Mental health has always been a struggle for me and a topic of conversation I am deeply passionate about. Things like social media, technology, unrealistic expectations, and male-dominated industries have influenced depression and anxiety in not only myself but people I know. It was my goal to create a character who mirrored my personal mental health struggles to some extent. I took this time to research more about these mental illnesses to develop an exciting, but relatable character.

​

For this experience, I planned to 1) journal my emotions when experiencing depressive episodes 2) research how mental illness has impacted an individual's life 3) learn to better write in the first person point of view. I have included excerpts from the 189-page word doc that best demonstrate my creativity and process in completing the piece.

​

Journaling allowed me to genuinely depict the intense overwhelming experience that is anxiety. By writing down fully in detail how I was feeling, I was able to recall those emotions and translate them into my protagonist. I also stayed in tune with my own specific personality in order to make my protagonist engaging and relatable. I added thoughts and conversations that best encompassed my reaction to that specific situation.

 

I also read various people's experiences in overcoming anxiety and found it particularly interesting how substance abuse is correlated. I dug deeper into this aspect in order to create a more dramatic persona. I researched personal stories of how drug and substance abuse mixed with mental illness ruined lives and how individuals were able to overcome these experiences. I felt that this research not only expanded my own knowledge but also gave a voice to those overcoming alcoholism and depression.

​

I also tried my hand at writing in the first person point of view as I am most familiar with the third. It was challenging to convey emotions and traits but I enjoyed learning a new style of writing.

​

Overall, I loved completing this experience. It gave me a place to not only vent about issues I experience but also learn more about mental illness as a whole. I was able to dig deeper into other issues like alcoholism and I am so incredibly proud of my work.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​