Writing fanfiction to cope with mental health issues

Recently, I found this personal narrative that depicts a 15-year-old French girl’s experience with depression and how writing fanfiction has helped her cope with her mental health struggles. Republished with the author’s permission.

Bonjour! My name is Amélie and I’m a French girl who loves writing fanfiction. I’m currently 15 years old and I want to share with you my experience with depression and how writing has helped me cope with my struggles.

Depression is a very difficult thing to deal with, especially when you’re only 14 or 15 years old. I remember feeling very sad and hopeless, like there was nothing good in my life. I didn’t want to talk to my friends or family about it because I thought they wouldn’t understand, or they would judge me.

One day, I discovered fanfiction. Fanfiction is a type of writing where fans of a particular TV show, movie, book, or video game write their own stories using the characters and settings from that world. I started reading fanfiction and it quickly became my escape from the real world. I loved reading stories about my favorite characters going on adventures and having happy endings.

Eventually, I decided to try writing my own fanfiction. At first, I was nervous because I had never written anything before. But once I started writing, I found that it was a great way to express my feelings and emotions. I wrote about my favorite characters dealing with the same struggles I was dealing with, and I found it very therapeutic.

Writing fanfiction also gave me a sense of control. When I was writing, I was in charge of the story and the characters. I could make them do whatever I wanted, and I could give them the happy endings that I wanted for myself. It was a way for me to create my own happy world, even if it was just in my imagination.

I still have bad days where I feel sad and hopeless, but writing fanfiction has helped me cope with my depression in a healthy way. It has given me a creative outlet and a way to express my feelings. And the best part is that I’ve connected with other fans who love the same TV shows and books that I do. We share our stories and support each other, and it’s been a wonderful community to be a part of.

So, if you’re struggling with depression or any other mental health issue, I encourage you to find something that you love to do. It could be writing, drawing, singing, or anything else that makes you happy. And if you’re a fan of a particular TV show, movie, book, or video game, try writing your own fanfiction. It might just help you cope with your struggles too.

Thank you for reading my story. Au revoir!