In the interests of a blog im about to write, can anyone think of any comic books or comic book characters, now or ever which have dealt with mental illness in a way that you consider to be. Childrens comic cartoon characters with psychological disorders. There is no one mental illness you can diagnose me with. It is a common weakness to characters in comic books and a somewhat poorly used trope. How xmen movies, tv shows tackle mental health cbr. Unfortunately, the handling of his erratic behavior has been, well, erratic. On the other hand, comic books can also show mental health issues in a negative light when their characters minimize their symptoms, decline psychiatric assessment, or dont adhere to. Pages in category mental illness in fiction the following 6 pages are in this category, out of 6 total. The book actually coined the term snowflake to describe nicks disassociation from society. Debunking the biggest myths about mental health in the. Comic books have, for many decades, fallen victim to negative preconceptions from society with it claimed comic books can be detrimental to the mental and emotional health of. Debunking the biggest myths about mental health in the black community. Here are 15 superheroes and villains whove struggled with mental illness. These manga feature characters who struggle with a debilitating health condition, whether theyre diagnosed with a terminal illness or a lifelong condition that impacts their way of life.
These are available to license for books, magazines, merchandise, newsletters, presentations and websites. The shows on tv that actually portray mental illness well. Thats what university of illinois at chicago researchers are creating with catchit, an interactive online comic book intended to help teens ages 18 through a range of coping strategies. You must be out of your mind if you are able to kill somebody or if you think that you should rule the world. A great superhero, to me, faces universal problems, which makes them relatable to the audience. Superheroes and villains who are mentally ill screenrant.
Psychiatrists diagnose gothams villains with mental illnesses. Mental health representation matters superhero therapy. Scarlet, in superhero therapy, we can view our present mental health struggles as our superhero origin stories, and through our healing process, we get to grow into the superheroes we were meant to be. May 01, 2020 may is mental health awareness month, and as society grows in its understanding of mental illnesses, their effects, and their treatments, were seeing more and more ya narratives that address these topics. Sure, some fictional characters, such as storm from the xmen, are is known to. Stories chronicling the struggles of young people and their friends, siblings, or parents who suffer from anxiety, depression, obsessivecompulsive disorder ocd, agoraphobia, an eating disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, hypochondria, and other illnesses make for engrossing. Comic book focusing on teenage mental health and the need. Aura aura is the superhero alias of a young woman named alexis pope. Mentallyill and insane characters have a long and storied history in anime and manga. Comics are a wonderful medium for mental health positivity.
This unique mirrorissue reminds us how anyone can suffer from mental health problems in the world of superheroes. Comic book writers vary in how they write harley and depict her grasp of the reality around her, but usually. She also has migraine headaches not uncommon in people with bipolar disorder with visual aura although. Artist illustrates mental illness and disorders in his own personal depictions and in recent time we have seen how people have contributed and played their part in. Pages in category marvel comics characters who have mental powers the following 35 pages are in this category, out of 35 total. Since his debut in new avengers, comic book readers have watched as sentrys psyche continues to deteriorate. The quirks in their personality may be what makes them so endearing to us, but if we encountered these individuals in real life, we would probably direct them toward the. There is one person, but idk if things between us could ever work. Because fictional characters can help us understand our own stories as well as help us overcome our struggles, w e wanted to know what characters people with depression identify with. Captain marvel was much on my mind last year as i wrote my latest book. This makes superman an interesting character and proves that. A year after her father died, when she was twenty years old, alison bechdel was looking through some old family photographs and found one of a young man in his underwear. Since his debut in new avengers, comic book readers have watched as.
It is a sobering reminder of a real mental illness that many people have to deal with in the real world. However, these gods are subject to many mental health problems. Marvel comics has been at the forefront of awareness for mental illness for quite some time. A list of movies that i may use for a project in my abnormal psychology class. Comic books can help to enlighten and educate readers about mental illness. While most of these characters have suffered from mental illness at some. These universal problems ground the characters who are known for their powerful abilities and otherworldly strengths. Exploring mental illness with unstoppable wasp marvel. Though legion can explain away david hallers diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia as a symptom of his mutant power, the xmenbased series handles his power, in many ways, as though it is simply a mental illness. Many of our best loved cartoon characters actually display many traits that could be considered as mental health disorders. Many comic books that involve a psychological disorder are written. In and of itself, though, social chameleonism is not a specific mental illness or. Aug 16, 2016 no speculative diagnoses here, the characters were all given bipolar disorder by their creators.
Dec 19, 2019 since his debut in new avengers, comic book readers have watched as sentrys psyche continues to deteriorate. Movies that feature characters dealing with mental illness. Depending on the situation, mental illness can be used to explain the suffering of a character, or make them seem more scary and frightening. Marvel comics is a prime example of bringing awareness and ending the. Not the taboo subject it once was, mental illness offers rich territory to explore in books for kids and teens. Its also reflected in his need to be the smartest man in the room at all times. The new wasp inherited her fathers genius as well as his bipolar disorder, which the creators of her comic book series. Shes a great reminder that someone can find happiness even when they think they dont deserve it. May is mental health awareness month, and as society grows in its understanding of mental illnesses, their effects, and their treatments, were seeing more and more ya narratives that address these topics. While most of these characters have suffered from mental illness at some point in their career, the struggle for antman, aka giant man, aka yellowjacket, aka goliath, has been ongoing. Mental health representation matters psychology today.
Psychiatrists call out dc on depictions of mentally ill. Either way, these characters have all certainly had their ups and downs. But if we try to think what it might be like for a real person to have their traits, it might not look like a good idea. My descriptions will indicate which mental illness or neurological condition is exhibited by which character if known. Mental illness is an area frequently misunderstood by authors and readers alike. We look at superheroes as modern gods in many ways.
A mental disorder, also called a mental illness or psychiatric disorder, is a mental or behavioral pattern or anomaly that causes either suffering or an impaired ability to function in ordinary life disability, and which is not developmentally or socially normative. Comic books have the power to fight mental illness the. Heroes have to find a balance between their superhero identity and their normal one. The mental health comics and cartoons the cartoonist group. We felt it was an opportunity to present a representation of mental illness that we dont frequently see in comics. Do suicide squad villains harley and joker defy diagnosis. Historically, comics have blamed villainous tendencies on mental illness. We all love cartoons, particularly for the goofy characters who behave in crazy, whacky ways. Mental illness is a mental or behavioral pattern which causes strife or anguish to ones life. Comics are a good medium for exploring mental health, and there.
Comics recently hired a mental health professional to. These movies feature characters living and often struggling with mental illness and can help kids understand more about this often sensitive subject. Comic books as a bridge to healing counseling today. Its humbling to see such powerful characters be brought down to. These include behavioral or chemical dysfunction, abnormal disorders, intense fears, chemical dependency and, natural to comics, exposure to substances which affect a persons thought process and actions. Movies that feature characters dealing with mental illness talking to kids about depression, anxiety, or other mental health issues can be tough. Many seemingly innocent cartoon characters should count their lucky stars that they live in an animated, fictional universe. Comic book focusing on teenage mental health and the need for kindness photo.
His behavior indicates a tenuous grasp of reality combined with an absence of basic impulse control. Books that feature characters dealing with mental illness. Usually, shows involve heartbreak for depressed characters or plotlines revolving around their inability to sustain marriages, friendships, or relationships. Most mental illnesses were previously met with a good amount of unfair stigma. From spiderman to daredevil, here are the marvel heroes who inspire. Both characters are now wellknown to movie audiences as well.
Being a superhero can likely strain your mental health. Most of the time, the authors integrate the theme of mental health organically, in a way that proves how common mental illness actually is. Click on any image to see links to licensing and related cartoons. Where the film gets nicks mental illness wrong is implying that the mundanity of his daily struggles triggered a mental break allowing the did to emerge.
She believes identifying with fictional characters can help us in mental health recovery. The quirks in their personality may be what makes them so endearing to us, but if we encountered these individuals in real life, we would probably direct them toward the nearest therapist. Now, its a story set in a future world where young people become frustrated by the shallowness of their lives, and. Whether its in a comic book or a movie, most everyone has seen a superhero.
Superheroes and mental illness why our stories matter. A lot of people shit on her character because they dont like that she ended up with harry, but theres so much more to. Fact most superheroes are disturbed individuals who suffering from some type ptsd red sonja, narcissistic personality disorder thor, obsessive compulsive disorder. If they lived among us and were judged the way you and i are, they would be in major trouble. Comic book superhero helps fight stigma surrounding mental.
The book describes the physiology of trauma, many case studies, and new nonpharmaceutical treatments. In superhero stories, mental illness is often associated with violence and villainy. Various comic book stories have covered issues as heartbreaking as depression and suicide. The mental health comics and cartoons collected from thirtyfive of the best cartoonists. Sep 19, 2017 while most of these characters have suffered from mental illness at some point in their career, the struggle for antman, aka giant man, aka yellowjacket, aka goliath, has been ongoing. All will contain some sort of mental or neurological disorder that should be one of the main themes of the film. Jan 16, 2020 comic books have, for many decades, fallen victim to negative preconceptions from society with it claimed comic books can be detrimental to the mental and emotional health of its readers. Jan 14, 2015 psychiatrists diagnose gothams villains with mental illnesses. We asked people from our mental health community who live with depression to share one character they relate to. Living with mental illness is a daily struggle for many people and comic book superheroes are a way of escaping our everyday lives.
These authors create wellrounded characters that go through mental health challenges because it makes them relatable to the millions of people who live with mental health conditions everyday. Much of davids comic history, as well as the excellent legion tv. Oftentimes, fictional characters with mental illness seem to be unable to find a healthy or stable relationship. Why marvel comics revealed a superhero to be bipolar. This has resulted in some characters having entire galleries of crazy villains and heroes frequently doing things that are mentally unhealthy and feeling. Comic books such as batman, superman and the avengers have become a common language in our culture. Pope ponders a year of recovery from a suicide attempt, subsequent hospitalization and diagnosis of bipolar disorder, comorbid migraines, and medication trials that. Others only served to pronounce the already wellworn stigma of psychological disorders. What are the top 10 mentally ill dc and marvel comic. These characters have such glaring and longenduring mental disorders that theres no way they could escape years of therapy, and possible institutionalization. Superheroes and supervillains with mental disorders florida. The temptation to examine the human condition through characters who think or behave in ways we find strange is a common theme in literature, and yet more and more of society is waking up to the fact that frivolous depictions of mental illness can have serious realworld implications. Alexis has bipolar disorder and has survived a suicide attempt. Uic researchers use comic to aid teens with depression.
These manga feature characters who live with a mental health condition that impacts their way of life, such as depression, anxiety, ptsd, or a personality disorder. Oct 24, 2014 on the other hand, comic books can also show mental health issues in a negative light when their characters minimize their symptoms, decline psychiatric assessment, or dont adhere to treatment. Some illnesses may stem from a physical disability. Oct 14, 2015 mental illness is an area frequently misunderstood by authors and readers alike. By showing us heroes with these problems, marvel did a great service in.
Identifying mental illness in comic books requires notice of a characters behavior. There are three main characters, and at least two of them have confirmed mental illnesses. Some supers arent villains or heroes but they have mental illnesses as well. A year after her father died, when she was twenty years old, alison bechdel was looking through some old family photographs and found one of. Mental health awareness through superheroes comicbook debate.
The best writers on the book seem to be the ones who put poor matt through the most pain. No speculative diagnoses here, the characters were all given bipolar disorder by their creators. People look at superheroes and see greatness and perfection. There are many compelling, wellwritten narratives that focus on mental illness or otherwise feature teen characters struggling with and. When diagnosing fictional characters, therapists need to be.