Writing & Mental Health

For world mental health day, I decided to write a post in which I explore mental health through the writer's perspective. The topic of mental health is not only personal to me, but one that is being publicly discussed through multiple media outlets. The conversation surrounding mental health has continued to grow and it is impossible to ignore the impact of the media regarding the topic.

World Mental Health Day Poster (October 10th 2019)

Nevertheless, the portrayal of mental health within the media is bound to cause controversy. For example, the popular Netflix television show "13 Reasons Why" (2017-Present) has gained an array of publicity with its fair share of criticism in the way that it illustrates scenes regarding mental health:

On the other hand, others praised the show for bringing light to mental health issues:

Regardless of what your opinion of the show is; it is important to note that there is no correct way to portray mental health. However, this does not mean that we should be insensitive and careless about the way that we explore these issues. Mental health issues are so personal to each individual and people are not going to deal with their issues in the same way as someone else. For example, some people use humour as a coping mechanism while others would rather stay silent. Therefore, the topic challenges the writer because they need to know how they should and want to portray it. For instance, particular viewers way want to see an unfiltered and raw depiction of a character's mental state. While other viewers could appreciate a subtle piece of dialogue or a form of ambiguous imagery to convey a character's mental health issues. In whichever way you decide to illustrate mental health, it is always key to keep your audience in mind when you are thinking about what you want them to take away from your writing.

Keeping your audience in mind when choosing how to depict serious topics is significant, but it is also important to consider the audience as individual human beings with feelings and opinions. It is completely normal for you to want your audience to feel a certain way about your writing, but there is no guarantee that their feelings and opinions will correspond with what you wished for. Even so, because there is no perfect way to represent mental health, it is going to be impossible to garner a perfect reaction. However, do not let a few reactions deter you from writing about something important to you. If you are passionate about mental health and you have an idea about how you want to portray it, then my advice is to just do it and see where it takes you. If you receive constructive criticism, read it and see if you can understand where that individual is coming from. If you use that criticism to improve your writing, then it could just make you think of an even better idea than your original one.

Research is crucial when you are writing about controversial topics. As much as you could write about your personal experiences with mental health issues; it may also be helpful to find a bunch of media resources which discuss other people's experiences. Looking into multiple resources could be beneficial for you because it could allow you to brainstorm just how many avenues you could go down when writing about it. Research is particularly important when you are writing about a mental health issue that you have not personally experienced because you do not want to come across as unemphatic or inaccurate about a particular condition. One piece of advice that I have found is from Sarah Harris, writer of the YA Fiction Novel 'The definition of us' (2018).

'The definition of Us' by Sarah Harris (2018)

"People’s experience of mental health conditions are very personal and so I wanted to be clear I wasn’t speaking for every person with depression, every eating disorder, all anxiety, or everyone on the autistic spectrum. My characters experiences are as unique as they are." - Sarah Harris

Sarah's characters are unique in their own right, not just because they have different mental health issues. Even though you may be writing about a character with a mental health condition, it is central that the audience sees the human - not the condition. In this way, it is vital that your character is not simply a product of their mental illness, but is seen as a three-dimensional human being who has likes and dislikes. This not only brings true authenticity to the character, but it also shows how mental health conditions can affect real people.

Although, this vulnerability can be useful in the way it connects the audience to the story and quite possibly to the writer. In this sense, when a writer is unreserved in the way that they choose to write about mental health, then this also allows the audience to be open about their feelings and experiences. It opens up a conversation about an important topic in today's society that throughout the years has often been concealed out of the fear of looking 'insane'. For example, even growing up as a young teenager, it was not something that was discussed at my school until I was about sixteen years old. People are often very quick to negatively label something that they do not understand. There is always going to be some sort of stigma surrounding mental health issues, however, this stigma does nothing to solve mental health problems. It can often delay or impede the person affected from seeking help or treatment. This is just one of the many reasons why it is so important to educate others on the importance of mental health through writing.

Writing about mental health can never be described as 'easy' because if it was, then it would be an easy thing to deal with. It is not surprising that a writer can feel vulnerable when they are writing about their personal experiences with mental health because it is such an intimate thing to share with an audience. This vulnerability can be useful in the sense that it connects and immerses the audience into the story, which in turn allows the audience to feel like they can share their feelings and experiences. Nevertheless, there is always going to be some sort of stigma surrounding mental health issues, but this stigma does nothing to solve the issues. It can often delay or impede the person affected from seeking help or treatment. Fortunately, this stigma is gradually declining due to modern resources with the media being just one of them. Conclusively, when we write about mental health, we are opening up a conversation about a substantial topic in today's society that has been overlooked for too many years.

Whether you're concerned about yourself or a loved one, these helplines and support groups can offer expert advice:

Anxiety UK

Charity providing support if you have been diagnosed with an anxiety condition.

Phone: 03444 775 774 (Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5.30pm)

Website: www.anxietyuk.org.uk

Bipolar UK

A charity helping people living with manic depression or bipolar disorder.

Website: www.bipolaruk.org.uk

CALM

CALM is the Campaign Against Living Miserably, for men aged 15 to 35.

Phone: 0800 58 58 58 (daily, 5pm to midnight)

Website: www.thecalmzone.net

Men's Health Forum

24/7 stress support for men by text, chat and email.

Website: www.menshealthforum.org.uk

Mental Health Foundation

Provides information and support for anyone with mental health problems or learning disabilities.

Website: www.mentalhealth.org.uk

Mind

Promotes the views and needs of people with mental health problems.

Phone: 0300 123 3393 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm)

Website: www.mind.org.uk

No Panic

Voluntary charity offering support for sufferers of panic attacks and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Offers a course to help overcome your phobia or OCD.

Phone: 0844 967 4848 (daily, 10am to 10pm)

Website: www.nopanic.org.uk