He is living with his abusive father who has recently kicked out James's older sister from the house. Dark Mode. You think depressed characters need to be part of a depressing storyline. 1. For all you basketball fans out there, it’ll be “March Madness” style with a tournament bracket and everything. The most memorable fictional characters are the walk-on parts. When people ask you how your books with depressed character are going, you shouldn't answer: "Well, they're just fine. Seeing a character like Ilana — who is usually so ENERGETIC and bubbly — dealing with depression and trying all these things to cope with it was super … Privacy Eventually, however, after Sam and Joon run away to start a sweeping romance, they realize that the stability Benny provided was necessary, and Joon's mental illness needs treatment, not just hopes and dreams. The go-to source for comic book and superhero movie fans. His crushingly omnipresent sadness threatens to derail every social victory he attains for himself and will consume him if he doesn't find ways to maintain equilibrium despite innumerable triggers. Updated by Kayleena Pierce-Bohen on December 13th, 2020: The subject of mental illness is seeing more transparency in media than ever before, especially given the precedent set by the challenges of 2020. His struggles are both real, relatable, and inspiring because of his mental illness, not in spite of it. Pat feels things too intensely, gets too worked up about trivial things, but struggles to succeed because he's perceived as too high-functioning to be broken. With Nicolas Cage in the role of Roy, a con-artist with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, you'd expect him to bring some of his grandiose showboating to Matchstick Men. His misanthropic personality, which seems exempt from social graces, is comprised of inappropriate emotional responses and forces him to avoid social situations, which is accurately indicative of a number of personality disorders, including Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Like most sad cartoons, he had a rough childhood (once overhearing his mother killing his dad) and was therefore raised by his abusive Grandma in a trailer. Benny devotes himself to supporting her in those times so that she can live an isolated life far away from the jarring pace of the world. Sponge Bob Square Pants and Elphaba from Wicked. He gets entrusted to his younger brother Charlie after the death of their father and has no idea that Charlie is an opportunist using Raymond to get at their father's fortune. In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month, I have composed a list of several pieces of literature, mostly fiction, that examine the topic of characters suffering from mental illness. Ayers is befriended by Steve (Robert Downey Jr.), a columnist who's searching for the story that will get his life back on track. That is me. Many of these authors experienced mental illness themselves firsthand, and their work reflects some of their own personal struggles. July 30, 2018, 10:52 AM. The most iconic character of this show is Sheldon, a caricature of O.C.D so exaggerated that it's almost funny. In a desperate attempt to save her, her family sends her to a group home, which specializes in mental health for young people. While there is the thought that a biographical drama about noted mathematician John Forbes Nash, Jr. would evoke an exaggerated take on the mental illness that tarnished his reputation, A Beautiful Mind doesn't do him the disservice. These characters have such glaring and long enduring mental disorders that theres no way they could escape years of therapy. Kayleena has been raised on Star Wars and Indiana Jones from the crib. With Inside Out, Pixar created a surprisingly sensitive and deft portrayal of a child suffering from anxiety and depression that was accessible to both children and adults. By fate or coincidence, when Alice (Kristen Wiig) decides to quit her medications cold turkey, she cashes in the winning lottery ticket. Cartoon characters and mental disorder: Your beloved snow-spewing “Frozen” princess suffered from a grave mental disorder. Lisa was a sociopath, characterized by a charismatic and manipulative nature she used to elicit close bonds from the patients around her. Genuine depictions of mental illness and all its many forms in movies have continued to force viewers to confront uncomfortable truths, realize the need for better mental health programs, and lifted the stigma surrounding it. It instead chronicles his years of professional genius, his downward mental spiral, and his eventual recovery in a tasteful way that isn't romanticized. You voted and the results from round one of the fictional character face off are in! When she didn't get her way, her seductive personality turned incredibly abusive, showing a sociopath's lack of remorse even when she drove a fellow patient to suicide. Maggie is married to a loving husband but is unhappy, and Milo has always wondered if his first love is the one who got away. Silver Linings Playbook really kicks off upon his release, when he loses his wife and access to his child and moves back in with his parents. To participate, all you have to do is download our Mighty app (if you haven’t done so already) and join our group “Watch With The Mighty.” Excited to see who you vote for Mighty family! We will keep going throughout the month until we whittle our list down to the ultimate mental health champion! Alice has manic mood swings, and tumultuous relationships, which lead the people around her to view her as selfish. Here are 10 movie characters who accurately portray mental illness. Throughout the show, his obsessive compulsive behavior is … These fictional characters also give fun, educate, and interesting role to the children that made them more popular around the world. Mental illnesses can manifest in a variety of ways. The stigma is lifting, and with its absence, genuine depictions are showcased. He attempts to control his condition for a chance at a relationship with a waitress at his favorite diner, but he's rude, arrogant, and entitled. She’s unapologetically herself at all times and doesn’t make any excuses for anything. The death of a fictional character can feel shockingly upsetting and real. He plays Melvin Udall, a best-selling author diagnosed with OCD, who performs obsessive rituals to combat his intrusively anxious thoughts. It’s the sensation of wanting to be someone else (tougher, smarter, fitter, healthier), just not being me. https://themighty.com/2020/05/mental-health-best-fictional-characters There is something about mental disorders that makes a movie all the more enthralling. Though BPD is portrayed using humor in the movie, it accurately works to falsify the burgeoning myth that people with her condition are doomed to be self-destructive and self-involved. He is notorious for his inability to maintain long-term relationships. While they get closer handling the family business, Roy has to understand that the methods he used to control his mental illness have to be adjusted to accommodate his new fatherly role. He forms an unlikely friendship with Ayers, and together they bring awareness to not just mental illness, but society's response to it. RELATED: 10 TV Characters Who Accurately Portray Mental Illness. Joy has usually been the predominant emotion in her life, but the move gives a voice to Sadness, who soon commandeers her personality. The courts recognized the act as an episode of bipolar mania, not as a crime of passion, and his long road to recovery begins. The portrayal of characters with mental disorders. Once there, he gains something much more valuable than the meds he thinks he needs - perspective. Trust me, if you met these characters in real life, you would have rushed them to the nearest shrink available. Once there, he gains something much more valuable than the meds he thinks he needs - perspective. Fictional characters with sleep disorders‎ (1 C, 1 P) Pages in category "Fictional characters with neurological or psychological disorders" The following 61 pages are in this category, out of 61 total. Chances are, you’ve been watching a lot of TV and movies during the pandemic. RELATED: Angelina Jolie's Best Movies Of The Decade (According To IMDB). A one-stop shop for all things video games. Princess Carolyn's character arc throughout BoJack Horseman offers an insight into high-functioning depression, with her character a juxtaposition of BoJack's. When Joy and Sadness get pulled to the furthest reaches of Riley's subconscious, Anger, Fear, and Disgust assume control. Fictional Material Featuring Characters with Anxiety and Depression Anxiety and depression can make those experiencing them feel isolated, and like they are having difficulty connecting with others. A weekly show where knowledge junkies get their fix of trivia-tastic information. DCEU: 5 Storylines That Fans Loved (& 5 That Went Nowhere), 15 Movie Characters Who Accurately Portray Mental Illness, 10 TV Characters Who Accurately Portray Mental Illness, Angelina Jolie's Best Movies Of The Decade (According To IMDB), 10 Best Movies Based on Young Adult Novels, Just Mercy: 10 Jamie Foxx Characters Ranked From Heroic To Most Villainous, for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, 10 Best Movies About Tortured Geniuses, Ranked, 10 Most Iconic Movie Franchise Logos Of All Time, Ranked, Saving Private Ryan: The 10 Most Inspirational Quotes, The Mandalorian: Why Grogu Should Speak Like Yoda (& Why He Shouldn't), 10 Scariest Looking Horror Movie Villains Of All Time, 5 Ways La La Land Is Ryan Gosling's Best Movie (& 5 Ways It's Blade Runner 2049). When Pat Solatano (Bradley Cooper) nearly beats his wife's lover to death he's institutionalized, not thrown in jail. Jack Nicholson's character in As Good As It Gets (for which he won the Academy Award for Best Actor), who wears gloves in public and won't step on cracks in the sidewalk, is so much more than an eccentric New Yorker. The story of Nathaniel Ayers (Jamie Foxx) may seem singular enough to be featured as the premise of a movie, but his circumstances are far more common than you'd think. She discovers ways to confront her deep-seated anxieties and embrace self-acceptance. Javert is an ISTJ fictional character from the movie Les Miserables, and he is heavy on the dominant function of introverted sensing, as are most of these individuals. The perceived dramatic nature of a mental illness has notoriously meant it's too often conveyed as a means to broadcast sentimentality or sensationalism. Springfield has no shortage of troubled characters, but Moe the bartender is the most openly depressed. Pat Solitano (“Silver Linings Playbook”) vs. Katniss Everdeen (“The Hunger Games”) vs. representation of mental illness in pop culture, For example, Hannah Baker from “13 Reasons Why” vs. Elsa from “Frozen”, Hannah Baker From ’13 Reasons Why’ Could Have Been Me, The Problem With Naming Hannah Baker a ‘Top 10’ Fictional Character of 2017, ’13 Reasons Why’ Is Not Everyone’s Story, but It Is Still Valid, 25 Fictional Characters People With Borderline Personality Disorder Relate To, My Take on ‘Silver Linings Playbook’ as a Woman With Bipolar Disorder, 8 Movie Characters That Show These 6 Classic PTSD Symptoms, 22 Fictional Characters People With Anxiety Relate To, How Olivia Benson from Law and Order: SVU Has Helped My Recovery, Why ‘Joker’ Could Trigger Some Viewers With Mental Illness, 8 Movies That Got Mental Illness (Mostly) Right, 10 TV Shows That Got Mental Illness (Mostly) Right, 10 Fictional Characters People With PTSD Relate To, 10 ‘Supernatural’ Quotes That Encourage Me on Tough Days With Chronic Illness, How ‘Supernatural’ Helps Me Through Difficult Times With Illness, 30 Fictional Characters People With Depression Relate To, The ‘Inside Out’ Character I Relate to as a Person With Borderline Personality Disorder, BoJack Horseman’ Validated the Pain of Losing My Grandmother to Dementia, 6 TV Shows That Got Borderline Personality Disorder Symptoms (Mostly) Right, Why ‘Riverdale’ Needs to Rethink How It Represents Mental Health and Suicide. his biographical memory; cannot form new memories; cannot encode short-term memories into long-term; stuck within a limited … 1. Uncle Iroh is an INFP fictional character from the anime Avatar and he shows classic traits of the mediator, being a guide and teacher to those around him, and generally showing a friendly and happy demeanor. Even though the character isn’t a real person, you still can feel incredibly close to them. He initially copes with Raymond's outbursts for financial gain, not realizing that he's becoming the routine and stability that Raymond needs in his life. So did Beauty from Beauty and the Beast and so did many others. No. The 10 Best Cameos In Quentin Tarantino Movies, Harry Potter: 10 Privet Drive Scenes Fans Never Got To See, The Parent Trap & 7 Other Classic Movies Turning 60 In 2021, Star Wars Characters, Ranked Least-Most Likely To Win The Hunger Games, The Hobbit: 10 Amusing Goofs & Mistakes That Made It Into The Battle Of The Five Armies, The Highest Grossing Comedy Movies For Each Year Of The 1980s, Harry Potter: Why Draco Should Have Been The Main Character (& 5 Reasons Why He Wasn't), Toby Kebbell's 10 Best Movie & TV Show Roles, Ranked According To IMDb, Captain America: Why The MCU Shouldn't Bring Back Chris Evans (& 5 Ways It Could Work), Sundance: 10 Recent Winners Streaming On Netflix Right Now, 10 Worst Movie Scenes To Watch On An Empty Stomach. Unlike other teen movies featuring the polar extremes of bursting out into song or chronic drug addiction, Perks of Being a Wallflower focuses on a boy named Charlie (Logan Lerman) who's just trying to get through his teenage years while dealing with the crippling PTSD and anxiety that comes with trauma. Leonard Shelby, Memento. Here are five popular fictional characters with mental illness: Scarlett O’Hara (Gone With The Wind) The archetypal character with Histrionic Personality Disorder. Having lost much of their resources, his wife (Zoe Saldana) attends Columbia University to get a better degree, and with it a better job. One of the most enigmatic patients she encountered was Lisa Rowe, played with volatile intensity by Angelina Jolie. NEXT: 10 Best Movies About Tortured Geniuses, Ranked. Aside from the usual cognitive behavioral therapy, they examine the romantic relationships in their lives to try to find areas of their unhappiness that they can alter. Charlie Brown Charlie brown is the character … Once she settles into her new environment, she comes out of her shell thanks to a doctor (Keanu Reeves) with non-traditional and inclusive methods of approaching her mental illness. Dark Mode. When she isn't writing for ScreenRant, CBR, or The Gamer, she's working on her fiction novel, lifting weights, going to synthwave concerts, or cosplaying. One major issue with the character portrayed is his consistent involvement with a support group. He began as a gifted professional musician who suddenly finds himself homeless when he's plagued by the onset of schizophrenia. Depression Kitty is a villainess from Big Mouth. Nash emerged victorious over the paranoid delusions brought on by his schizophrenia by acknowledging that though they were there, they would not rule his life. 7 Dreamy INFP Fictional Characters Uncle Iroh from Avatar: The Last Airbender & Avatar: Legend of Korra. Lenz, 1836 novella fragment by Georg Büchner depicting the unfolding of mental disorder with the German poet Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz. Princess Carolyn throws herself into her work as a distraction, repeating a cycle when her crazed life as an agent creates its own chaos. MENTAL DISORDERS OF 4 CARTOON CHARACTERS: While most of us have actually grown up watching cartoons. The film focused on Riley, a happy-go-lucky 11-year-old who becomes depressed when her parents move the family to San Francisco. He portrays the mental illness with understated intensity, however, especially when it comes to bear on his vocation and his relationship with his teenage daughter Angela. Having a tough life, James tries to see the humor in things while also figuring out why his sister was forced out of the house. Depression Kitty Depression Kitty NO. By the end of the film, they each grow to know a fraternal love unlike anything he's ever known. Symptoms: remembers events of the past e.g. With degrees in anthropology and archaeology, she plans to continue pretending to be Lara Croft as long as she can. The bartender has low self-esteem, well … Matt Sloan. A cat from the comic strip Achewood, Roast Beef himself admits he’s “got depression”, Seasonal Affective Disorder and Avoidant Personality Disorder. You know, a little dark, a little gloomy. These characters show the realities of living with them in sensitive and illuminating portrayals. Autism has a spectrum spanning the most high-functioning and the most severe alterations to behavior, and the further along the spectrum, the greater the chance of sensationalism. Batman, the lead character of the eponymous comic book series by DC Comics, has an alter ego, Bruce Wayne, and shows tendencies of Schizoid Personality Disorder, or even Schizotypal Personality Disorder. Feeling isolated can cause the person to socially withdraw from others, dwell on negative feelings and qualities, and more. When Milo (Bill Hader) tries to commit suicide, he reunites with his estranged twin sister Maggie (Kristen Wiig) in the hospital. My favourite is Fermin, the silver-tongued tramp with the dark past from Carlos Ruiz Zafon's The Shadow Of The Wind. Here are 33 of the best examples of how mental disorders have been featured in films. The fictional characters with psychological disorders are listed below. As a bonus, it’ll get you thinking about the representation of mental illness in pop culture. James Whitman is dealing with anxiety and depression. His family's support has always kept him able to go through life without ever facing his mental illness, but after a severe manic episode hospitalizes him, he's forced to have a wake-up call. Angela yearns to be closer to her father, as well as gain an insider perspective into the world of the con, so she asks to join his next big scheme. Craig still has his problems, but after 5 days of bonding, he realizes that they aren't so bad. Leonard, one of the main characters in this novel, lives with manic depression, which affects his work, his friendships, and his romantic relationships. Name: Leonard Shelby. Once we tally the votes, the winning character will move on to the next round, and the other will be knocked out of the running. 16 fictional characters who actually portray mental … Villette, an 1853 novel by Charlotte Brontë. Top Fictional Characters. Mark Ruffalo is at his mercurial best depicting a single father suffering from manic depression, unsure of how to take care of himself let alone his two spirited daughters. | Accepting that depression will always be a part of their lives is the only way they are able to healthily move forward. When it isn't either of those, its "madness" is the perfect fuel for horror films by misconceptions of aggressive psychosis. And, as always, hey, full of dead people." The pandemic has been pretty exhausting for a lot of us, so this May, we wanted to host a fun, mental health-related activity you can participate in from the comfort of your couch! Through therapy and reassessment, she's able to take her mental health seriously. Cinema in general has had a dubious history with portraying mental health in an authentic or even sensitive light. She impulsively purchases a talk show, where she's able to share her opinions with the world, while her Borderline Personality Disorder creeps back into her life. Luckily in Rain Man, this isn't the case, and the presentation of Raymond Babbitt's (Dustin Hoffman) autism is authentic and genuine. In It's Kind of a Funny Story, Craig is a depressed teenager who develops suicidal ideation and does the only thing he can think of in a particularly dark moment - checks himself into a mental health clinic to get access to some medication. During the month of May, We’ll be posting pairings for you to vote on (For example, Hannah Baker from “13 Reasons Why” vs. Elsa from “Frozen”). All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers. Pokémon Meets Disney: What Team Would Each Princess Have? He spends the 18 months of her master's program coming to terms with his bipolar diagnosis and raising their two daughters. 3. Because of this, we’re doing a “Fictional Character Face Off” to determine which TV/movie character represented mental health the best.