Mari's Journaling Power Blog

Mental Health in Fiction: Realistic Portrayals and Personal Reflections

As a cognitive behavioral therapist turned fiction author, I have a lot of mental health representation in my novels. My education drives my character development, and I like to give my characters different strategies for coping with the grief and trauma that I, as the author, put them through. My novels are about a team of Navy SEALs, led by the first female SEAL, Rachel Ryker. Each character has varying levels of childhood trauma and posttraumatic stress from their years of military service. Some of them drink, some of them use sex as an escape, some of them actually go to therapy. In the realm of fiction, none of these are wrong or bad. The level of trauma and character’s personality determine what strategy or strategies they use and how they grow. I write gritty, emotionally raw characters because I also want my readers to get a realistic picture of what life is like for many soldiers. I also want my readers to see that there is a light at the end of the tunnel if they’re struggling with their own mental health.