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Conditions that are not mental disorders: ADHD, autism, learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities. Conditions that are mental health conditions: depressive disorders, anxiety, schizophrenia, eating disorders, bipolar, paranoia, OCD, anxiety disorders, PTSD, DOD or DID disorders, and personality disorders.
Try not to make their background too cliché. Do not romanticize mental disorders in your story: this is inappropriate and happens far too often in stories.
Give them strengths and weaknesses. These are essential to make a character realistic and relatable. Ideally, they should have more strengths than weaknesses, or a fair amount of both. Create an appearance for them. Add in other details. Details that should be remembered when creating your character are their age, gender identity, and so on.
For example; many people with PTSD show avoidance by refusing to discuss to traumatic event(s) they experienced and isolating themselves from others. It’s also likely that they will have reoccurring, unwanted thoughts about the event and what is to occur in the future. [8] X Research source
“Mental”: Using the word “mental” to describe somebody with a mental disorder is offensive, derogatory, and dehumanizing. “Mentally disabled:” This is an outdated and offensive term to use that has been replaced with “mental illness” or “mental disorder”. “Mentally ill:" Use “has a mental illness” instead of “mentally ill,” as it’s more respectful. “Mentally handicapped:” Handicapped is for someone that is physical differently-abled, not for somebody with a mental health condition. [12] X Research source “Mentally r*tarded:” This is an outdated term that has been replaced by “intellectual disability” or “developmental disability”.
People with mental illnesses are violent. This is a widespread myth about people with mental illnesses. Many folks with mental disorder are actually not violent, crazy crime committers as the media portrays them to be. The truth is that a very small percent of people with mental disorder are violent and most people with mental disorder never commit crimes. They are actually more likely to be victims of violence than people without mental disorder are. People with mental disorder are incurable or there is no hope for them. Lots of people with mental disorder get treatment and can live amazing lives. While most mental disorder cannot be cured, they can be treated. People with mental disorder are unpredictable. While people with certain mental disorders might experience mood swings, extreme highs and lows or other symptoms doesn’t mean they are unpredictable. People with mental disorder can’t be trusted. Simply because somebody has a mental health condition doesn’t automatically mean they aren’t to be trusted or can’t be trusted. Being untrustworthy is a personality trait, not a default for someone with a mental health condition.
“Crazy” “Junkie” “Psycho” “Deranged” “Insane/nuts”
If the character dies of suicide, use the term “died by suicide” instead of “committed suicide” to have others talk about their death, because “committed suicide” makes suicide sound like a crime rather than a cause of death. If the character murders someone, make sure the feelings they have and their behavior is properly connected to their mental disorder Don’t make the character murder somebody just because of the mental disorder they have: few people with mental disorder are actually serial killers or murderers. If the character is murdered specifically, have the other characters do something about this or show care. Don’t have everyone forget about the person who died simply because they had a mental disorder or were “different”. Have the murderer face criminal consequences. If a character in a story dies (not by murder), consider making another character without a mental disorder die. For example, if the person with a mental disorder was driving with somebody without a mental disorder and they both got in a severe car crash, consider having both of them die rather than just the character with the mental disorder.
