Bleed: When fantasy and reality blur
If you are new to role-playing, the term “bleed” might have you scratching your head in confusion. If you are a veteran, you know all too well that this can happen to the best of role-players and that it may be silly to think anyone is above “bleeding.”
Bleed
Bleed is when the boundaries between the self and character are blurred. Bleed is what happens when you, the player, are so immersed and emotionally invested in your character that the events and emotions they go through start to “bleed” into your psyche and personal life, and vice versa.
Role-play is meant to be played by players who take on the guise of their character and interpret their neurosis, actions, and emotions. If not properly managed, it can damage your mental health and become a self-indulgent, toxic outlet for personal problems.
Avoid self-insert characters
As advised in our previous article, we want to avoid self-insert characters because that character is basically you. Because of how closely aligned you would be to a self-inserted character, the lack of boundary and separation between you and your character would cause whatever is happening to your character to feel like it’s happening to you.
Mental self-care is a must
If you’ve ever felt emotionally invested in on-screen characters, or have shed a tear or two for fictional characters, then it’s easy to understand that those emotions come from a place of empathy. The ability to connect and relate to a character while they take us on their journey and to feel it so deeply enough for it to affect us is not a problem; it’s when the separation between you and the character you’re feeling for crosses into your personal life that it begins to cause some damage.
When you are under stress or suffering from burnout in your personal life, be sure to take a step back. Role-playing, while not in your best psyche, can trap you in a negative emotional cycle, causing you to blur the experiences, identities, and neurosis between you and your character. Not being in a healthy headspace while role-playing will only do you a great disservice; it will most definitely aggravate any existing depression, anxiety, or other mental illnesses.
Steps to avoid and mitigate bleed
Be conscious
If you notice yourself feeling a strong emotion about your role-play, pause and take a break. Consciously ask yourself if these are your character’s feelings or your personal ones. Remember that the character is not the player.
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Talk about your character as a character
Avoid using first person when talking about your character. Sure, you might have similarities to your character, but you are not your character. When talking about your character in first person or writing in first person prose, you are developing a weak boundary between you and your character.
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Check-in with other players in-scene
Check-in with all players in-scene either during or after to make sure everyone is on the same page. You don’t know if everyone has the ability to separate emotions from their character, and it’s helpful to check in to ensure everyone is in a healthy head space.
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Decompress
Role-play can definitely be your hobby, but it should never be your only hobby. Stepping away (or, as we like to say, touching some grass) can help keep sight of the boundaries between you and your character. If role-play is your only outlet, you’ll find yourself blurring the boundaries between your real life and the life of your fictional character. Step away and take some time to do or enjoy other things!
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Debrief and communicate
Debriefing and communicating with the players you’ve role-played with can help. Be sure not to conflate the character with the player. Seek different perspectives and go over the whole process. Take note of what you have experienced and learned, and most importantly, what your triggers and limitations are. Being aware of what caused these symptoms and reflecting always helps.
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