a depressive character

from what angles do you draw in a character that is depressed? physically as in the acts, mentally as in the thoughts and words he or she says or a bit of both?

I have to admit I have found it complex to incorporate depressive symptoms into one of my characters. I am not convinced I can do it. the other thing I have concluded is that I would definitely not hand it in to one of my lead characters as It would burden the mood of the story.


have a you had depressed characters in one of your stories?

Most of my main characters are partly autobiographical, which makes them depressives, though they usually wind up happy, the psychological journey being one of the main focuses of the plot. A good way to convey depression to the reader is to make the setting dark and bleak. My main character's often inhabit small dark apartments that are filthy with cigarette butts, soiled laundry, ect. You can make them lethargic, quiet, of haggard appearance, withdrawn, ect. Much of their mental state should come across through dialogue, in what they say. Dostoevsky is great at portraying the mentally afflicted. Hamlet is a great character who shows the kind of existential rumination typical of depressives.

The easiest way is with dialogue and with their appearance. Depressed people often pay little attention to hygiene.

I get the impression you only want happy stuff so I can understand the challenge you may face with depressive characters. Will your lead happy character transform the depressed character? Bubble bath and toothbrush on the ready...

I find what has been said a depiction of what would be depressive to most people, having little to do with the inner works of the depressive. But I would not take on a discussion of the depressive I have met on these grounds. Will wait and see what I can say about the actual depressive I have met.

i try and think, does every thought, word, and action convey a sense of hopelessness

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Originally Posted by Darcy88

Most of my main characters are partly autobiographical, which makes them depressives, though they usually wind up happy, the psychological journey being one of the main focuses of the plot. A good way to convey depression to the reader is to make the setting dark and bleak. My main character's often inhabit small dark apartments that are filthy with cigarette butts, soiled laundry, ect. You can make them lethargic, quiet, of haggard appearance, withdrawn, ect. Much of their mental state should come across through dialogue, in what they say. Dostoevsky is great at portraying the mentally afflicted. Hamlet is a great character who shows the kind of existential rumination typical of depressives.

The easiest way is with dialogue and with their appearance. Depressed people often pay little attention to hygiene.

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Darcy this is great. Hygiene of lack of it did cross my mind once but this is confirms it. The opposite could be true also too much hygiene may also reflect depression. The two extremes I guess.
The other thing could be self obsessiveness with looks. Self infliction I mean.

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Originally Posted by Delta40

I get the impression you only want happy stuff so I can understand the challenge you may face with depressive characters. Will your lead happy character transform the depressed character? Bubble bath and toothbrush on the ready...

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Hehe I would hope so. One happy character against many depressive ones may just do the trick. I see why not it is all in the details I guess. ;)

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Originally Posted by hypatia_

i try and think, does every thought, word, and action convey a sense of hopelessness

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hopelessness is a vast word. It can be a feeling of moment rather a prolonged one but then it depends on who is who and doing what.
on reflection I think one must draw from experience.

check out the depression forums Cacian. There's great insight in those...

1. The truely depressive is not what makes people feel depressed. The truely depressive is a potential suicide.
2. The depressive I have met are extremely scrupolous, clean and they even have a beauty and extreme hope for the best.
3. They isolate themselves by constantly testing their relationships with petty rancours for life. They do not tell anyone about their intense hope to resolve the issues.
4. If they get a good partner, they are constantly looking for a way to test the validity.
5. They can be very clever in the life they lead. Games like solitaire are common and they are extremely good at it. At any game they are experts, they are very hard to beat. There is no greater among the great at that.
6. When they see a dreamer, they do not question what's being said. They simply ask "why not?"
7. In a few cases, they become revengeful in the suicide, but by far, their norm is not that. They very seldom become criminals other than against themselves. They are extremely selfish in a very unconscious way.
8. Most likely you wouldn't know of their suicide until it happens.
Those are the dynamics of the truely depresive I have met. Depression seems to be incurable.

^ This.

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Originally Posted by cafolini

1. The truely depressive is not what makes people feel depressed. The truely depressive is a potential suicide.
2. The depressive I have met are extremely scrupolous, clean and they even have a beauty and extreme hope for the best.
3. They isolate themselves by constantly testing their relationships with petty rancours for life. They do not tell anyone about their intense hope to resolve the issues.
4. If they get a good partner, they are constantly looking for a way to test the validity.
5. They can be very clever in the life they lead. Games like solitaire are common and they are extremely good at it. At any game they are experts, they are very hard to beat. There is no greater among the great at that.
6. When they see a dreamer, they do not question what's being said. They simply ask "why not?"
7. In a few cases, they become revengeful in the suicide, but by far, their norm is not that. They very seldom become criminals other than against themselves. They are extremely selfish in a very unconscious way.
8. Most likely you wouldn't know of their suicide until it happens.
Those are the dynamics of the truely depresive I have met. Depression seems to be incurable.

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I like the perspective you bring.

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Originally Posted by hypatia_

I like the perspective you bring.

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Thanks.
I wanted to ask you a question about Hypatia.
The tyrant of Syracuse and his uncle Dion published Plato's Republic around 380 bc. The idea of the word "neo" was always that a literary movement had died and then somewhat later, often centuries later, it was revived. In the case of Hypatia that's not what happened. "Neo" meant simply "New" regardless of no revival, which in Egypt, under Roman rule, Platonism had not died. So in that case "neo" has to refer to the fact that Platonism was new to Egypt and only that. There was no "neo" in what the idea portrays today. Agree?

The truly? Gee. I hope those whose symptoms don't come out that way try harder so they can gain the respect they are looking for...

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Originally Posted by cafolini

Thanks.
I wanted to ask you a question about Hypatia.
The tyrant of Syracuse and his uncle Dion published Plato's Republic around 380 bc. The idea of the word "neo" was always that a literary movement had died and then somewhat later, often centuries later, it was revived. In the case of Hypatia that's not what happened. "Neo" meant simply "New" regardless of no revival, which in Egypt, under Roman rule, Platonism had not died. So in that case "neo" has to refer to the fact that Platonism was new to Egypt and only that. There was no "neo" in what the idea portrays today. Agree?

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For the sake of not derailing this thread, yes. But I'm not sure what specific "idea" you are talking about in regards to Hypatia. You could direct message me and we can discuss it further if you like.