30 TV Characters Who Accurately Portray Mental Illness

Mental health is a serious topic that requires a lot of sensitivity and honesty when it comes to representation in popular media, and The television characters with mental disorders provide a wide spectrum of representation. Many shows and movies have been criticized for their portrayal of mental health, with characters being reduced to two-dimensional clichés that promote damaging stereotypes. Contemporary media has risen to the challenge when it comes to depicting an accurate representation of mental health. shows how Bojack Horseman Gained critical acclaim for explorations of mental illness, as well as becoming iconic staples of popular culture.

Mental illness is becoming less taboo on television. Part of this is because Actors and writers are vocal about seeking mental health support themselves, and encouraging viewers to do the same. Telling serialized stories depicting how fictional characters learn to live with depression, anxiety and more helps break down barriers for fans to talk about it. Sometimes, depictions of mental illness in media can be divisive as there can be overlapping symptoms in different illnesses, and not everyone experiences them the same way. The TV characters with mental disorders are at the forefront of opening up a dialogue.

30

Samantha LaRusso (Cobra Kai)

Played by Mary Mouser

Although Cobra Kai Mostly focuses on the competition between rival dojos, the Karate Kid Sequel series also saw Sam, daughter of Daniel LaRusso deal with PTSD early in the show. Sam learned karate from her father as a child, and during the series, decides to get back into the teachings. When she and Tori don’t see eye-to-eye, they become competitive on and off the mat, and it even leads to a confrontation at school while all their friends bicker in the halls.

Tori and Sam’s fight is so brutal that Sam is left with a scar on her arm and PTSD from the event. The series sees Sam take a step back from karate at first, and often, she will lose focus when she sees the scars on her arm. She also finds herself triggered while in other confrontations with her friends, feeling like she is transported back to the very fight, and losing herself in the moment.

It takes Sam a long time to deal with the repercussions of this fight, and she tries to confront Tori several times before she is really ready.

29

Silly Booth (Bones)

Played by David Boreanaz

In the crime procedural BonesFBI agent Ceili Booth is often portrayed as the “normal” person among the main characters. In fact, he is simply the least academic of the main characters who follows his gut instead of logical reasoning. One part of his backstory that is touched on in the series, however, is that he struggles with a gambling addiction.

Flashback episodes show Booth would miss calls and lose focus at work to play pool games and bet on the outcome. Like many who are addicted to gambling, Booth did not initially see it as a problem because he kept winning. It wasn’t until a murder investigation came up that he realized he needed help to control his addiction.

Dr. Brennan knows his story, and as is the case with many people who try to help those with addictions, she overcompensates when they are in a situation where Booth can gamble. When the two enter a casino in one episode, watching She constantly calls him in and reports his struggles to the great room, although he quietly deals with the temptation in his own way.

At the point in Booth’s life that the series takes place, it is clear that he has a long way to learn to cope with his addiction and that he is careful not to put himself in situations that would tempt him.

28

Chris Traeger (Parks and Recreation)

Played by Rob Lowe

Although Parks and Recreation A workplace comedy, the series deals with some surprisingly serious topics in a lighthearted way. Chris Traeger, for example, has been revealed to have anxiety and depression. He can spiral when in a high-pressure environment, which is why he has many coping mechanisms for his anxiety and depression.

One of these is relying on Ben to deliver bad news to others as part of his job so that he doesn’t have to be faced with sad situations. Using someone else as a coping mechanism isn’t the best way to go, but he channels his energy into exercise as well. Exercising, or at least, becoming more active, is one way that mental health professionals advise those with anxiety and depression to try to cope. It allows them to focus their energy on a specific task and releases endorphins, helping to combat stress.

27

Stiles Stilinski (Teen Wolf)

Played by Dylan O’Brien

Stiles is a great example of how to portray something like ADHD in a show with very heightened fantasy situations.

In supernatural teen dramas, the monsters are often the metaphors for other issues that teenagers face. When the main characters, however, are the “monsters,” some of the issues are less metaphorical and more realistic, as in Tin Wolf.

From the beginning of the show, Scott’s sidekick and best friend Stiles is referred to medication for ADHD or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. ADHD is incredibly common, although not everyone diagnosed with it is medicated. The most common symptoms of ADHD, especially in children and adolescents are hyperactivity, inability to focus and impulsivity. These are all exhibited by Styles throughout the show.

When Stiles rushes from one topic to the next in conversation or fidgets excessively, other characters will even ask him if he remembers to take his medication. Things like finger tapping, leg shaking and pen chewing are all done by Stiles to demonstrate his hyperactivity in classroom scenes. Stiles is a great example of how to portray something like ADHD in a show with very heightened fantasy situations.

26

Maggie (great mood)

Played by Nicola Coughlan

It’s a powerful exploration of what it’s like to live with bipolar disorder when it’s not yet carefully managed.

Nicola Coughlan may be best known for her roles in the comedy Derry Girls and the historical romance BridgertonBut the drama Great mood Shows that she is even more skilled of an actor than the audience might have thought. The first season of the UK series is only six episodes long, and it deals with two lifelong friends as they drift apart, partly due to mental health issues.

Coughlan’s Maggie has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The series chronicles both her manic episodes in which she wants to take her friend Eddie along to experience everything, and her depressive episodes in which Eddie tries to help by forcing her to go out or attend a party. It’s an interesting look at how those around someone with bipolar disorder can’t understand what the other person is going through.

After all, Eddie is quick to think that Maggie will be fine to go off her medication cold turkey. She is also quick to believe that new medications will instantly “fix” the problems Maggie is going through. Maggie, on the other hand, legitimately feels like she’s losing her grip on reality when her medication goes wrong. It’s a powerful exploration of what it’s like to live with bipolar disorder when it’s not yet carefully managed.

25

Maria Bamford (Lady Dynamite)

Played by Maria Bamford

Lady Dynamite is a special show because it stars Maria Bamford as herself. This is a fictionalized version of her life story and Bamford uses it as an opportunity to show what life as a character with mental illness is really like. The series follows Maria as She is moving back to Los Angeles after spending six months in recovery for bipolar disorder. Her goal is to rebuild her life with the help of her agent (Fred Melamed) and her life coach (Ana Gasteyer), and finally mount a stand-up show centered around her mental breakdown.

Thanks to her real-life experience with bipolar disorder, Bamford is able to bring a realistic look to the condition and not over-exaggerate things or make it look different than it really is. The show also reveals how difficult it is for the friends and family of a person with the condition and how difficult it is to control the destructive behavior that mania causes. Lady Dynamite Finds humor in Maria’s situation, but it is always based on truth and never makes fun of people with bipolar disorder.

24

Ian Gallagher (Shameless)

Played by Cameron Monaghan

Shame is full of characters dealing with various mental illnesses, and most of them are not in treatment. Ian Gallagher has bipolar disorder, and he was receiving treatment during the series. The series shows his mood swings, from his highest of highs to the lowest of lows, with depression issues causing many of his problems in the show. Over the Shame Ian shows how bipolar disorder can change a person, affect his emotions and change his outlook on the world.

It changes his relationship with his family, his partners and almost everyone around him. Ian’s biggest issues came when he stopped taking his medications, and it was obvious that something was wrong. His actions in the series when he is off his meds are very accurate to what it is like to live with this mental illness. At the end of ShameThe show continued to be a positive depiction of moving forward with a mental illness as it showed that a person can still thrive in the workplace and advocate for themselves when practicing self-care.

23

Ben Davis (Ozark)

Played by Tom Pelfrey

Ozark Does not get mental health conditions perfect, as seen in a variety of characters. However, one character that was very accurate was Ben Davis and his bipolar disorder. Ben’s actions in the series are highly representative of what a person with bipolar disorder goes through on a daily basis How he struggles to make it through life and make the best possible decisions while dealing with this disease. When little things caused his mood swings and bouts of crying, it was a masterclass of acting by Tom Pelfrey.

Ozark Also got a lot of the little things down, such as how he grunts when frustrated or wipes back his hair when grown. These few moments really showed what it’s like to deal with bipolar disorder, even when people around them don’t understand that there’s anything wrong. Pelphrey also worked hard to keep his facial expressions mostly devoid of energy, which is another symptom of the disorder. From the little things to the actions in the show, this might be one of the best depictions of bipolar disorder on television.

22

Fiona Gallagher (Shameless)

Played by Emmy Rossum

Over most of these ShameFiona Gallagher was the one who had to keep the family together. She had no choice, because her mother left and her father fell into alcoholism. Unfortunately, there is no one there to take care of Fiona herself. Fiona has severe depression issues, and as the series wears on, the mental health struggles continue to push her into dark places. She deals with her family problems, and losing a job in season 9 ultimately causes Fiona to fall into bad habits.

Even when she saw what alcoholism did to her father, Fiona began to drink more. She began to be content when she wasn’t, and she changed her actual behavior to something she could relate to. T treat. Throughout that season, she began to lose her mental stability and since she was the person who took care of others, she had nothing to give for herself. Her siblings, whom she helped raise, didn’t even stop to help her and Fiona ended up having to give up everything for her own mental well-being.

21

Ted Lasso (Ted Lasso)

Played by Jason Sudeikis

Ted Lasso is mainly a comedy. It’s about a former American football coach who is hired to coach a soccer team in the UK. But Ted Lasso Is not afraid to get serious, especially when it comes to depicting the effects of mental illness on Ted himself. He is truly optimistic and leads his team to greatness by never giving up on them. however, Ted suffers panic attacks and realizes he needs help.

This is where the show shines, like Ted Lasso Does not make a joke of Ted’s anxiety issues and mental illness. InsteadIt shows how therapy can be used to really help a person Understand where the issues are coming from and set up plans to help deal with them. Ted actor Jason Sudeikis tells CNN,

I and other people on the cast, especially the writing staff, get messages daily from people thanking them for really opening their eyes to what it means to go to therapy and what it means for someone in their life to go to therapy And just talking about these things and taking the stigma away from any form of health whether it’s nutrition or mental, emotional health.

20

Rainbow Johnson (Black-ish)

Played by Tracee Ellis Ross

It’s rare for sitcoms to seriously tackle any issues remotely related to mental health without turning a stereotype into a punchline. Black-ishHowever, has done a great job of integrating serious themes into his comedy and allowing episodes to be more dramatic than sitcoms typically would. One storyline, though it may have been shorter than some fans liked, involved Black Bow Dealing with postpartum depression after the birth of your child.

Audience members praised the episode for both its portrayal of Bow’s struggle with her own guilt about her very real feelings and the point of view of others in the house who may not have understood what Bow was going through. Bow became one of the best depictions of characters with postpartum depression In recent years. This was a powerful story and touched on a serious subject in a responsible manner.

19

Gretchen Cutler (You’re the Worst)

Played by Aya Cash

You are the worst has been widely labeled as an “anti-rom-com”, but beyond its sarcasm-filled comedy, the show has also tackled a lot of difficult topics. Season 2, specifically, pivots to highlight Gretchen was diagnosed with depression. The character explains that you “Brain is brokenAt one point, highlighting her own feelings of inadequacy.

The revelation of her diagnosis allowed viewers to see how some of her behavior was rooted in the feelings that resulted from her depression. While some fans did not enjoy the show taking a detour from its comedy route, the LA Times Praise the episode, call it TV’s “Best depiction of clinical depression ever” among television characters diagnosed with mental disorders. Aya Cash earned a Critics’ Choice Award nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Gretchen Cutler in You are the worst.

18

Edgar Quintero (You’re the Worst)

Played by Desmin Borges

Also in You are the worst Is Edgar, who is a combat veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder. Unlike Gretchen, whose mental illness is treated as a narrative revelation, Edgar’s PTSD has been a part of his character since the beginning of the show, woven into his storylines with a sensitivity and a realism not always present in comedies..

Edgar struggles with his medication, refusing to take it to try to have as much normalcy in his life as possible, but also giving it up completely in season 3. Viewers can see Edgar’s story from his own point of view instead of the outside Watch as he struggles with sleep, paranoia and treatment. You are the worst Season 3, episode 5, “Twenty-Two,” puts the spotlight on Edgar and his condition, and is meant to raise awareness for the number of combat veterans who end their lives because of PTSD.

17

Rebecca Bunch (crazy ex-girlfriend)

Played by Rachel Bloom

There is no denying that Crazy ex-girlfriend is an extremely fun (and rare) musical series. The comedy, however, manages to deal with a lot of incredibly serious topics in a way that doesn’t alienate viewers or pass judgment on those who may be dealing with the same subjects as the characters, including a TV character with a mental disorder who is Rarely highlighted in dramas.

Initially, many fans thought Rebecca might have been depressed or afflicted with a more generalized anxiety disorder, as the show demonstrated her mental health issues, but left many aspects of them ambiguous. That changed like Crazy ex-girlfriend Built to Rebecca’s diagnosis of borderline personality disorder and attempt to end her life. Fictional characters with BPD are also often vilified instead of presented as people learning to exist with their illness. Rebecca marks a change in this.

16

Kerry Mathison (Homeland)

Played by Claire Danes

Carrie Mathison lives with bipolar disorder while being a top-notch agent for the CIA Homeland. Her portrayal definitely deals with the stigma attached to those living with mental illness as she hides her mental disorder from her employers in an effort to keep her job. There is a fear of judgment and repercussions if she cannot “control” it.

The show allows the audience to see what it’s like when Carrie feels supported and takes her medication regularly, and what happens when the opposite is true. Bipolar disorder doesn’t dictate the show’s narrative, but it does inform a lot of Carrie’s decisions. While some audience members may have found the depiction to use Carrie’s diagnosis as nothing more than a plot point, Psychology Today Found the way bipolar disorder was depicted to be incredibly accurate.

15

Jackson Marchetti (Sex Education)

Played by Kedar Williams-Stirling

Male characters dealing with mental illness are much less common than females in modern mediaAlthough this does not reflect reality. Jackson Marchetti is a great example of a male TV character breaking the stigma, with some help from his loved ones, and accepting his mental illness. Jackson is a good swimmer in his school, always hangs out with “popular” girls and is elected head boy at school.

He seems to have everything going for him, yet He is one of the newer fictional characters who have to deal with debilitating anxiety, so much so that it leads him to self-harm. He goes through a journey in which he evaluates his relationship with swimming and his moms, eventually accepting help from his friends and allowing himself to open up to others. To see someone portrayed as a popular jock still needing to accept help is a very positive example of representation in the television show.

14

Beth Harmon (The Queen’s Gambit)

Played by Anya Taylor-Joy

Beth is orphaned at a young age The Queen’s GambitLeft largely to her own devices as she grows up. She also develops an addiction to a sedative pill in her childhood, something that impacts her greatly. Beth’s mental illness is not explicitly labeled in the seriesBut she has an unhealthy obsession with winning. She also does everything in her power to sabotage herself: she drinks, smokes, takes other substances and drowns herself in grief.

She also isolates herself and avoids the help of other people. A reporter even calls her a genius and claims that she is “crazy”. Turn the knobs wrote, “Throughout the mini-series, Beth was battling her own inner demons, including insecurity and self-loathing that led to self-destructive behaviors..” However, at the end of The Queen’s Gambit“Beth’s journey was a tale of self-discovery.“

13

Beit Cassidy (to me)

Played by Marlo Kelly

Dare meBet Cassidy is a lesser known character when it comes to TV shows, but a powerful one. She’s used to having power, but when her best friend starts spending more time with their new cheer coach, Beth feels their friendship—and her hold over the team—slipping away. Like other TV characters with mental disorders, though, Beth is depicted with symptoms of more than one, her mental illness is not clearly named.

She starts spending time with people who are mean to her, even abusive. She withdraws into herself, ignores texts and deals with summaries. No one around Beth seems to notice or understand what’s going on with her because she can’t bring herself to be honest about her experiences. This is all too common when it comes to mental illness, as is Beth’s isolation.

12

Hannah Horvath (Girls)

Played by Lena Dunham

Lena Dunham plays the main character of HBO Girls. Hannah Horvath struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a well-known but not well-represented mental illness in the media. Hannah also struggles to financially support herself. She mostly experiences the symptoms of OCD during particularly stressful times in her life, which viewers have praised as an accurate depiction of the condition. OCD is often made fun of or used as meme fodder, and Hannah’s image has helped change that.

Dunham felt it was important to ensure that her character’s symptoms and journey were as accurate as possible.

Psychology Today Broke Dunham’s depiction of OCD in Girls. According to the site, while the show follows Dunham’s personal journey, it also displays “real symptoms” of the disease. Dunham herself was diagnosed with OCD when she was nineAnd she often said that she was “Afraid of everything.” As a result, Dunham felt it was important to ensure that her character’s symptoms and journey were as accurate as possible.

11

Sidney Novak (I’m Not Okay With This)

Played by Sophia Lillis

in I’m not okay with thatSydney is an angsty teen trying to process her father’s recent death by suicide, her romantic feelings for her best friend, and her newfound supernatural abilities. In the end, it turns out that these abilities are metaphorical representations of her mental health. Sydney lives with anxiety and depression and seems to have inherited her powers from her father, who struggled with PTSD.

Her outbursts of telekinesis are physical manifestations of how she feels when she is anxious, angry, frustrated, embarrassed or sad. They are also an accessible way for those in the audience who cannot empathize with the feelings to understand how she feels. It may not be realistic when it comes to the supernatural situations, but by seeing them unfold based on her own mental illness, it makes it easier to understand.