7 TV shows that actually get mental illness right

Not everything on television is portrayed as accurately as it may occur in real life. Obviously, this is true in the case of sci-fi shows like "The Walking Dead" or "The Handmaid’s Tale" (well, hopefully), but sometimes even shows that are supposed to be realistic can’t quite get certain things right.

When it comes to mental illness, many TV shows have a hard time really hitting the nail on the head. Not only is that discouraging, it’s also damaging.

Those who suffer from mental illnesses may have to see their conditions play out on the small screen in ways that are exaggerated, inappropriate, or just plain incorrect. Representation matters, especially when considering the strength of the stigma surrounding mental illness. Not only do those who deal with mental illness have to face a society that villanizes them and prevents them from receiving adequate health care, they also have to deal with visual media that mocks them or degrades them.

But these seven shows are encouraging to those who may struggle with their own mental health issues, making sure that their characters are portrayed accurately and without perpetuating the stigma.

"This Is Us"

Obviously, every episode of "This Is Us" comes with a fair warning: grab the tissues. Sometimes the episodes are circumstantially sad, maybe because of emotional wedding vows or tragic losses, but it can also be because of just how relatable the characters’ struggles really are.

In a particularly powerful scene, the NBC hit took on panic attacks and showed Randall (Sterling K. Brown) as he attempted to get through one while talking on the phone with his brother. Randall shook, sobbed, and struggled to breathe during the scene as his brother identified the problem and ran to help him.

This is important. Millions of Americans struggle with anxiety and there are so many myths about the disorder. For Randall’s anxiety to be portrayed with real symptoms, real emotions, and real consequences is powerful for those whose disease is invalidated and labeled fake.

"Crazy Ex-Girlfriend"

This CW show always brings the laughs. Watching co-creator and star Rachel Bloom’s Rebecca get into an array of shenanigans while somehow bursting into song is a treat, but sometimes it can enter into pretty emotional territory.

Throughout the series, Rebecca struggles with her anxiety and depression. She’s constantly in her head and as much as it can be amusing to see some of her more over-the-top moments, it can also be really relatable for those who suffer from those mental illnesses in real life.

For Bloom this is not only intentional, it’s also close to home.

"Rebecca is ­depressed, and as my co-­creator, Aline Brosh McKenna, and I were writing that episode, the anxiety and depression that had invaded my own brain like an alien when I was a kid came back in full force," Bloom told "Glamour."

Bloom’s candid admission is why it’s critical to have a large spectrum of writers and showrunners at the helm of TV shows. How can someone without a mental illness write about a character who suffers from mental illness while remaining realistic? This is evidence of how important it is to have people who live with mental illnesses in the writer's room when these episodes are created, or better yet, have them at the helm.  

"Grey’s Anatomy"

"Grey’s Anatomy" doesn’t exactly have a taste for subtlety. In a show about extremely sexy doctors and constant disasters in the world’s most dramatically unlucky hospital, there is some shred of truth.

Schizophrenia is a mental illness that’s often portrayed in ways that only serve to strengthen the stigma surrounding it. People with schizophrenia are usually shown as stereotypically “crazy” people, floating between constantly changing personalities and living in awful circumstances. This isn’t the case for so many people with schizophrenia.

"Grey’s" took on schizophrenia in an episode about a homeless teen and in the end, it actually got it right.

Instead of relying on tropes, the show played on what is real about the illness, its treatment, and the misconceptions surrounding it. The patient’s parents lacked awareness about her illness and were unsure about the legitimacy of her symptoms which proved how misinformation can only lead to breakdowns of communication and emotional pain for everyone involved. In the end, her parents’ support and their desire to learn were the reasons for the family’s reunion.

"Grey’s" also shows its main characters’ own ongoing battles with things like addiction and depression and it does it in a way that feels less romanticized or glossy than so many other shows.