Confession: I do a lot of creative writing for an online, text-based role playing game #nerdalert
A lot of what I write has to do with mental health. I put the main character of my stories through a lot trauma, and then I write my little heart out to get her through the aftermath and the inevitable mental health issues she experiences as a result: PTSD, anxiety, depression, self-harm, thoughts of suicide. I like to explore these issues because it helps me better understand them.
Unfortunately, sometimes people don’t get what I’m writing. They don’t read my attempts at portraying mental health issues for what they are. Instead, they see my character behaving a certain way and label it as unnecessary drama, selfishness, or her feeling sorry for herself.
And it’s super disheartening.
It’s made me want to give up trying more than once.