By William Schroeder, LPC
In studying Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive collection, I discovered myself struck by how effectively Sanderson understood psychological well being issues. Sanderson’s collection options quite a lot of characters who wrestle with psychological well being situations, comparable to melancholy, anxiousness, trauma, and dependancy. Regardless of their struggles, many of those characters handle to beat their challenges, demonstrating resilience and private development all through the collection. As a psychological well being therapist, I used to be actually struck by Sanderson’s analysis and dedication to constructing a real understanding of the challenges that trauma can create for folks.
So, how fantasy can assist us perceive trauma is by strolling us via the journey of a characters expertise of trauma. There are some which can be extra conscious of their trauma and others which have blocked it out totally till it begins surfacing later of their lives. Listed below are just a few examples of characters who exhibit indicators of trauma and different linked psychological well being situations and the way they overcome them:
- Kaladin: Kaladin, a former soldier turned slave, suffers from melancholy and PTSD. He experiences recurring nightmares and struggles with emotions of guilt and worthlessness. By way of his journey, he learns to confront his trauma and settle for assist from others, in the end discovering a way of goal and hope. Having labored with quite a lot of first responders over time, the story arc of Kaladin could be very plausible and relatable to their expertise. He presents as a personality that feels cursed by his expertise and thus a necessity to save lots of everybody it doesn’t matter what it prices him personally. This drives his character into some darkish locations, together with being suicidal and a number of junctures. Fortunately in right this moment’s world now we have issues like EMDR to assist folks extra shortly deal with signs like this.
- Shallan: Shallan, a younger scholar and artist, experiences dissociative id dysfunction on account of traumatic experiences in her childhood. She develops alternate personalities as a coping mechanism, however in the end learns to combine them and confront her previous, permitting her to maneuver ahead and develop. Dissociation, or extra merely put, disconnecting from traumatic experiences, is extremely widespread in our society and it’s a means that our mind and physique helps us to work via PTSD. Sanderson masterfully illustrates that problem of getting all of these “components” to return to the “dissociative desk” and start working collectively in direction of wanted change.
- Dalinar: Dalinar, a high-ranking army chief, struggles with alcohol dependancy and experiences flashbacks of traumatic occasions from his previous. By way of remedy and the assist of others, he confronts his previous and works in direction of therapeutic and sobriety. The journey of Dalinar is much like Kaladin by way of PTSD however his coping mechanism was substance use for a few years and it virtually destroys him.
- Szeth: Szeth, an murderer, suffers from obsessive-compulsive dysfunction (OCD) and experiences intrusive ideas that drive him to obey his grasp’s orders. By way of self-reflection and the assistance of others, he begins to query his beliefs and actions, in the end breaking free from his harmful cycle. In remedy, we might make the most of ERP, or publicity response prevention, which is basically a little bit of what Szeth is thrown into as his world is made to show the wrong way up.
Brandon Sanderson’s characters struggles and triumphs are woven all through the collection, displaying that psychological well being situations are complicated and deeply private experiences that may be overcome with the suitable assist and sources. It’s straightforward to argue that the best power of the characters within the collection is how a lot stronger they get from their wrestle. It’s humbling, painful at time, and but an essential a part of their story arch and development. The Stormlight Archive serves as a robust instance of how fiction can be utilized to discover and destigmatize psychological well being, whereas additionally offering hope and inspiration to readers who could also be combating comparable challenges.
Picture credit score: https://www.deviantart.com/soyabeansoldier/artwork/Kaladin-646085769
