Mental Illness in the Movie "Silver Linings Playbook"
The number of reported diagnoses of mental illness in the U.S. is growing with each generation, and the causes for the increase are multifaceted. Many people know of at least one person with a mental disorder, and more people today are vulnerable to developing symptoms of mental illness. When working in the field of psychology, you will interact with people who exhibit symptoms of mental illness or have a clinical disorder, or you might have a family member, friend, or neighbor who is experiencing symptoms. Mass media in America’s culture may depict abnormal behavior as being odd or strange, even laughable. It may also be altogether inaccurately depicted, making the line, at times, between normal and abnormal unrecognizable. Learning to recognize symptoms of mental illness may be essential to your career. For this assignment, you will have the opportunity to identify symptoms of mental illness and consider cultural influences that determine if the behavior is considered normal or abnormal.
For this assignment, you will write a 2- to 3-page double-spaced expository paper (excluding the title and reference page), exploring a fictional movie character who is displaying abnormal behavior that could be considered indicative of a mental illness. You may choose a character from the movie list below or use another character of your choosing.
Name the movie and describe the character’s general behavior in question.
Identify and describe the symptoms of a mental illness that the character is exhibiting (see DSM–5-TR).
Referring to the DSM–5-TR, the definition of abnormal behavior from the course textbook, and based on your observation of the character’s behavior in the movie, explain why the behavior appears to be abnormal?
Based on the DSM–5-TR, which mental disorder do you believe the character’s symptoms best represent?
Are there any indications that suggest the character may have a different mental disorder other than the one you have listed above? If so, name the alternative disorders that could be a diagnosis and provide your reasoning. If not, explain why you dismissed other possible disorders over your chosen disorder.
Explain what social or cultural influences can make it difficult to identify symptoms of mental disorders. Was the movie’s portrayal of the character convoluted or normalized making the distinction of abnormal behavior from that of normal behavior blurred? For example, was the movie a comedy that joked about the character’s behavior, such as Jim Carrey in Me, Myself, and Irene? Or was addictive behavior normalized? Was behavior downplayed as simply teenage behavior gone “bad?” Was behavior glamorized as a damsel in distress being saved by a hero?
Movie ideas:
A Beautiful Mind
American Beauty
Armageddon
Awakenings
Basketball Diaries – Jim Carrol
Benny and Joon
Black Swan
Borderline
Born on the 4th of July
Cobb
Dirty Filthy Love
Dying to be Perfect: The Ellen Hart Pena Story
Fight Club
Finding Nemo – Dory
Girl Interrupted
Good Will Hunting
He Loves Me…He Loves Me Not
Infinitely Polar Bear
Iron Man
Lila & Eve
Love & Mercy
Lust for Life
Mean Girls
Melancholia
Monster
Misery
Jones
Numb
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Perfect Body
Play Misty for Me
Psycho
Shrek
Silver Linings Playbook
Still Alice
Sybil
The Aviator
The Breakfast Club
The Deer Hunter
The Hours
The Little Mermaid – Ariel
The Three Faces of Eve
The Notebook
The Royal Tenenbaums
Young Adults
What About Bob?
Wristcutters
28 Days
ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
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Mental illness
Mental illness is a growing concern in the United States and can be caused by many factors. Individuals such as psychologists, friends, and family members need to identify the signs of mental illness. In this paper, a fictional movie character will be analyzed for abnormal behavior that may suggest the presence of a mental illness. The analysis will involve identifying and describing the character's symptoms of mental illness, justifying why the behavior is considered abnormal, and determining which mental disorder aligns with the character's symptoms. Furthermore, the paper will delve into social and cultural influences that hinder the identification of mental disorder symptoms, particularly in the context of how the movie depicts the character's behavior.
Mental illnesses have become increasingly prevalent in the U.S., and understanding the symptoms of such disorders is crucial for individuals involved in the field of psychology as well as for family and friends of those affected. In this essay, the character of "Pat Solatano" from the movie "Silver Linings Playbook" will be analyzed as an example of someone displaying abnormal behavior that could indicate a mental illness (Sanderson et al.,2020). Pat Solatano's behavior will be described, and the symptoms of his mental disorder will be identified.
The DSM-5-TR defines bipolar disorder as a condition characterized by periods of manic episodes that last for at least one week, featuring an elevated or irritable mood and increased energy (McIntyre et al.,2022). During such episodes, individuals might experience a sense of grandiosity, reduced need for sleep, racing thoughts, distractibility, and excessive engagement in pleasurable activities. Depressive episodes, characterized by low mood, disinterest in activities, worthlessness, and changes in appetite and sleep patterns, are also experienced by individuals with bipolar disorder (McIntyre et al., 2022).
In "Silver Linings Playbook," the protagonist Pat Solatano exhibits symptoms of both manic and depressive episodes, having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and released from a psychiatric facility. Pat experiences mood swings, ranging from extreme highs, like when he becomes obsessed with winning back his ex-wife, to lows, where he isolates himself and shows signs of depression (McIntyre et al., 2022). He also exhibits impulsive behavior, such as reacting violently after seeing his ex-wife with another man. Pat's lack of impulse control is evident when he becomes fixated on his dance competition and displays reckless behavior, like running outside in a rainstorm without proper clothing.
Social and cultural factors can influence the difficulty in identifying symptoms of mental disorders. Mental health stigma in society can cause individuals to conceal their symptoms or postpone seeking help (Knaak et al., 2017). In certain cultures, mental health issues are considered a weakness or personal failure, leading to shame and reluctance to seek treatment (Zhang et al., 2021). Additionally, mental disorders that are more prevalent or culturally specific can result in a lack of awareness and un...
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