In the 1999 film, Girl, Interrupted directed by James Mangold, the main character, Susanna Kaysen deals with the atrocities and horrors that come with being institutionalized in a mental hospital. Set in the 1960’s, many of the methods used by the hospital were backwards and outdated, even for the sixties. While many of the characters have interesting illnesses, Susanna’s borderline personality disorder is particularly interesting. Borderline personality disorder, or BPD for short, is often diagnosed when a patient shows a pattern of erratic relationships, self harm, unstable emotions, feelings of emptiness, and even a slight fear of abandonment. Susanna displayed most of these traits in the short time the viewer was allowed to see her before
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During a therapy session for Susanna, her parents were allowed to ask the therapist any questions they had. Instantly, both parents voiced how they were confused as to how their daughter could have been diagnosed with this disease in the first place. The only explanation the therapist could give is that this condition has been linked to genetics. While the disorder may not be directly inherited, a person is more likely to have a personality disorder if it runs in the family. Along with the genetic factor, Susanna’s home environment was not conducive to a healthy mental state. The constant pressure set upon her by her parents, the stress of graduating high school, and being forced to deal with how she wished to spend the rest of her life were all stressors that could have led to her eventual break down. Another possible cause for BPD are brain abnormalities. Research has shown that some chemicals in the brains of BPD patients may not function properly. The lack of proper mood regulating chemicals can lead to this particular mental …show more content…
The sheer amount of stigma that comes with having a mental disorder seems like a weight I would never wish to bear. Not only would you have to handle the challenge of beating your particular disorder and work on making yourself better, you would have to be constantly looking out for how your illness is affecting those around you. The film Girl, Interrupted was a slap in the face when it comes to exposure of mental illnesses. Seeing first hand how women especially used to be treated was both saddening and terrifying. The realistic portrayal in this film gives the viewer a chance to reflect on how flawed our views of mental illness used to be. However, it also gives them a chance to use this knowledge to improve the future of mentally ill patients
During a therapy session for Susanna, her parents were allowed to ask the therapist any questions they had. Instantly, both parents voiced how they were confused as to how their daughter could have been diagnosed with this disease in the first place. The only explanation the therapist could give is that this condition has been linked to genetics. While the disorder may not be directly inherited, a person is more likely to have a personality disorder if it runs in the family. Along with the genetic factor, Susanna’s home environment was not conducive to a healthy mental state. The constant pressure set upon her by her parents, the stress of graduating high school, and being forced to deal with how she wished to spend the rest of her life were all stressors that could have led to her eventual break down. Another possible cause for BPD are brain abnormalities. Research has shown that some chemicals in the brains of BPD patients may not function properly. The lack of proper mood regulating chemicals can lead to this particular mental …show more content…
The sheer amount of stigma that comes with having a mental disorder seems like a weight I would never wish to bear. Not only would you have to handle the challenge of beating your particular disorder and work on making yourself better, you would have to be constantly looking out for how your illness is affecting those around you. The film Girl, Interrupted was a slap in the face when it comes to exposure of mental illnesses. Seeing first hand how women especially used to be treated was both saddening and terrifying. The realistic portrayal in this film gives the viewer a chance to reflect on how flawed our views of mental illness used to be. However, it also gives them a chance to use this knowledge to improve the future of mentally ill patients