History Main / UnhappyMedium

* Stygian in the WhateleyUniverse was so depressed that only the attention of two dedicated spirits to get him out of bed and eating. [[spoiler: He also gets forgiven for his role in the Sim sabotage which he took part in only so he would get killed.]]
* The "demon seed" mediums in ''TheSalvationWar'' often went insane from the constant torment from demons taunting them and showing them Hell. Most of the sane ones kept their powers secret, since nobody will want to hear "your relatives are burning in a river of lava for all eternity, and so will you." However, humans find ways to block out the messages, and uses them to open portals to invade Hell.

* Mao from ''CodeGeass'' fits this trope perfectly. Out of all the Geass users in the series, he is undeniably the most damaged and miserable; his mind-reading power puts him in so much pain that [[BrokenBase fans are actually divided]] over whether to loathe him completely for his [[MoralEventHorizon cruel treatment of the heroes]] or [[TragicMonster feel sorry for him]].

* In ''ChronoCrusade'', Joshua Christopher is [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity driven insane]] by being [[HearingVoices unable to stop reading the minds of those around him]].

* ''{{xxxHolic}}'' revolves around Watanuki, one of the few people able to see the the myriad of supernatural phenomena that exist in the universe. Unfortunately, said supernatural phenomena are also powerfully attracted to him. Having to constantly fend of creatures that other people can't even see has not had a good impact on his life.

* ''ComicBook/{{X-Men}}'': ComicBook/JeanGrey couldn't control her telepathic powers when she was a child, causing her to develop mental problems. Xavier put blocks on her mind designed to let her grow into her powers gradually. Originally the Phoenix wasn't a cosmic entity, but her full potential, unleashed before she was ready for it by extreme duress. Even ''before'' Jason Wyngarde attempted MoreThanMindControl and found out he really, really shouldn't have, Jean had to constantly fight against WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity and was more anti-heroish.

* ''Series/{{Millennium}}[='=]s Frank Black, whose abilities as TheProfiler edge into PsychicPowers territory, is often morose. He'd be more so without his family, and goes into HeroicBSOD (again) after [[spoiler: he's widowed]].

* ''ComicBook/{{X-Men}}'': Jean Grey couldn't control her telepathic powers when she was a child, causing her to develop mental problems. Xavier put blocks on her mind designed to let her grow into her powers gradually. Originally the Phoenix wasn't a cosmic entity, but her full potential, unleashed before she was ready for it by extreme duress. Even ''before'' Jason Wyngarde attempted MoreThanMindControl and found out he really, really shouldn't have, Jean had to constantly fight against WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity and was more anti-heroish.

* ''{{Homestuck}}'' gives us Sollux, who can hear the wails of the imminently deceased (which presumably has something to do with his generally pessimistic personality; he gets a lot happier after he is blinded and can't hear them anymore) and Aranea, who remarks that her empathic abilities allowed her to feel everything the other characters felt about her, good or bad, which left her feeling isolated and quite lonely.

* [[TheCassandra Cassandra]] from GreekMythology, though not at first. The curse was separate from the prophesy part- she got prophesy as a blessing from Apollo, then pissed him off, so he added on a curse that she'd never be believed.

* To say that River Tam in ''{{Firefly}}'' is "unhappy" due to her powers is a ''[[TheWoobie massive]]'' understatement.

* Satori Deacon in {{PS238}} (explored in issue #18, High Spirits).

* Frank Herbert's ''{{Dune}}'' series. Paul Muad'Dib eventually discovers that having prescience is a trap, forcing you into a predetermined path.

* In the ''TabletopGame/CallOfCthulhu''[=/=]''Delta Green'' supplement ''Countdown'', characters with psychic powers are in big trouble. Their information gathering abilities make it easier for them to see things related to the CthulhuMythos, which causes them to lose Sanity (and go insane) even faster than regular investigators.

* In ''{{Push}}'' people with psychic powers are hunted down by the government and forced to work for them. The precognitive "Watchers" in the film have a particularly bad case of this: quite apart from the fact that Cassie feels [[YouCantFightFate powerless in the face of the persistent visions of her death]], Watchers are arguably the most valuable to the government Divisions- as Cassie's mother found out. At present, she's locked up, being kept under a constant flow of sedatives to prevent her from rebelling- to the point that she can't even hold a spoon without assistance.

* ''TheSixthSense'': That poor kid who could see ghosts all the time...
* ''{{Scanners}}''.

* Creator/MattDamon's character in the Creator/ClintEastwood movie ''{{Hereafter}}'' can communicate with the dead, and hates everything about it.

* Allison and her children sometimes feel this way in ''{{Medium}}''.

* In ''Film/{{Constantine}}'', people with psychic abilities can see demons while they're still children. This tends to get them unwanted psychiatric treatment if they tell anyone what they see.

* Phony psychic Oda Mae Brown from ''Film/{{Ghost}}'' would rather pretend to perceive dead spirits than deal with the trouble of earning her money honestly by hearing ghosts for real.

* Played with in the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' with Mrs. Cake. She is definitely a medium and precognitive, but can get splitting headaches when she talks with her precognitive abilities on. The reason: she answers questions before they are asked, but if the other person fails to ask the question, after she just gave the answer, the paradox causes her a serious headache. She is also TheDreaded by all religions on the Disc (And the Post Office for some reason).

And of course, being able to [[ISeeDeadPeople see ghosts]] / [[{{Telepathy}} hear thoughts]] means you either lie to everyone you know about it (and good luck having a successful date when ghosts [[GhostlyGoals show up to bug you]], or your date thinks horrible things about you), or are open, thus facing public ridicule, private rejection, being [[MedicateTheMedium labeled insane]] or [[TheyWouldCutYouUp experimented with]].

And of course, being able to [[ISeeDeadPeople see ghosts]] / [[{{Telepathy}} hear thoughts]] means you either lie to everyone you know about it (and good luck having a successful date when ghosts [[GhostlyGoals show up to bug you]], or your date thinks horrible things about you), or are open and face public ridicule and private rejection.

* ''ComicBook/{{X-Men}}'': Jean Grey couldn't control her telepathic powers when she was a child, causing her to develop mental problems.

* What if you had ''two'' gifts, but one destroyed your ability to enjoy the other. In Polar City Blues, Mulligan's a former surefire baseball recruit whose career is derailed by the adolescent blossoming of his psychic gifts. All he wants to do is play baseball, but no team will draft him because they're afraid he'll get banned immediately. He can't hide it because all psychics are branded with a red P to protect other people. And as a Blanco (white man) in a Hispanic dominated future, he's got no prospects at all. He's still pretty chipper until he thinks about what he's missing out on, which makes him an UnhappyMedium.

* Creator/MattDamon's character in the ClintEastwood movie ''{{Hereafter}}'' can communicate with the dead, and hates everything about it.

* Mages in the ''Franchise/DragonAge'' series can be insanely powerful, but they're also closer to The Fade (astral plane/dream realm) which is clogged with demons just looking for a host or a [[DealWithTheDevil deal]]. Because the risk of possession or getting DrunkOnTheDarkSide is so high, Mages live as virtual prisoners of ChurchMilitant Templars who ''really'' love to abuse their power, threatening them with fantastic lobotomies, turning them in to sex slaves, killing them if they even ''slightly'' step out of line. But the alternative seems to be letting demon-possessed, AxCrazy, BloodMagic wielding run rampant. One mage character is apologizing to TheMaker just for ''existing'' and another mage flat-wonders why they don't just drown people like him at birth as a more merciful option! DragonAge is [[DarknessInducedAudienceApathy that kind of]] [[CrapsackWorld world]]

* Alma of the ''{{FEAR}}'' games was actually driven completely insane by her sensitivity to other peoples' emotions.

* ''{{Final Fantasy XIII-2}}'': Subverted; Yeul ([[spoiler:and later, Serah]]) possess psychic abilities that force her to view changes up and down the timeline whenever they come into being. Eventually, this results in migraines, fainting and death. But Yeul isn't all that bothered. It's her guardian ''Caius'' that's [[WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds extremely unhappy about this]].
* Mages in ''DragonAge'' can be insanely powerful, but they're also closer to The Fade (astral plane/dream realm) which is clogged with demons just looking for a host or a [[DealWithTheDevil deal]]. Because the risk of possession or getting DrunkOnTheDarkSide is so high, Mages live as virtual prisoners of ChurchMilitant Templars who ''really'' love to abuse their power, threatening them with fantastic lobotomies, turning them in to sex slaves, killing them if they even ''slightly'' step out of line. But the alternative seems to be letting demon-possessed, AxCrazy, BloodMagic wielding run rampant. One mage character is apologizing to TheMaker just for ''existing'' and another mage flat-wonders why they don't just drown people like him at birth as a more merciful option! DragonAge is [[DarknessInducedAudienceApathy that kind of]] [[CrapsackWorld world]]
* A milder BioWare example is Dawn Star from JadeEmpire who is seen as strange and scares people a little because of her ability to see and talk to spirits. Otherwise, she is one of the nicest people in the party and the [[PlayerCharacter Spirit Monk]] can encourage her to make peace with her abilities. In the same game is Wild Flower, a little girl possessed by ''two'' demons. One of them is a big, LawfulGood, shaggy guy she thinks of as her friend. The other torments her and wants to do wicked things, causing her a lot of pain. [[spoiler: The PlayerCharacter evicts one of the demons in favor of another, and if you choose the tormenting demon, her ending shows that she has gone mad from the torture]].

* A milder BioWare example is Dawn Star from JadeEmpire who is seen as strange and scares people a little because of her ability to see and talk to spirits. Otherwise, she is one of the nicest people in the party and the [[PlayerCharacter Spirit Monk]] can encourage her to make peace with her abilities. In the same game is Wild Flower, a little girl possessed by ''two'' demons. One of them is a big, LawfulGood, shaggy guy she thinks of as her friend. The other torments her and wants to do wicked things, causing her a lot of pain. [[spoiler: The PlayerCharacter evicts one of the demons in favor of another, and if you choose the tormenting demon, her ending shows that she has gone mad from the torture]].


[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]
* Stygian in the WhateleyUniverse was so depressed that only the attention of two dedicated spirits to get him out of bed and eating. [[spoiler: He also gets forgiven for his role in the Sim sabotage which he took part in only so he would get killed.]]
* The "demon seed" mediums in ''TheSalvationWar'' often went insane from the constant torment from demons taunting them and showing them Hell. Most of the sane ones kept their powers secret, since nobody will want to hear "your relatives are burning in a river of lava for all eternity, and so will you." However, humans find ways to block out the messages, and uses them to open portals to invade Hell.

* Mages in ''DragonAge'' can be insanely powerful, but they're also closer to The Fade (astral plane/dream realm) which is clogged with demons just looking for a host or a [[DealWithTheDevil deal]]. Because the risk of possession or getting DrunkOnTheDarkSide is so high, Mages live as virtual prisoners of ChurchMilitant Templars who ''really'' love to abuse their power, threatening them with fantastic lobotomies, turning them in to sex slaves, killing them if they even ''slightly'' step out of line. But the alternative seems to be letting demon-possessed, AxCrazy, BloodMagic wielding run rampant. One mage character is apologizing to TheMaker just for ''existing'' and another mage flat-wonders why they don't just drown people like him at birth as a more merciful option! DragonAge is [[DarknessInducedAudienceApathy that kind of]] [[CrapsackWorld world]]

* A milder BioWare example is Dawn Star from JadeEmpire who is seen as strange and scares people a little because of her ability to see and talk to spirits. Otherwise, she is one of the nicest people in the party and the [[PlayerCharacter Spirit Monk]] can encourage her to make peace with her abilities. In the same game is Wild Flower, a little girl possessed by ''two'' demons. One of them is a big, LawfulGood, shaggy guy she thinks of as her friend. The other torments her and wants to do wicked things, causing her a lot of pain. [[spoiler: The PlayerCharacter evicts one of the demons in favor of another, and if you choose the ormenting demon, her ending shows that she has gone mad from the torture]].

[[folder:Web Original]]
* Stygian in the WhateleyUniverse was so depressed that only the attention of two dedicated spirits to get him out of bed and eating. [[spoiler: He also gets forgiven for his role in the Sim sabotage which he took part in only so he would get killed.]]
* The "demon seed" mediums in ''TheSalvationWar'' often went insane from the constant torment from demons taunting them and showing them Hell. Most of the sane ones kept their powers secret, since nobody will want to hear "your relatives are burning in a river of lava for all eternity, and so will you." However, humans find ways to block out the messages, and uses them to open portals to invade Hell.
[[/folder]]

* Mages in ''DragonAge'' can be insanely powerful, but they're also closer to The Fade (astral plane/dream realm) which is clogged with demons just looking for a host or a [[DealWithTheDevil deal]]. Because the risk of possession or getting DrunkOnTheDarkSide is so high, Mages live as virtual prisoners of ChurchMilitant Templars who ''really'' love to abuse their power, threatening them with fantastic lobotomies, turning them in to sex slaves, killing them if they even ''slightly'' step out of line. But the alternative seems to be letting demon-possessed, AxCrazy, BloodMagic wielding run rampant. Ond mage character is apologizing to TheMaker just for ''existing'' and another mage flat-wonders why they don't just drown people like him at birth as a more merciful option! DragonAge is [[DarknessInducedAudienceApathy that kind of]] [[CrapsackWorld world]]

* Mages in ''DragonAge'' can be insanely powerful, but they're also closer to The Fade (astral plane/dream realm) which is clogged with demons just looking for a host or a [[DealWithTheDevil deal]]. Because the risk of possession or getting DrunkOnTheDarkSide is so high, Mages live as virtual prisoners of ChurchMilirant Templars who ''really'' live to abuse their power, threatening them with fantastic lobotomies, turning them in to sex slaves, killing them if they even ''slightly'' step out of line. But the alternative seems to be letting demon-possessed, AxCrazy, BloodMagic wielding run rampant. Ond mage character is apologizing to TheMaker just for ''existing'' and another mage flat-wonders why they don't just drown people like him at birth as a more merciful option! DragonAge is [[DarknessInducedAudienceApathy that kind of]] [[CrapsackWorld world]]

* MattDamon's character in the ClintEastwood movie ''{{Hereafter}}'' can communicate with the dead, and hates everything about it.