MENTAL ILLNESS AND IT’S PROBLEMATIC REPRESENTATION

Mental health has been able to attain efficient limelight after the ages of revolutions. Mental health being an utmost sensitive motion is supposed to be presented with accurate facts and virtues. Nowadays, living under the circumstances of social distancing and home arrest, mental health awareness has become the talk of the globe. WHO has specifically suggested specific guidelines supporting the need for efficient mental health which suggests that it is really a need of an hour.

Entertainment sources such as movies, books, drama, etc do impact us in a way that helps us to hold an opinion about any topic. That opinion tends to get rigid with adapting and accepting the new developments about that topic. For example, I used to think that romcoms are conservative in many ways as mostly it tends to be more male-oriented but with the passage of time and consuming better versions of romcoms, I developed my perspective about romcoms. So, in that case, I adapted and accepted the change with time.

Many theories and researches have proved that love and affection can cure or improve the condition of a person if he/she is going through some physical illness. Love could be defined as a fusion of emotions, behaviors, and beliefs associated with the feeling of affection, warmth, protectiveness, empathy, and respect for each other. It is completely an interpersonal phenomenon.

Though there are certain sources that show mental illness in a really irrational light. We’ve been witnessing this partially positive and negative representation of mental health and illness in an unrealistic pattern.

For instance, considering movies and series which were efficiently able to showcase the real image of mental illness and mental suffering. There have been movies that have canvased the actual hardship and consequences of mental illness.

MOVIES AND SERIES WITH VALID REPRESENTATION OF MENTAL ILLNESS

One of the all-time gems I’d prefer which have showcased the raw and unfiltered side of mental illness is 15 Park Avenue (2005). This movie revolves around a middle-aged schizophrenic woman. From acting to the essence of the movie, everything is so accurate and perfect.

There is an American animated series called BoJack Horseman (2006- Present) that revolves around BoJack who was a sitcom star and now struggling with mental health issues like anxiety and self-destruction. What makes it a fine series, is a fine essence of dark humor and relevance of reality facets.

Horse Girl (2020) is also relevantly describing the complications of schizophrenia and how it clashes with reality. Please Like Me (2003-Present) is a series that breaks the stigma around homophobia and the consequences of depression on the family.

Dear Zindagi (2016) and Made in Heaven (2019) series gives a real outlook of therapy and how it affects an individual’s functioning process.

Joker (2019) is a recent movie that has won an Oscar for the best movie of the year. It showcases a relevant representation of what really schizophrenic individual goes through. Societal reaction to the mentally ill individual. 13 Reasons Why (2018-2020) is a series that actively doesn’t focus on mental health issues but focuses on the triggers which can lead to mental health issues.

Though many movies, sitcoms, and web-series are been made with an aim to create awareness which leads to the development in people’s thoughts about the really subjective motion called mental health. Certain developments do make us more aware, empathetic, and informative about mental health.

PROBLEMATIC REPRESENTATION OF MENTAL ILLNESS

Yes, it is really evident to account that there are many entertainment sources to advocate mental health issues. But on the other hand, there are few examples that have shown mental illness in a really irrelevant light.

                                                           ‘love does heal us but can’t cure us wholly’

The basic problem behind such representation in romanticizing mental illness. With romanticizing mental illness, it means that platforms that show that only love and affection can cure the whole impact of mental illness are quite irrelevant as yes, love, care, and affection do help people who suffer from mental illness to cure but can’t explicitly transit a person’s condition. Such as there is a movie called Hasee Toh Phasee (2014) which shows that a woman who suffers from apparent anxiety and depression does get constantly normal after falling in love which is quite fast and sets an example that only love can cure so, which isn’t true.

FACTS ONLY

By not only relying on representation on entertainment platforms we should also own a really basic and proven fact that mental illness can be cured with medication, psychotherapies, and a positive social setting. In the case of mental disorders, it requires proper medication, monitoring by psychiatrists regularly, and intensive care.

CONCLUSION

Mental health is a real urgent motion that needs to be addressed to every group in society, as everyone has issues to counter and tackle. Basically, what we consume as a source of entertainment affects us in various ways and needs to be addressed in a proper way with more relevant and proven facts.

Other Important Articles

• Mental Health – A journey within
• When the brain is a movie buff