the reason nobody writes realistic stories/makes realistic television shows about sufferers of mental illness is that realistic mental illness is not exciting (or fun or even all that fucking interesting) to watch. a lot of times realistic mental illness is lying in your bed alone for a week straight and moving only to cry and puke. a lot of times it's looking ugly as fuck bc you haven't showered in days. a lot of times it's daily life, just with everything slower and harder.

 

like if i'm gonna write a story about someone with a mental illness i'm gonna make her the way i wish everyone's mental illnesses had played out. i'm going to make it a story with a beginning, middle, and end. i'm going to give her a support system. i'm going to make her pretty and loved, because let's be honest in the few moments when people are not wishing they were mentally stable, they're wishing they had been that perfect victim we're all too familiar with. everyone wants to write about the pixie because that's the fantasy and fantasy is more alluring than reality.