15 TV Shows That Deal With Mental Illness

Mental illnesses are really hard. For instance, writing this opening required me to check to make sure the sentences were all of equal length. Or consult with the demon living in my head. Or do a very specific ritual. Or have a panic attack. Or imagine a squirrel did it. Because I’m crazy, which means just kinda whatever to Hollywood most of the time.

Some shows, though, go beyond shallow portrayals and deal with what it’s really like to have a debilitating, often lifelong invisible illness that affects and colors your existence every day. Often because they’re made by people who are mad themselves, and understand the horror of dealing with an awful god inside your head demanding insane worship and dispensing awful punishments. 

And some of these are comedies. So here are some of our favorite shows about mental illness. And also Monk. Monk is on here, too. Gotta have Monk.