World Mental Health Day is held every year on October 10 with the intention of creating a better understanding of mental health disorders. This day holds a lot of importance especially in the present scenario wherein mental health has become an equally important problem as physical health and sometimes even bigger. With mental disorders being normalised and being vocally discussed, creators have done their part and highlighted mental illnesses in shows and series for people to understand them better. We have a list of TV series characters with severe mental disorders that helped bring it out to the public. World Mental Health Day 2019: Depression vs Sadness; Why People Should Stop Using the Term ‘Depressed’ Loosely.

We’ve all watched these shows and groaned with frustration at their life decisions. They had the right choice in front of them but they don’t pick it. Here are five TV show characters with severe mental illnesses that we didn’t know of. World Mental Health Day 2019: What is ‘Smiling’ Depression? 7 Signs of the Invisible Illness.

BoJack- BoJack Horseman

BoJack Horseman is one of the most frustrating shows ever. The show starts off with BoJack being annoying when life serves him opportunities but he pushes them all away. The viewers can’t help but roll their eyes when he messes up every chance he gets and still complains about his life. But things gradually change and we start to feel bad for BoJack when we realise how serious his depression is. BoJack feels entitled to things but at the same time, he refuses to believe he deserves happiness. His depression has consumed him to the extent that he sabotages all his great relationships, his career and everything and everyone around him.

Rick Sanchez- Rick and Morty

Rick and Morty fans just got the gift of half a season in November and they couldn’t be happier. Every Rick and Morty fan wants to be the Rick in their life. We admire his wit and intelligence but Rick Sanchez might be struggling with a few mental disorders. The strongest and most believed theory is that he is a sociopath and might have antisocial personality disorder. His opinion on school is enough to show how much he hates people. He rarely shows any emotions. In the episode where he gives Morty the love potion to woo Jessica, he turns the entire planet and that reality into insects and rarely cares about it. Morty also shows signs of anxiety but we can't blame him after all the things Rick puts him through.

Sheldon Cooper- The Big Bang Theory

Sure, Sheldon Cooper’s “you’re in my spot” in The Big Bang Theory made everyone laugh. But one thing moves a little from its place and Sheldon would lose his mind. Fans would often wonder why doesn’t he just chill out a little. But maybe he suffered from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and that is the reason why he liked things the way he did them? Even when he gets a girlfriend, Sheldon refuses to switch things up around his place and refuses to give up his spot.

Penelope Alvarez- One Day at a Time

In the show One Day at a Time, Penelope Alvarez is battling depression and she openly discusses it with her mother. In an episode, Penelope spends weeks in bed when she gets off her anti-depressants and tries to understand what’s going on. She also breaks up with guys she genuinely loves because of her depression. Finally, she comes clean to the family because depression could be genetic and she wants to save her children from the same pain she goes through.

Eleven- Stranger Things

Eleven or El from Stranger Things is one of everyone’s favourite characters. Kids who tried to shoot spider web from their palms as kids, try to move things with the tilt of their necks now. Stranger Things came in strong and made its mark. Everyone loved Millie Bobby Brown’s character, but the character was suffering from Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and feared her every step. She may be a badass in the show but her fear of her past was evident in almost every episode. It stopped her from being an average kid because of the labs and experiments she’s been through.

Were you surprised to see some of the characters on the list? Do you have some more characters that were suffering from mental disorders? Comment and let us know what you think and who should’ve made it to the list.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 09, 2019 04:51 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).