are u to tell ppl how they feel
  3. Ppl look stuff like tht up to get answers cuz they dont feel “right” in the first place
  4. If someones faking a MI thats an illness in itself

TW:SH(about stories i read)

I know i read on story where the character got pregnant and couldnt handle it so they went from item to item harming themsevles from stovetop to razor etc…it was awful.

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Yes. I thought it was done well. Though I felt like the goal was more to diagnose the characters rather than to protray the illnesses honestly. While it might have helped people not well-versed in the topic understand it, it felt a bit more like telling rather than showing.

I think it’s something I see a bit, though usually it’s never done well. It’s either glamorized or over simplified.

This should be a prerequisite, to be honest.

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Agreed, it’s not cute or romantic. I’m so sick of seeing it.

Exactly. Depression isn’t always about sadness, it’s about life tbh. You can be happy for whole day and still be depressed at night. I remember when I was so happy but as the day went by it passed.

I hate that, this bothers me too much. Not everyone lives their illness the same way or copes with it the same way.

I really wonder, what is official diagnosis? Is it that test where you answer 500 questions? Why are people so concerned about diagnosis?? It doesn’t take a genius to find out you have a mental illness, it was understandable for me through the way I talk. I took a test yesterday and it says I don’t have this illness when I’m diagnosed. It’s just… really complicated and self diagnosis can be a coping mechanism, and not everyone can afford therapy bi-weekly.

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Outside of being a psychopath or sociopath, I really, really don’t like this. The problem with this is though, most authors don’t seem to know what psychopaths or sociopaths are.

I actually plan on writing about an MC who had generalized anxiety. It wouldn’t be central to the plot though.

Both are bad. Romanticization makes mental illness seem like a quirky personality flaw that can be fixed by the right person. Demonization makes it seem like it’s something shameful, and that could potentially lead people with the same mental illness avoid seeking help.

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Well I watch a lot of Youtubers and some of them say that they have to take a break due to their mental health, and I don’t quite understand that.

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Gatekeeping pisses me off >-< it keeps ppl from getting help because they dont fit the “sick enough” description and seems rude/dismissive

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Maybe it’s because people don’t like the content they are making anymore and feel like they are forced to? Please don’t base mental ilness off what Youtubers say

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I am not basing mental illnesses about what Youtubers say.

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Omg yes, I’ve seen this too many times :nauseated_face: I’m tired of it

I hate this too. I can’t stand this one, it’s really common in fiction and I wish people would at least say “Hey! This is just fiction and people who have mental illness aren’t like this in real life.”

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I imagine being a YouTuber full-time takes a lot out of you, mentally.

You spend a lot of time making videos (the videos you see are probably easily a few hours of work boiled down to the minutes you see published), editing them, and publishing them.
You also have to maintain your other social media feeds (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook).

If you have an agent, you’re probably doing other stuff on the side.

This takes a lot of your time. And if you have aniexty or depression, it can be taxing on your mental health and difficult to focus.

Your mental health is just as important as your physical health. It cant be neglected.

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You just did…?

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Ohhh, I understand now. Thanks for clearing that up for me.