i agree they're all addressed in the fic, both significant days and the routines in between i saw phil being involved and dan was not depicted as handling them successfully on his own. that is what i was reacting to as someone depressed who doesn't have someone in their life doing that (and never has). i think triggers are a little misunderstood; it isn't synonymous with something being written poorly, or insensitively. in fact, very positive things can trigger you when you are suffering from a mental illness. i hope that makes sense, i'm probably not explaining it well.Templeofshame wrote: ↑Wed Jan 17, 2018 4:57 pmI came here to be just ABANDONED HOSPITAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! a bit but I just wanted to also say:mermaid blood wrote: ↑Wed Jan 17, 2018 12:10 pm
(re: A Match and a Fuse)
i have, and have unfortunately had to stop reading it. i think it will be amazing to come back to in the future, just not right now. my guess is it may be particularly triggering because of how the author deals with the depiction (eg. it's centered around Phil and the two character's interaction, which a lot of people reading don't have when dealing with their own depressive episodes - and can be a common idealisation fantasy). i find the use of the word 'recovery' a little triggering too as clinical depression (at least the long-term type described in the character) is a lifetime affliction.
I don't know how far you got in the fic, but amaaf is extremely clear about the fact that Dan's depression will "always sometimes" be a big scary thing in his life, and that it's not glamorous or artsy, and that Phil doesn't always know how to help and sometimes can't do anything (and much of the worst he's not around for), but he tries because he cares about Dan. Obviously anyone's reaction to it is theirs and if it's triggering for you, that's valid and a good reason to wait to read or to stop. But some of these concerns are directly addressed in the fic and it avoids these pitfalls that people (understandably) fear when reading takes on mental health in fic, so as a caught-up reader it feels like you're selling it short.
i got up to them arriving at phil's parents place so i got pretty far along, although obviously something drastic could've happened in the plot since then that i've missed.
this isn't constructive criticism, it's just my gut reaction - and i know that the vast majority of readers are having a fantastic experience reading it. it's really, really nice seeing that. i miss past fandoms i've been in where an almost unanimously loved WIP brings disparate people together. it's beautiful!