forum How to depict madness in a character

Started July 28, 2018 by @Paperok

tune

Not madness in anger, madness as in insanity

uhHhhHHhH in what context? its SUPER EASY to be REALLY OFFENSIVE and REALLY STEREOTYPICAL with this so

I found these webs very helpful-

https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-tips-for-plausibly-writing-a-characters-slow-descent-into-madness

-http://rosieclaverton.com/2014/10/20/5-biggest-mistakes-writing-mental-illness/

Follow the best examples, but don't copy them. Any Batman villain like the Joker or Two-Face, Scarecrow will do too. But another good idea is to give them massively skewed beliefs, like Handsome Jack from Borderlands. Of course the best thing to do would be to research mental and emotional illnesses and use those as the main base.

It's somewhere in there, not my blog: http://wordsnstuff.tumblr.com/post/168630786375/resources-for-writing-sketchy-topics

For context. The second protagonist, Jessica takes meds for her bipolar disorder. Early in the story (In the second chapter to be exact) she decides to go without her meds to make herself "feel lighter" so she can get Paul who she believed wouldn't be interested in her unless she stood out. I'm trying to see how I should portray her actions during those few days.

Bipolar disorder isn't really madness…it's characterized by sudden bursts of energy followed by plummets into depression. As someone who's spent time around a person who displays bipolar disorder symptoms, the "highs" are almost frenzied. Very restless, possibly reckless, etc. While the depressive episodes are bleak, tired, and unmotivated. Research is your best friend. Google symptoms of bipolar disorder, how to write bipolar disorder in fiction, and things about depression. Hope I helped some!