Character Weaknesses: Disorders?

[Ashla]

This is something I'm curious about. Most people around the world, including me, have dealt with at least one type of metal, physical, or whatever else type disorder or long lasting illness. If lot's of people in this world struggle with this, what about fictional characters? Yes, we all want our characters to be the strongest on the site, but disorders do provide excellent weaknesses not only in battle, but overall in the character. That disorder will always affect the character in some way. Do you think that disorders and illness stand for good character weaknesses?

Here's an example from something I have: Bob has restless leg syndrome, and it tends to drive him crazy; especially when he has to stay in one place for a long period of time. It also leaves him awake for hours, feeling that constant urge to move. Poor Bob... Even something that really wouldn't need medical treatment, therapy, etc. could affect a character. How would they react to the symptoms? Does it affect their self esteem?

I mentioned that I have the same thing Bob has (RSD really does drive me crazy.) Do you think that the only way to capture this type of thing well is experience? Or do you just need to research it and give it your best shot?

So, what's your thoughts? Have you ever tried anything like this? Post here!

[hoytti]

Sorish has the Red Death Disease. It is a rare disease among the Coralian populous, but those who have it are stepped around in order to be kept happy as they tend to get violent when angered enough. Sorish is getting better at controlling it, but he will never be able to completely stop it.

[black shadow]

Shadow can't speak. Not a disorder, just an injury tht never healed, but it drives him crazy and causes me to think outside the box when writing with him.

[Tobias Stalt]

Tobias isn't stupid, but he doesn't like convoluted speech. Sometimes when people try to speak in riddles or don't say what they mean, he misinterprets things. And sometimes, he gets angry.

He's also quiet and reserved, and doesn't get along well with others.

[Drumheller]

Some of Drumheller’s psychological issues include, but are not limited to: Drumheller suffers from tramatic nightmares, and were’s a gage to keep himself from screaming at night. He is unable to sleep in a bed, and tucks his knees up against his chest before he goes to sleep. Physical contact of any kind is something he isn’t uncomfortable with. He is hypervigelent. He isn’t afraid to die. Not that he will openly seak out death, but he has no fear of it. He feels a “deep abiding since of shame,” over events in his past.

[Drumheller]

And no one doesn't have to have experienced something to do it well.

[Philomel]

Philomel has intense Paterphobia (fear of her father), though he is now dead ... and Veridian is afraid of storms.
Leaf has temper issues.
Blodwen has OCPD, a mild form of OCD as far as I am concerned.

I am currently creating a character with mild depression and a strangely exact injury over his zygomaticus major muscle - meaning he cannot smile.

I have RLS too, Blue, and I find it to be annoying. I find actually lying flat in bed where the muscle has nothing above it helps. Strangely.

[Ashla]

Here's what my characters have:

- Ashla has mild cases of sleep paralysis from time to time. And by now, I could say she has Atychiphobia, the phobia of failure. She had depression during the happenings in Eiskalt up until she started P.A.L.E.
- Kaida has amnesia of her recent life and restless leg syndrome.
- Julius, although an npc, will be mentioned. He's suffered with depression in his past.
- Felicity has both Rhotacism (the inability to properly pronounce her r's) and Lambdacism (the inability to pronounce her l's.) Because of this she's developed Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia, the fear of long words; as she commonly could mispronounce them.
- Percy is anti-social, with a slight case of Enochlophobia, the fear of crowds.

[Drumheller]

My mother also has restless leg issues, we deal with it through acupuncture.
Remember, one does not need to see a thing to still know where it is.

[BlackAndBlueEyes]

Weaknesses with Madison. Where do I start?!

Nah; for real, though...

Madison's biggest weakness, hands down, is the Catch-22 she always deals with regarding interpersonal relationships. Madison hates getting attached to people, because deep down she knows that she will eventually lose them, either by her own doing or through things out of her control. She absolutely hates that sense of loss that comes with the departure of someone in her life, no matter how big or small of an impact they made on her. So, to prevent that from ever happening, Maddy puts up walls and has these self-defense mechanisms that push people away so she doesn't form that bond.

The thing is, she desperately craves that deeper level of connection with those in her life. For the few who manage to break through her defenses, she clings onto and she gets very protective of them. All the while, she just knows that she will lose them one day, and grows more and more afraid of that inevitable moment and starts pushing them away again.

It's an endless, brutal cycle that she suffers through daily.

[Rayse Valentino]

Weaknesses with Madison. Where do I start?!

Nah; for real, though...

Madison's biggest weakness, hands down, is the Catch-22 she always deals with regarding interpersonal relationships. Madison hates getting attached to people, because deep down she knows that she will eventually lose them, either by her own doing or through things out of her control. She absolutely hates that sense of loss that comes with the departure of someone in her life, no matter how big or small of an impact they made on her. So, to prevent that from ever happening, Maddy puts up walls and has these self-defense mechanisms that push people away so she doesn't form that bond.

The thing is, she desperately craves that deeper level of connection with those in her life. For the few who manage to break through her defenses, she clings onto and she gets very protective of them. All the while, she just knows that she will lose them one day, and grows more and more afraid of that inevitable moment and starts pushing them away again.

It's an endless, brutal cycle that she suffers through daily.

Huh. This is my character to a T.

[Ashla]

Bringing this thread back.

I've been considering mental disorders with both Ashla and Felicity, like if they have or show signs of any. They have their rough edges but I dunno, especially with Fel. I do feel like disorders and stuff are realistic in even fantasy writing, and adds another layer of emotional depth that I have experienced, but not often seen in sci-fi or fantasy. I do think it should be explored more.

[Bard]

Well if Felicity, witnesses her mentor doing something that goes against the image that she has of her, then this would naturally elicit periods of self-doubt, perhaps a periodic bout with depression, and a degree of obscession to be in some respects as good as the idealized perception that Felicity has of her mentor.

Drumheller has an idealized perception of what his parents are and is obscessed with becoming what that idealized perception requires. He'll never reach this goal, which will torment him to some degree. What is more, he holds a degree of self-loathing for wanting something he'll never have and thinks he is weak for wanting that thing. You'll see what I mean when it comes up.

[Rehtul Orlouge]

Rehtul is forever trapped in his father's enormous shadow. It leads to periods of self-doubt and leads to him engaging in reckless behavior to live up to what would be expected of the son of Succed Orlouge. To a lesser extent, he lives in the shadow of his uncle Sei Orlouge (aka the first Level 20 on the site).

Being a rather weak and inexperienced figure surrounded on all sides by what appear to be giants for all intents and purposes give Rehtul something of an inferiority complex when being compared to his elders in the Orlouge family. It can make him snappy and even extremely defensive. He often feels as though he's not progressing at the rate that he should compared to the amount of progress the older generation did.

To be honest, he doesn't really have any disorders, per se, aside from the giant chip on his shoulder caused by constantly comparing himself to his father and uncle. This will be rectified as he starts coming into his own and realizes that as long as he does what he's good at and enjoys that he won't be a disappointment, at least to himself.

Characters CAN have disorders, and should if it fits the story you're trying to drive. However, introducing mental distress, disorders, and other trauma to characters just for the sake of spicing things up wouldn't be the smartest thing to do, imo, as it will muddy the personalities that your characters have. It will muffle their voices if it is imposed in a non-natural way.

[Ashla]

Thanks, Reht! I myself have struggled with disorders. My.major issue is showing this stuff the right way, even though I do have experiance in some things. And yes, just having a disorder for the heckvof it is a bad idea. Everything should be there for a reason, and potraying things in an appropriate manner would be very hard to do.

[Bard]

well you know your characters better than I do, so take my suggestions with a grain of salt.

[Lye]

Many of my characters either suffer from PTSD, self identification issues, or such intense inner conflict that they've compartmentalized their personality (multiple personality disorder or bi-polar). While many are physically robust and capable, they are psychologically weak if targeted properly. I have written all of my characters at a low point at least once.

[Shinsou Vaan Osiris]

In one of my upcoming threads, I was intending on having Shinsou lose an arm. I know it doesn't technically class as a disorder but as an irreversible handicap I guess it registers on some sort of level.

[loves.blessing.]

Well McKinley has anxiety with being social to the point where it effects her and she also has PTSD from when she was a slave to two Masters that were very cruel to her in different ways.

Camille has sever depression and a little bit of bipolar issues with her mood swings.