I have a mid-30's female character in my story who suffers from depression. Reader doesn't get much in-depth backstory for her, but she's one of 5 main characters. Fantasy-type setting, so there isn't really any medication for treatment. She is outwardly confident and outgoing, seeming like nothing bothers her and she's just out for a good time. But I want to *show* that she struggles with this without outright saying it. How would you recommend I might do that? Or should I just say it somehow?
If you decide not to state the diagnosis, at the very least check out the criteria here. There are a lot of ways you can incorporate those symptoms into a character’s behavior.
As a side note - the concept that fantasy settings don’t have any possible treatments for mental illness is a pet peeve for me. I’m going to make a post shortly about creative ways to treat mental illness in that kind of setting pretty soon!
Not sure if this is your area, but I've got a character with some just crippling depression. Problem is, he lives in very early medieval Britain, so obviously has no idea what's wrong or how to treat it. He's very perceptive though, and is aware that he feels awful most of the time. and will notice if doing something makes him feel not awful. He's incredibly outdoorsy, what kind of antidepressents could he end up finding? Also sent this to scriptpharmacist cause again idk if it's your area
First off, please don’t use the word “crippling” when describing mental illness. I’ll cover it in my ableist language series, but please just…don’t.
Second, a big problem when someone is depressed is the lack of motivation or energy to do things. Such as going outside and combing the area for plants. Not everyone with depression is affected this way, but it’s something to keep in mind.
Now on to the answer! This one’s a little out of my purview, but I asked the scriptfam chat and got some wonderful answers!
St. John’s Wort seems like your best bet for the following reasons:
It grows in Britain
People used it in medieval Britain for medicinal purposes
One of its uses was to fight “evil spirits” or “demons” - which is often interpreted to mean mental illnesses (which were believed at the time to be caused by demonic possession)
Modern-day studies have found that it can be used to treat depression
HOWEVER. St. John’s wort is not considered adequate to treat severe depression. It may not have much of an effect on your character if their depression is not mild or moderate.
Alternatives:
Saffron - while it is also shown to have antidepressant properties, it’s really not feasible for your character to use it. The dosage used in the studies would require your character to harvest 1,500 - 2,250 flowers every day.
Rye ergot - it’s not an antidepressant, and not technically a plant, but according to @scriptchemist, “boy will it make you feel things,and some of them might not even be awful”
Other things that are not plants that could theoretically ‘help’ if consumed in large enough doses:
Alcohol - which comes with a whole host of effects unrelated to depression
Omega-3s from fish
Tryptophan (but not from turkeys, as turkeys were not yet brought over from the new world. Grouse may be an acceptable source, but your character would have to eat a LOT of it)
Please note that consuming many of these things in enough quantities to have an antidepressant effect may result in noticeable, severe, and even potentially deadly side effects. There’s a reason that modern medicine prefers pharmaceuticals over herbs.
You are using an unsupported browser and things might not work as intended. Please make sure you're using the latest version of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge.
