People, especially kids, find a lot of enjoyment in cartoons from the 1990s. Cartoons that were animated during the period started to become well-known among kids. We adore zany personalities that act in wacky, insane ways. However, it might not seem like a good idea if we try to imagine what it might be like for a real person to possess such characteristics. If you look a bit closer at these characters, you might find that they appear to have particular mental illnesses. Let’s look at a few well-known cartoon characters who suffer from mental disorders.
Ariel (The Little Mermaid): Disposophobia (Hoarding Disorder)
Do you recall the castle of Ariel? She was a true hoarder who didn’t miss a single location or item to add to her collection. She constantly gathers things and develops emotional attachments to them. The little mermaid experiences severe grief whenever her collection is destroyed. These symptoms together indicate disposophobia, a condition in which you just cannot dispose of anything.
Alice: Schizophrenia
Alice, who first appeared in Lewis Carroll’s 1865 book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, is arguably one of the most well-known cartoon characters with schizophrenia. It is a severe mental illness that affects a person’s capacity for thought, emotion control, problem-solving, decision-making, and interaction with others.
Alice experiences hallucinations and delusions, which are typical schizophrenia symptoms, throughout her journey through Wonderland, where she encounters talking animals and a caterpillar who is smoking a hookah. She imagines drinking something that shrinks her, and the Queen of Hearts is torturing her. The magical world that Alice creates in her delusions simply reflects her schizophrenic views.
Minions: Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
We all agree that Despicable Me’s small, yellow, freaky-eyed Minions are incredibly adorable and that, given the chance, you would keep them as pets. Who doesn’t enjoy watching them get crazy, have fun, and be really interested in everything around them? Anything that even seems unusual to them can readily divert their attention and make them go shiny-eyed. They love to have a good time. They are energetic and lovely in their inability to restrain their impulsive behaviour. They exhibit and uphold the actual spirit of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as a whole.
Charlie Brown: Avoidant Personality Disorder
Charlie Brown, a boy who appears to be cheerful but is frequently plagued with thoughts of his own shortcomings, features in the popular comic strip Peanuts, which subsequently turned into a television programme. Even though no one is picking on him, he is afraid of being teased, and this fear likely stems from his self-doubts, which eventually prevented him from developing close friendships with anyone.
The boy’s interactions with Lucy reveal his dread of being sent away. Charlie most likely suffers from Avoidant Personality Disorder.
Belle: Stockholm Syndrome
A common theme in many films involves falling in love with your kidnapper. But did you know that forming a psychological bond with your kidnappers is categorised as Stockholm Syndrome? There are signs of this disorder in the character of Belle from Beauty and the Beast. In this case, the hostage ultimately develops a bond with the kidnappers solely out of survival instinct. As a result, you can develop real feelings for the kidnapper.
Marlin: Generalised Anxiety Disorder
Nemo’s father, Marlin, was constantly worried about him. You can see him searching in a panic for Nemo right at the beginning of the film. When his anxiety level was at its peak on the day Nemo disappeared, he overcame it by crossing the lane that gave him the most anxiety. Finally, by assisting him in finding his missing son, his self-exposure therapy/rescue mission helped him.
SpongeBob SquarePants: Williams-Beuren Syndrome
Williams-Beuren Syndrome (WBS), often known as Williams syndrome, is characterised by an apparent lack of social inhibitions and an inclination for emotionally descriptive speech with high prosody (exaggerated rhythm and emotional intensity) and odd words. Additionally, those who have this disease frequently exhibit a level of friendliness that is excessive for the social setting and have strong empathy.
People with this illness tend to be exceptionally positive exactly like SpongeBob. When someone has this condition, they are frequently elated with happiness and want to embrace and become best friends with everyone they encounter. WBS also has certain health issues, such as low muscle tone and heart murmurs.
People should never consider that such cartoons would have a negative influence on the minds of kids or adults. Instead, use them as a source of edutainment while learning and take in as much knowledge as you like. Consider how you may assist someone who may be displaying similar signs rather than learning to label.