There are so many movies and books that misrepresent mental illness and turn it into some exciting adventure. "The Virgin Suicides," "Looking For Alaska," you name it. They're everywhere, and often depict the person who suffers from mental illness as "different" instead of showing that they're just a regular person.
They are portrayed as an unpredictable wild card who won't connect to anyone. That is until they meet the protagonist of the story who becomes obsessed with them.
The love that inevitably grows between them is portrayed as extremely sexy, and something you can only experience if you’re lucky enough to find someone with a mental illness. The impression left is that only by being mentally ill, or finding someone who is, can you experience such a strong and intense love.
Don't get me wrong, those who have mental disorders are just as capable as finding love as anyone else. There is nothing wrong with dating someone or being someone who has a mental illness, and it is great to support those who have these issues. However, it's something else entirely to portray these people as an alluring commodity.
People who have mental disorders are not more interesting than those who do not. They're just people who have different problems to face than others. Unfortunately, the impressions that's left from the media has affected parts of society.
Many people have started to pretend to have mental disorders to make themselves more attractive. Because of movies and books that glorify mental illness, some people think that having these problems make you more lovable.
I mean, it's nearly impossible to get on social media sites like Tumblr without seeing a picture of a bone-thin girl with self-harm scars looking depressed. Usually, there's even a sad quote about how beautiful sadness is or how "normal" people could never understand emotions so deep.
The thing is...
Mental illness isn't beautiful.
Self-harm, eating disorders, anxiety and suicide are not beautiful.
The people who face these issues are beautiful. Not their pain.
To glorify their hurt, or to pretend to have these issues to make yourself more desirable shows that you don't understand mental illness at all. It's bad enough for the media to spin this tale of excitement regarding mental illness. Please don't feed into the lie.
Mental illness is not a coat that you can take on and off whenever you feel a little too warm.
It's not a pickup line.
It is a serious issue that thousands face.
So please, if the media won't stop romanticizing mental illness, at least understand that it really isn't a wild adventure that leads you to love.
