Representation I : Anxiety and Depression in Literature

 Hi everyone! Today I will start one of my Writing Tips series and it's a topic that is a hot potato yet one that every writer has to eventually face: Representation of Certain Groups in Literature. As you may all know, there is a certain demand for people not part of the dominant culture to be represented and this includes all the Artistic subjects, including Literature. But it is not a question of doing it. It is a question of doing it correctly. How does one come about this, you may all be asking? This is what this series is going to unravel, tackling one group at a time each week. After all, as being proven in recent times, representation does matter! Keep in mind that I am writing for a general audience and I do not mean to offend anyone who is reading this and is part of that certain demographic.

As you may have recalled from the title, today we shall be focusing on how to represent those individuals who have Anxiety or/and Depression. Your poem or story has a world of untapped potential, so why make all your characters the same when you can make complex characters that people of all countries can relate to? Just like humans, all characters should have qualities that in a combination make them all unique in their own way. These can be strengths, flaws or even circumstances (as is in this case). But let us jump right into it, shall we? How does one write a character dealing with Anxiety or/and Depression correctly? There are four rules to representing each demographic perfectly, which will remain the same for each demographic but in each article I shall be writing specific details for each representative matter. 

1) UNDERSTAND THE TWO CONDITIONS AS SEPERATE AND COLLECTIVE ENTITIES. While Anxiety and Depression are closely interrelated, someone may have one without suffering from the other. Furthermore, if one suffers from both, they do not appear at the same time. For example, you can have a character with social anxiety (one who is oftentimes overly alert to cues in social situations, which can take a toll on a person's wellbeing) who due to the events in the story then develops depression. Or it can be the other way around. Whichever way you choose to develop your character's journey (which brings me to my next point), just be aware that if you choose to make a character suffer from both, do not make them both appear at once, because that way it does not become believable. 

2) MAKE THE CHARACTER'S JOURNEY DIFFERENT, JUST LIKE IT WAS A REAL PERSON. Not everyone goes through the same events in life, and that what is what makes us all unique. It has been scientifically proven that even though identical twins share DNA, they are still individuals in their own right, which makes many sociologists and psychologists discuss the Nature vs Nurture debate (whichever is more important in development of identity: nature (birth and physical features) or nurture (surroundings). The same applies to your character. For example, it is realistic enough for a person who seems to have it all to get hit with depression. There really does not have to be a reason as to why a person comes down with these mental disorders. Sometimes there is, and sometimes there is not. Also, as much as possible, do not fall into stereotypes. While it may be true that a shy person may struggle with social anxiety, how much more interesting would it be to read about an extrovert who suffers from the condition? Or have the popular one feel depressed and useless? Even people who seem to have it all may be hiding a vulnerable interior inside. Combine and play around with elements of personality as you wish, because people are three-dimensional, possessing an entire spectrum of traits, so your characters should be the same.

3) UNLESS IT'S CRUCIAL TO THE STORY, DON''T MAKE IT THE CENTREPIECE OF IT ALL. One thing that most people do not agree with when it comes to representation is when it feels forced. An example is when a particular piece of media makes it clear that they put a character different from the dominant culture just for kicks. If this is your intention, kindly do not write a character with anxiety and/or depression. If on the other hand, you genuinely want to represent a condition which is not the dominant culture, go ahead. If the story you are going to write is about the journey of finding out that they have anxiety or depression (or both), obviously it has to be the centrepiece of it. However, if you are writing any other genre, please do not make it the end all and be all of your story. An example of how you can do this is mention it off handedly or describe the symptoms of that particular character and then let the readers come to their own conclusions. 

4) RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH AND IF NOT ENOUGH, RESEARCH EVEN MORE. The most important and fundamental thing to do when representing a minority in any sort of art is to research. For example it IS true that people with anxiety can experience blackouts but not only is that not valid for everyone, there are also more symptoms that are less talked about. For example, did you know that after an anxiety attack some people have an intense urge to pee or poop? Or that depressed people do not necessarily have to feel sad: in fact most of the time, they feel nothing? Or just like our emotions there are highs and lows of depression and anxiety? Maybe you were unaware that it is not apparent to other people that you are suffering from one or both conditions: it can be easily hid behind a fake smile. Finally a common characteristic between all people who suffer from this condition could be that in the anxiety stage they overachieve because it is not enough and once they have reached the point of breakdown, they start to underachieve, leading to depressive era. This is what I mean, research the topic carefully in order to hit all the right spots when it comes to people enjoying your literature. 

I hope these tips were helpful and happy writing, everyone!