Portraying insanity

Discussion in 'Character Development' started by Tucker91, Jun 30, 2011.

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  1. thewordsmith

    thewordsmith Contributor Contributor

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    Alex, you have serendipitously put your finger on one of the keys to seeing insanity. It is 'tics'. People tend to develop little tics and twitches for no apparent reason - twitching one's nose, adjusting a neck tie, clearing one's throat... With people who are mentally deranged, these tics become overly pronounced. It may start small - scratching an imaginary spot on the arm. But it can then expand to the point that the person keeps picking at that spot until it is constantly bloody. Talking to one's self, also, is not necessarily a sign of madness. If it were, I'd have to register for the nearest looney bin as I have been known to carry conversations with myself when I am at home alone. And, how often have you heard someone say they were 'talking to myself'? The problem comes when the person begins to believe the person with whom they are talking is a separate entity. The conversations become quite involved to the point of ignoring others in a room. '

    And, yes, a person who is sinking into insanity can and often does know it. People who develop Alzheimer's Disease often recognize long before the symptoms reach the point where a doctor will want to prescribe medication to forestall the 'onset'. And, by then, it's too late. Sometimes as much as ten or fifteen years before that point, a person will complain, "I think I'm going crazy. I can't remember anything anymore." The same holds true for early stages of many mental derangements.

    Schizophrenia or Genuine MPD (Multiple Personality Disorder, as it is now called), as someone brought up previously, is a whole different can of worms. A genuine MPD sufferer may or may not be in controll of their own mental capacities at any given moment. And they may or may not be aware of their problems from one moment or personality to the next. This is different from manic-depressive disorders wherein a person suffers mood swings from high to low on a regular basis. Sometimes as often as five or ten minutes and sometimes as rarely as once ever day or two. M-D's recognize their condition but tend to resist taking medication that will help them. Though, if they do take their meds, their condition can be completely controlled.

    Now, as far as over the edge, "I've lost control of my mind" mental disorders. Most of the time, the sufferers do recognize at the outset that something is wrong. They don't necessarily know what and they don't understand why. They don't know if it is them or the rest of the world. Eventually, they can sink into a malaise wherein they are certain the rest of the world is crazy and, after that, they either become catatonic or they just learn to live in their own little world.

    Mental illness is an ugly thing and it doesn't play fair with the competition. That's why we too often lose.
     
  2. thewordsmith

    thewordsmith Contributor Contributor

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    Well said. An insightful analysis.
     
  3. Alex W

    Alex W New Member

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    Personally I think I may well go mad later on in life, which sounds a very silly thing to say, but a few things I do suprise even me while i'm doing them.

    For instance, when I talk to myself I do tend to lose all sense of where I am when at home, I will carry on whatever converasation that I was replaying in my head quite vividly, it's only if disturbed by someone entering the house or the phone etc that I snap out of it. That seems odd, doesn't it? (Not saying a WILL go mad, but it does cross my mind that my mind may get the better of me one day)

    But i'm glad to have put my finger on the 'tic' thing, even if only serendipitously so :D
     
  4. R-e-n-n-a-t

    R-e-n-n-a-t New Member

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    Simple, just make him justify everything he does. Insane people most likely don't think of themselves as such.

    For example:
    "Oh my god, I just shot that kid! Well, he was probably trying to trick me into revealing my leprechaun stash of gold."

    EDIT: lol, this wasn't a serious response. I reccomend finding a specific type of insanity and researching it, or at least asking about a specific type.
     

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