We mourn with them. Crying over a fictional character doesn't mean you're overly sensitive. In fact, it is a strong indicator that you are a very empathetic person. In essence, our ability to empathize is the reason why we will be hurt over the death of a fictional character.
We feel like we know so much about them and have followed them through their hardships, so it's easy to see a part of our own personalities in that character — when they die, it can feel almost like a part of you has died with them. These feelings for fictional characters don't usually go away as we get older.
While there's nothing wrong with getting emotional about fictional characters, Barnes does have one word of caution: “We should make sure we're also feeling just as much empathy for real people, including real people we don't know,” she says. It may sound obvious, but it's a surprisingly common issue.
An unhealthy attachment to fictional characters can negatively affect an individual's mental health, relationships, and social life. It can lead to feelings of loneliness, isolation, and a distorted perception of reality.
When we form a connection to a fictional character we are building a parasocial relationship, which means it's all one sided on our part but our brains don't understand that the person we are invested in isn't real.
When we watch a TV show or movie, we empathize with fictional characters as we would with another “real” person right in front of us. We experience psychological effects such as identification, self-other taking, and the proximity effect.
“What previous studies have found is that when people experience stories as if they were one of the characters, a connection is made with that character, and the character becomes intwined with the self. In our study, we see evidence of that in their brains.”
Is Fictophilia a Mental Illness? Although fictosexuality is not a diagnosable mental condition or disorder, its stigma still exists. Because of the relationship's perceived sexual nature and the idea that there is something wrong with fictosexuals, people are both captivated by and critical of fictophilia disorder.
Actors cry a lot on camera, and it can be challenging to sustain that emotion for multiple takes in a row. As such, even professional actors will use menthol tear sticks—apply lightly under the eyes, and the fumes will make your eyes water.
In some cases, this can have to do with factors such as fatigue, stress and sleep deprivation. Some people may also experience increased crying as a side-effect of birth control pills.
Sometimes characters and stories are so well written, so believable and relatable to our own lives, that they could be real people. It may seem funny but some people rely on these people as comfort characters. It is completely normal! Even if they are animated… don't worry, you're not crazy.
Crying is a normal and natural grief reaction for most people who've experienced losing a loved one. Crying can be the ultimate healer in the release of grief and sorrow. When you hold back tears, it registers stress in your brain and signals that something's wrong.
We know death is coming, so why does it make us so sad? There are, of course, many reasons. Our loved ones play important roles in our daily lives, and their deaths leave gaping holes. Often, we want more time with them — more joy, more laughter, more healing — and death makes those hopes impossible to fulfill.
When someone has a character disorder, it affects every aspect of their lives including their relationships, career, moods, perception of reality, behavior, and self-esteem. Many individuals with character disorders experience dissatisfaction in the workplace, and have a difficult time building healthy relationships.
The fictophilic paradox
The individual is fully aware of the characters fictional status and the parasocial nature of the relationship but their feelings toward the characters can result in discomfort since they cannot interact with the characters in the same way as they do with humans.
Fictosexuality, fictoromance, and fictophilia are terms that have recently become popular in online environments as indicators of strong and lasting feelings of love, infatuation, or desire for one or more fictional characters.
If you watch a television series or read a book regularly, you will grow a fondness for the characters and that's only natural … It is NOT weird to feel attracted (even sexually) to a fictional character if this character isn't too young or an animal (or something similar).
Is obsessing with fictional characters a disorder? Short answer: No. Fictiophilia is not an officially recognized disorder. The main reason for this is that most people form healthy parasocial relationships.
2022/04/17. Almost the same as being a “Synpath” or an “Otherlink”, a “Kinnie” is a person who “Kins” a character (usually fictional). “Kinning” is when you closely relate to a character (in ways such as a characters backstory, personality, looks, or all of the above).
If you want to fall out of love, remind yourself that this character is not real and make an effort to pinpoint their less appealing qualities to help with the process. Cut yourself from the source and avoid consuming any works that involve this character if you notice it affecting your real life.
Dismissive/Avoidant - Avoidant attachment is typically exhibited by a rejection of intimacy and independence, however, their independence is more to avoid dependence on others rather than feeling secure. This is often considered an unhealthy attachment style.