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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/48260
License name: CC BY-SA 4.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Before you read this answer, understand that this is written not so much as a writer, but as a reader with knowledge of mental health issues, both professionally and personally.

> Take the example of a paranoid loaner suffering from addiction. Assume those are 3 distinct problems: The larger mental health issues resulting in paranoia symptoms, difficulty with relationships, and the separate mental health issue of addiction. Assume also that the external conflict is unrelated to the flaws. Maybe this person has to care for their parent suffering from dementia.

Firstly, you should look at what you mean by 'paranoia'. In the real world, this label can range from the minor 'doesn't really trust people, due to previous bad experiences', to the full-blown medical term paranioa, where the sufferer can become convinced, despite all logic, that everybody is conspiring together to defeat them for some nefarious purpose.

The first is a character flaw that can be resolved by the character herself as part of her journey, while the second is a disease that requires professional intervention.

You should do the same for 'addiction'. Is your character somebody who hides from her problems by drinking too much, or is she actually physically addicted to her drug of 'choice'? Can she stop without medication? What about councelling? Is willpower going to be enough?

There is a massive range of symptoms and resolutions that can be considered for these issues, and you need to be sure what your character actually has. There is a very blurred line between 'character flaw' and 'mental health issue', and you should be careful when treading that line to keep things believable, and to avoid offending people.

Despite what some people may believe, however, a mental health issue _can_ still be treated as a character flaw, and can be 'resolved' in the same way, as long as it is done with care and compassion. I suggest reading some books/blogs written by people who have issues similar to the ones your character has, to get a good grounding in reality.

Once you've done this, you can then look into how interconnected these issues actually are. Mental health issues rarely present as separate, distinct elements. They usually overlap. They influence each other; they can actually feed on each other. You can't (and I would argue _shouldn't want to_) separate these issues into distinct, unrelated problems to be dealt with or resolved individually.

An addict, for example, can push people away to hide her addiction, and thus increase her distrust of others, feeding her paranoia. Take away her addiction issue, and she could better understand her other issues, and be more willing to resolve them. Conversely, her paranoia could lead to her not trusting somebody who is trying to help her beat her addiction.

Finally, you can rarely remove these issues from external confict either. In the example you gave, your character is caring for a parent with dementia. This is a highly emotional issue for the character, which would almost certainly influence her addiction, and her ability to deal with others, as it is a lonely, isolating position to be in.

Once you examine these factors, and how they interact with each other, it will become easier to see that they do not necessarily need to be resolved individually and distinctly. They may not all be resolved at all.

There is no limit to the amount of flaws your character can have, as long as you interconnect them believably, treat them with understanding of the underlying issues, resolve them believably (or not at all), and show compassion to real-life sufferers.

Write what best fits the story you want to tell, and good luck.

Original score: 3