Kennedy Ryan on mental health in recent romances

Kennedy Ryan, author of Loving You Always, explores the role mental health plays in recent romance novels.

Kennedy: There was a time when therapy and mental illness lived in whispers, a dirty little secret families kept and society pretended not to see. Thankfully, the pendulum has swung, but as with most things, in extremes. What was often shrouded in mystery is now ratings-making television, a well-meaning revolution led by celebri-therapists like Drs. Phil and Drew. Planted in the center of this pendulum's heavy, wild arc is the reality of mental illness and the people living with it, every second of every day.

I've survived dark seasons, and a counselor shed guiding light. When the heroine from my novel Loving You Always is finally ready to seek help, it's no coincidence she finds it seated across from a therapist. As writers, we tell stories. Sometimes complete fantasy and sometimes fact-fueled concoctions born of our imaginations and life experiences.

When Kathryn Perez penned her novel Therapy, she looked no further than her own diagnosis to bring her heroine's struggle with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) to life. Her personal battle lends an undeniable authenticity to the story, especially the heroine Jessica's low self-esteem and her self-mutilating behavior, cutting.

"I spent so much of my own life confused and feeling like everything was my fault. The stigma attached to mental illness is a huge travesty. I wanted to tell this story to show people shame should not play a part in their illness," said Perez. "Writing this book was very hard. It took me to dark places, and I had to step away many times."

Paste BN and New York Times bestseller A. Meredith Walters saw many "dark places" firsthand in her 10 years as a mental health professional counseling teens grappling with mental illness. That wealth of experience informed her book Find You in the Dark.

"It is extremely important to depict this issue in a way that is informative and truthful," said Walters, whose hero Clay wrestles with BPD and bi-polar disorder. "These issues aren't pretty. They don't always end with the nice happily ever after and to expect that would do the story and these characters a disservice."

Though E.L. Montes does not suffer from her heroine's condition, Schizoaffective Disorder, she embedded herself in that world to bring her heroine's struggle to light in her book Perfectly Damaged.

"I put myself in Jenna's shoes," Montes said. "I'd be scared to death to tell the man I'm falling in love with that I have a mental disorder. She's afraid if Logan knows the truth of her illness, it'll only push him away."

With deft strokes, each of these writers paints a portrait of realism, showing their protagonists in group therapy settings, residential treatment facilities, under a psychiatrist's care, managing medications. These realities sit snugly alongside the evocative experiences of romantic love. Though the relationship often proves catalytic in the character's growth and the process of seeking and accepting help, none of these writers make the recovery about the love interest.

"Mental illness blurs the lines of love because, like with BPD, your emotions are extremely heightened, and you're more emotionally vulnerable," Perez said. "Those who suffer from mental illness often have an inner identity crisis and low self-esteem, which puts an enormous strain on romantic relationships."

That strain can turn toxic when those affected by mental illness don't get the proper treatment and support, as in the tumultuous relationship Walters portrays.

"Clay has to learn to accept who he is and to want help before he can ever truly love Maggie," said Walters. "Theirs is a love built on denial and enabling, and they have to break those patterns before they can really be together."

Montes echoes the importance of her heroine getting healthy for herself.

"I wanted to show that although love played a part in Jenna's treatment, it wasn't the main source," Montes said. "Jenna had to learn to love herself, learn her worth and learn she was capable of getting better because she is beautiful, and is strong, and she's more than her illness."

Though these heroes and heroines wrestle with demons many of us may never face, we also see them negotiating the pitfalls and riding the highs of love, just like all of us. These writers' compassionate stories demystify these illnesses, stripping them of stigma. Each book manages to be deeply romantic, while still depicting the reality of mental illness in its various incarnations.

"If we want to dispel the myths around mental illness," said Walters. "We as writers need to treat the topic with the respect it deserves."

Find out more about Kennedy and her books at kennedyryanwrites.com.