Mental Illness in Video Games: Doki Doki Literature Club and The Cat Lady

Mental Illness in Video Games: Doki Doki Literature Club and The Cat Lady

Content warning for discussion of depression, self-harm, and suicide. This article is dedicated to Marissa, who kindly gave me the games.

Mental illness is a complicated thing. People affected by it don’t need me to explain that. As society is becoming more open about discussing mental health issues, it’s important we look at another facet: the portrayal of mentally ill people in media. Often, it’s not great. Instead of being compassionate and accurate, we get harmful stereotypes and misinformation about certain illnesses. Luckily, there have been good depictions in media recently, such as Ilana from Broad City finding unique (and humorous) ways of dealing with her seasonal depression. (more…)

Being Sayori: Doki Doki Literature Club and Understanding My Mental Health

Contains spoilers for Doki Doki Literature Club and discussion of self-harm, depression, anxiety, and suicide.

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Indigo Panics: Anxiety in Gaming

Dear video games,

We have long had a strange and tenuous relationship. I have very often been busy with life. Building one’s own business is a long and difficult task. I had been trying to find time to myself, but when I had that time, I usually found I needed to sleep. It seems strange, I know. Because sleep is my mortal enemy, and every day, I walk into its arms almost (almost) willingly.

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Seeing Myself in Wonderland: Mental Health in American McGee’s Alice

Seeing Myself in Wonderland: Mental Health in American McGee’s Alice

I have to admit, I’m a little embarrassed when I, a grown woman at the ripe age of 25, tell people that one of my favorite games is American McGee’s Alice. It definitely has connotations of early 2000s mall-goth culture. You know, kids who had Vampire Freaks accounts, worshiped The Nightmare Before Christmas, and wore t-shirts that said, “Normal people scare me.”

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