While there was a musical episode and the dating dramas of the doctors is always fun to watch, Grey's Anatomy isn't afraid to feature incredibly dark storylines. Every main character has experienced at least one tragedy in their life, and every day at work, they see people in mental/emotional and physical pain.
Sometimes the doctors made really bad choices and other times, they were struggling with problems that weren't so easily solved by just making the right decision. Over the 17 seasons of this popular show, Grey's Anatomy has handled many real topics in a powerful way.
Mental Health
When Jo found out that her mom was raped and that's how she was conceived, it was one of the most disturbing things anyone could ever discover. Jo was already dealing with the tough parts of her background, such as not having a home for a period of time and wondering if she was really capable of being loved.
Grey's Anatomy dealt with the topic of mental health in the episodes that followed. Jo became depressed and checked into a center so she could heal and feel better. The series has also followed Meredith and Amelia as they struggled with their mental health, as they had both had tragic childhoods.
Gun Violence
Some storylines on the show are repetitive, but there's no question that the early days of Grey's Anatomy made it tough to stop watching. The show dealt with gun violence when Gary Clark wanted to get revenge on the hospital after his wife's death in the sixth season.
He killed several people in the terrifying episode, "Death and All His Friends." In the end, he killed himself, too, and this mirrored the tragic events that often take place in real life.
Domestic Abuse
It was shocking to learn that Jo was actually married and that she had changed her name because she was running away from her abusive husband, Paul.
This was one time that the show tackled a real, important, and dark issue. Jo proved that there are no easy answers in this situation and that she was always terrified that Paul was going to come after her. The other doctors realized pretty quickly that she had been hiding a lot of pain in the time since they first met her.
PTSD
Owen Hunt isn't a perfect friend and that's partly because he has so much trauma that he brings around with him. Owen choked Cristina in the season five episode "Elevator Love Letter" while they were in bed together, and this storyline allowed the show to talk about PTSD.
Grey's Anatomy handled this in a realistic manner, as Owen hadn't told Cristina about his night terrors, and she really had no clue what he was dealing with all the time. Many people struggle in silence and don't talk about their deepest fears with people who are close to them.
The COVID-19 Pandemic
Many care homes have been especially hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and it's heartbreaking to read about. Grey's Anatomy not only chose to work the pandemic into season 17, but they also talked about this specific aspect. In the episode "Fight the Power," many residents of a home were infected with the virus. Bailey's mother was also admitted to the hospital.
The next episode, "You'll Never Walk Alone," also talked about race and medicine. Nico and Mabel talked about an Asian-American patient who was admitted to the hospital and how Owen should have realized he had right-side diverticulitis, not appendicitis. Owen had to rethink his bias and he realized that he had a lot of learning to do.
Alzheimer's
With a sad family background and many personal tragedies, Meredith Grey had so many tough days on the popular hospital drama.
In the second season, it became clear that Ellis had Alzheimer's, and it was really difficult for Meredith to handle, especially since she didn't have a good relationship with her mother. This is a tragic health condition that so many families live with, and Grey's did a good job of showing how it affects everyone involved.
OCD
In the 10th season, fans learned that Miranda Bailey had OCD, and this is another deep issue that the show tackled. It was difficult for Bailey to talk about what was going on with her and ask for help.
This topic was treated well, as the first step is always naming the condition and figuring out a plan to cope and feel better. Even if fans don't struggle with OCD, they could likely relate to Bailey here, as everyone has tough moments in life.
Abortion
Cristina and Owen disagreed about having kids and from the moment she began working at the hospital, it was clear that Cristina wasn't going to start a family.
In season eight, Cristina had an abortion, and since the pro-life/pro-choice debate is such a big one that isn't going away anytime soon, this was a very big deal and the episode was very powerful.
Sexual Assault
In the season 15 episode, "Silent All These Years," Alex and Jo helped a woman admitted to the hospital who had been sexually assaulted.
Jo learned that Abby's husband physically and sexually hurt her, and while Abby wished to have surgery and forget about what had happened, Jo said that putting this event on the record was important. This episode mirrored the difficult decisions that victims of sexual assault have to make, as they weigh whether they want to report it or press charges.
Alcoholism
Richard Webber made some poor decisions, but he also suffered over the years. His struggles allowed Grey's Anatomy to talk about alcoholism, and things got worse for this character when Ollie, his sponsor, died of liver failure. Staying sober is definitely incredibly difficult for many and the show always treated Richard's addiction with respect and compassion.