Wither

WIther is a mental health condition that has become prevalent to a vast majority of the species found across the realms on the Yggdrasil. Those who live with Wither will experience it's symptoms for the rest of their life, experiencing a multitude of symptoms and struggles, although they still do their damnedest to live their lives in spite of it.

Transmission & Vectors

Not much is known about what causes Wither. A lot of research has been going on with what exactly directly causes it to develop in someone, with a lot of it being speculation on the exposure to the distorted magic permeating throughout the realms and the deeper chaotic flux that Mana has on the body-- though this does not account for why there had been no cases of Wither before The Withering. Some speculate that genes play a role, others suggest that it has something to do with one's soul. None of this has been verified, so research is ongoing, albeit very slow.

Symptoms

People will have varying symptoms from Wither, a majority of which are long-term and can affect one's perception of themselves. These symptoms tend to be:

A strong loss of sense of self, characterized as frequent dissasociative episodes.

Episodes of manic behavior, with extreme mood swings of anger, depression, and happiness occuring as a result.

Development of various phobias, including Lygophobia & Aphenphosmphobia.

Anxiety.

Nightmares involving being chased by dark entities in an endless hallway.

A sensation of being watched, even when alone.

Auditorial hallucinations.

Pain felt across limbs.

Sensitivity to Mana, which results in watery eyes, the glow of Devoidia within them, goosebumps, and the feeling of heavy weight across the body.

Oftentimes, these conditions can result in the development of further mental issues. Children who experience Wither end up potentially developing other disorders such as Borderline Personality Disorder or Dissociative Identity Disorder.

Treatment

There is no proper treatment of Wither. When someone develops it, they'll have it for the rest of their life. However, this does not entirely mean that they are doomed to a life of misery and despair. It's a struggle, but it does not mean they need to be pitied or shunned for it.

Oftentimes, the afflicted can be given therapy if they so choose, to help manage the manic episodes, the phobias, and the dreams. This can extend to the other disorders that can form as well. Antidepressants can be prescribed to help with the depression, too. Quite a few people across the Yggdrasil have lived okay lives in spite of the state of the world and what they go through.

Prognosis

Without proper care and assistance, the dissasociative episodes and manic periods will increase in frequency, which has been seen to affect one's day-to-day well-being as well as their social life. Their nightmares will become more frequent as well, with them becoming more and more intense overtime. It's not unheard of for the afflicted to begin losing sleep from these nightmares, with a few particularly extreme cases resulting in the development of Sleep Paralysis and Somniphobia-- the fear of sleep.

Sequela

After a while of living with Wither and being given the proper care, there are other effects that one will experience. This can include, but is once again not always the case:

A heightened affinity for Chiral Links

Higher metabolism, which means the afflicted need to eat more.

Very high susceptibility to Transmorphification Syndrome.

Seeing colors that are out of the normal range of vision, including Devoidia.

Minor visual hallucinations.

Affected Groups

All those who have been affected have no known commonality between them. Humans, Elves, Strakhians, Reptilia, Demons, all of them can get Wither.

Cultural Reception

Initially, there was a social stigma against those who suffered from Wither, with quite a few folks seeing them as cursed. Unsurprisingly, this would prove to be a massive problem as during the first few years of The Withering, there would be many who would be afraid to report that they have Wither, and as a result there were a lot of incidents and accidents that happened throughout the Realms.

This ostracization would be discouraged by many, especially medical professionals and family members of those who were afflicted by Wither. A better understanding of Wither by a larger part of society is slowly being reached, though in more secluded areas throughout the realms, it's not uncommon to be treated worse for simply having it.

Type

Supernatural

Origin

Magical

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired & Congenital

Rarity

Uncommon