COMING TO GRIPS WITH A MENTAL CONDITION
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CHOOSE MY PLANHELPFUL TIP:
To understand why your character is driven toward a certain goal, get to know their positive and negative traits, as well as any significant emotional wounds that might be motivating them. Then you can explore the various kinds of conflict that could block them as they move toward their goal.
FORMS THIS MIGHT TAKE:
HUMAN NEED DRIVING THE GOAL (INNER MOTIVATION):
Self-Actualization: The accompanying roadblocks and limitations can make it hard for a person struggling with a mental disability to achieve their dreams and feel fully actualized.
Esteem and Recognition: This can be one of the most devastating losses as the condition impacts the way the character views him or herself. Feelings of anger, frustration, embarrassment, guilt, and even self-loathing can cause the character to feel badly about themselves, even when they are in no way to blame for their difficulties. The esteem of others may also be impacted as people respond negatively to the character's behavior, choices, and unintentional responses to their condition.
Love and Belonging: So often, mental conditions result in social or relational struggles, with the character having difficulty relating to or communicating clearly with others. This obviously can result in relationship issues and a lack of connection.
Safety and Security: Because mental conditions often affect the character's ability to accurately read and respond to situations, these characters can often find themselves in danger.
Physiological Needs: In severe cases, mental conditions can have such a big impact that the person's physiological needs become threatened. We see this when those with mental disabilities find themselves homeless or unable to support themselves.