It’s worth seeing how fictional characters are depicted suffering from mental illnesses. A wide audience of these fictional series is children or teenagers, who might tumble into situations where they might suffer mentally but lack the knowledge about what’s happening with them. Depicting such sensitive topics through film media can make them aware of the same.
Characters like Fear from Inside out, Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh, Spongebob Squarepants, BoJack Horseman, Luna Lovegood, and Ginny Weasley from the Harry Potter Series all suffered and depicted different mental illnesses. Today we will look into Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh and talk about his depression.
Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh shares with his watches the lack of confidence he has in himself. There are various causes for his low confidence, out of which one is his detachable tail which has led him to major consequences. He shares that he wants to stay confident and always support his friends in whatever they do. However, he constantly feels unworthy as he attributes his worthiness to others’ acceptance and wants his close ones to support him 24/ 7.
Eeyore and Winnie the Pooh.
Eeyore is a fictional character in the Winnie the Pooh movies, TV shows, and books written by A. A. Milne. He is a close friend of Winnie, the protagonist of all books and movies. He is often shown as a depressed soul with a lot of baggage. His personality is quite sad, pessimistic, and he has a dim, dark outlook on life. The character is in the form of a donkey with a detachable tail pinned to his back. He is a male character and is quite strong.
Eeyore, in reality, doesn’t like his detachable tail but feels that he has no other option than a tail is the only thing that can suit him. He likes the pink bow on his tail and often is anxious about losing it due to his detachable tail.
He isn’t one of the protagonists but has amazing things to share. He was the first one in their group to make others understand that bravery and smartness lay within them and cannot be gained by going on a dangerous journey. He is a side character but gives beautiful insights throughout the book.
Depression and Eeyore.
Depression is a mood disorder and is diagnosed as Depressive Personality Disorder. Depression is characterized by extreme sadness, loneliness, lack of confidence, excessive thought patterns, which depict pessimistic thinking. All these characteristics can be seen in Eeyore throughout the book and movies.
Eeyore is said to be suffering from major depressive disorder, which is why his a dull and gloomy personality.
Why is Eeyore shown depressed?
While designing the initial looks and personalities of the characters, Christopher Robin wanted Eeyore to resemble his stuffed toy that he had for years. This stuffed toy was a donkey whose neck area had quite a little stuffing due to less area. Due to the heavy head and the neck is weak, the stuffed animal’s head dropped forward, making the character appear quite sad. This was initially picked by the original writer of the book A. A. Milne, and she made the character’s personality gloomy and pessimistic about matching its appearance.
He is a gray donkey with a drooping head and half-closed eyes showing his sadness. He is bent from his shoulders and is underweight compared to other donkeys in the book. He often comments on his lack of importance in the group and appreciates those who recognize him by saying, ‘Thanks for Noticing.’
Certain symptoms are shown by Eeyore that confirms his depression is-
- Lack of interest in exciting activities.
- Pessimistic thinking
- Sadness all day long
- Divided concentration
- Inability to carry out work.
Other members from Winnie the Pooh suffer mentally and physically.
A journal released by Dr. Sarah Shea talks about the various mental illnesses that can be seen in every character from the Winnie the Pooh books, movies. All these characters have shown certain symptoms and are diagnosed by professional psychologists. In its entail developments, the research paper was criticized a lot, but its punishment has helped many people understand and observe what mental illnesses look like and feel like.
Winnie the Pooh – After reviewing the movies and books, Winnie was diagnosed with ADHD- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. The disorder is often characterized by children driven by a motor and lack attention in boring activities.
Piglet- He always has been insecure about his small size and fragility. He was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder due to his heightened fear, mostly induced by his insecurities. He even stutters during talking which highlights his constant state of anxiety.
Owl- He is considered the most intelligent of all creatures due to his incredible reading and recall skills. He was diagnosed with Dyslexia, a reading disorder. He often uses his intelligence to hide his psychological deficits, which are prominent in individuals suffering from the disorder.
Tigger- He is diagnosed with ADHD- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder due to his constant need to engage in high motor activities that involve great risks. He is quite impulsive while making decisions.
Is Winnie the Pooh Children-Friendly.
Winnie the Pooh is a great choice for your kids as it makes them aware of various mental illnesses and teaches them skills like Problem Solving, Friendships, the Importance of Support, Confidence in oneself, Helps with self-esteem Language Development, Appropriate language usage, etc.
It is a must-watch for many children. The books and movies have incredible storylines that help in the child’s cognitive and creative development. The movies help increase their imagination skills while the books help them in language and reading improvement.
Conclusion
There are quite less fictional series that point out the deficits in individuals and help them embrace them. Winnie the Pooh is a great example where Eeyore is supported and loved by his friends the way he is. Eeyore never talks about changing himself, and that’s a life lesson we all should learn from the movie.