Teenage/Young adult characters with mental illness

    As the narrative of my music video is centered around a teenage/young adult girl suffering from Dissociative Identity Disorder, I decided to do some research into teenage/young adult characters with mental illnesses in various other media texts, of which influenced/inspired the character in my production. 


Donnie Darko - Schizophrenia

   

    In Kelly's 2001 'Donnie Darko', Donnie is a paranoid schizophrenic high school student troubled by visions of a sinister-looking figure in a rabbit costume named "Frank." The end of the world is coming very soon, according to Frank, and Donnie may have something to do with it. Donnie tells his psychotherapist, Dr. Thurman, about his continuing visits from Frank; acting under Frank's influence, he floods his school by damaging a water main. At the end of the film, events of the previous 28 days recapitulate in reverse order and action, until Donnie finds himself in bed in the early hours of October 2. As he sits laughing uncontrollably, the jet engine crashes through his room, killing him.




Toko Fukawa - Dissociative Identity Disorder

 In the murder mystery visual novel and Seiji Kishi's 2013 anime series 'Danganronpa'', Toko Fukawa has a severe persecution complex that originated from the bullying that she had to live through early in life, she is highly suspicious of other people, frequently accusing them of thinking bad things about her. Her unusually quick tendencies to self-victimize quickly characterized her interactions with most of Class 78. We later discover that she suffers from dissociative identity disorder, Genocider Syo being the name of her murderous and sadistic alternate personality. She swaps between her usual abrasive and self-conscious personality and the serial killer Genocider Syo after sneezing or fainting upon seeing blood. Her sneeze-induced change is a reference to the character Launch from the anime and manga Dragon Ball.


Charlie - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder



    In Chbosky's 1999 and 2012 'The Perks of Being  a Wallflower, charlie shows signs of Post  Traumatic Stress Disorder, Borderline Personality  Disorder, Anxiety and Depression. 
 In an epilogue, Charlie is discovered by his parents  in a catatonic state and does not show any  movement despite being hit reluctantly by his  father. After being admitted to a mental hospital, it  emerges that his auntie Helen sexually abused him  when he was young, and his love for her (and  empathy for her troubled youth) caused him to  repress his traumatic memories. This psychological damage explains his flashbacks and derealization phases throughout the book. 




Shiro - Dissociative Identity Disorder

    In Jinsei Kataoka's 2007 'Deadman Wonderland', Shiro developed an alternate personality to cope with the pain caused by torturous experiments she had to undergo ever since her early childhood. Her second personality, known by the name Wretched Egg, is dreadful and bloodthirsty, as opposed to the kind and cheerful Shiro.  As Wretched Egg, she would psychologically torture Ganta by killing his friends and pinning the blame on him, as well as intimidate him by overpowering, leaving Ganta to feel frightful and resentful towards her as a sort of revenge for her pain and suffering in her past.





Craig Gilner - Depression 

    Vizzini's 2006 'It's Kind of a Funny Story', inspired by his own brief hospitalization for depression in November 2004, follows Craig whose stress eventually manifests itself in an eating disorder, use of pot, affected sleep habits, and suicidal thoughts. after going to a psychiatrist who prescribes him Zoloft, he believes he is cured and so decides to throw away the medicine. Consequently, his depression builds until he is unable to fend off his suicidal ideation, he calls a suicide hotline and is admitted to a nearby psychiatric hospital. In December 2013, the writer Ned Vizzini committed suicide after his ongoing struggle with depression.