Sanity (or lack thereof)

Sometimes, things just get to you, slowly eating your mind, devouring your sanity, driving you mad. How do your characters handle the pressure?

sane, lucid, controlled, level-headed,
paranoid, freaked out, suspicious,
mad, crazy, whacko, cuckoo, off-your-rocker, flipped, flipped out,
hanging on, losing it, lost it, really lost it, totally lost it, just plain lost,
out of it, over it, under the gun, under the weather, spaced out,
fading, ebbing, waning, sinking, lowering, approaching, dwindling,
uneasy, nerved up, nervous, edgy,
psychotic,
neurotic,
delusional,
depressed, withdrawn, melancholic,
manic, excitable, eager, overly eager,
obsessive,
compulsive,
repetitive, forgetful,

suspicious, paranoid, fearful, scared, cowardly,
angry, spiteful, wrathful,
jealous, envious, covetous,
gluttonous, “collecting”, obsessions, compulsion, needy, driven irrationally, hoarding,
inattentive, “out of it,” melancholic, withdrawn
delusional, hearing voices, seeing things,
crying, bawling,
irrational, overreacting, misreading things,
twitchy, jumpy, on the edge, vibrating, have tremors, spastic, chaotic, unsettled,
tweaking, frantic,
fatalistic, assuming the worst, defeatist, pessimistic, hopeless,
cutting, self-harm, self-mutilation
susceptibility to sects, cults, movements, indoctrination,
gullibility, naivety,
suicide,
manic behaviour, working 26 hours a day,
babbling, nonsensical,
fixation on one thing,
repetitive behavior, flicking light switch, counting backwards, repeating a word,
scratching, picking at skin, pulling own hair, plucking arm hairs, chewing nails,
amplified superstitions: can’t step on sidewalk cracks, knock on wood,
excessive or obsessive prayer or chant or ritual,

asylum, hospital, institution,
red light district of town, slum, brothel, thieves den, nefarious “club house”, band of ruffians, (or look here for more unsavoury characters)
sanctuary, temple, place of solitude,
cemetery, grave yard, crypt,
underground,
place of escape,
on the streets, in an alley, homeless shelter, “tent city”,
seance, demon worshipping,

treatment, therapy, analysis,
talking, sharing, saying what’s on your mind,
emotional outburst or “letting go,” crying, anger, tirade, flying off the handle, losing it,
getting in touch with nature (unless wilderness gives you anxiety), canoeing, hiking, camping,
physical activity, sports, contact sport, going for a jog, riding a bike, exercise, working out, boxing, sparring,
music, playing piano, relaxation CDs,
medication, drugs, pills, antidotes, concoctions, potions, elixirs, herbs,
admission to an institution, treatment facility, hospital, asylum, care facility,
prayer, religion, belief, church, temple, shrine, sanctuary, mosque, circle, communing with a god, visions, pilgrimage, ritual,
hobbies, baking, sorting your collection, knitting, gardening, playing guitar,
thinking of positives, looking at photos of the good ol’ days,
cognitive behavioural therapy,

When you’re losing it, it’s a great time (in narratives) to make a deal with the Devil.
Seeking peace and understanding leads to some awesome adventure.
Taking advice of elders can lead characters on quests and journeys to “find themselves”
Seeking wisdom from a mountain monastery requires a dangerous journey for the characters.
During an adventure, check the sanity of the characters… use Dice to see how well they are handling the terrible situations they are in.
Troubles of the mind often send characters in the direction of religion… how does your character seek salvation?
Sometimes, mental illness is a blessing in disguise leading characters to join or spearhead powerful movements for good; what can your character do to climb out of despair.