Alma Carrillo

Sean Waters

CO 300

December 13, 2020

Mental Illness Representation in the Media

https://studentsguidetocimh.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/dissociative_identity_disorder_by_x_sinister_chaos_x-d5uegwj.jpg

Imagine having faced a trauma so severe, so chilling, that the only way to keep

from losing your mind is for your brain to create two or more identities within itself.

These “identities” become a part of you, you develop 99 different identities. These

identities are their own people, with their own backgrounds, ages, nationalities, genders,

even accents. They switch in and out, controlling your body and living your life for you.

You can end up on the other side of town and be completely unaware of how or why

you are there. This is the reality for many people who live with the mental disorder

known as Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) formerly known as multiple personality

disorder. DID is defined as “the presence of two or more distinct or split identities or

personality states that continually have power over the person's behavior… a lack of

connection in a person's thoughts, memories, feelings, actions, or sense of identity”

(Bhandari, 2020). Others around you have recently seen a movie depicting the disorder

that you have. However, the film makes it seem like you are a threat to society and are
a danger to yourself and others. Those around you start to treat you differently and

distance themselves from you. Would you become more or less inclined to tell people

about your condition? This is something that people have had to experience. Media like

films, music, tv, etc. are depicting people with mental illnesses more often. While these

portrayals can give the audience more understanding of situations that they are

unfamiliar with it can also lead to misconceptions, stigmatization, and even potentially

harmful situations. The purpose of this essay is to urge content creators, filmmakers,

and other people who work in the entertainment industry to focus on accurately

representing these disorders. In this essay I will go over some examples of negative

portrayals and the effects that they have, then I will provide some positive examples,

with the final part being possible ways to continue in the future.

One of the most controversial portrayals of a mental

disorder is the 2017 film “Split.” It is a film that depicts

someone with DID. The main character has 23 personalities,

some of which are aggressive and dangerous. These

personalities kidnap three girls in order to be consumed by the

“Beast.” The beast is an identity that “consumes” people and is

showed as being a superhuman. The beast physically changes

the main character’s muscle size, strength, voice, and gives

him unrealistic abilities. The criticism over this film is that it

depicts people with this disorder as being violent, potentially harmful, and superhuman.

It inaccurately depicts a disorder that affects about 70 million people worldwide

(WebMD 2020). Yes, people with DID can have physical changes when they “switch”
between identities but not to the extent that it is shown in the film. “Switching” is when a

different personality comes to the forefront and takes control of the body. These

identities have distinct physical characteristics, “different identities have their own age,

sex, or race. Each has their own postures, gestures, and distinct way of talking”

(Bhandari 2020). The condition effects every person differently. As one person with DID

states, “as a person diagnosed with DID, I am a victim. I'm not a perpetrator, a

murderer, or a potential criminal" (Rosenberg, 2017). Films like these create a narrative

that undermines people’s conditions. Many people face debilitating challenges because

of mental disorder but they are reduced to stereotypes. In an interview with various

people who have DID, one interviewee explained how they were walking with a close

friend and began to feel like they were going to “switch,” the friend became afraid and

asked if the other identity was going to hurt her (Padilla, 2020). These stereotypes that

are portrayed in films can make it extremely difficult to have close relationships and may

even result in others distancing themselves.

Another common mental illness that is used in films is Obsessive Compulsive

Disorder (OCD). OCD “is a seriously disabling condition which is often described by the

presence of repetitive, unwanted and intrusive thoughts, images or urges (obsessions)

and ritualized behaviors (compulsions) that are performed to reduce distress” (Durna,

Yorulmaz, & Aktaç 2018). Some obsessions for people with OCD include,

“Unwanted sexual obsessions, thoughts, or images about children, incest, and/or

aggressiveness, worry about living a moral

enough life, A fixation on certain numbers

and/or colors being good/correct or

bad/incorrect” (Kelly, 2020). Much of the general

public view people with this disorder as a

person who likes to be clean and organized,

however this is a misconception and downplays

the severity of the disorder. “A few months ago, a

friend visited my apartment and was disappointed it wasn’t cleaner. They assumed my

OCD made me exactly like Friends’ Monica Geller” (Lenti 2018), it is misconceptions

like these that make it difficult for people to talk about their disorder and many times

people misdiagnose themselves. When misinformation is widely spread it can lead to

people diagnosing themselves with these illnesses and even furthering the

misinformation. For example, famous reality star Khloe Kardashian misdiagnosed

herself with OCD and considered it a “blessing” because she creates perfectly stacked

Oreos (Lenti 2018). As a person with a large following and lots of influence, Khloe

Kardashian can spread this false information to many people who may then also believe

they have the disorder. It is important that people who have a lot of influence be

informed about these disorders that they claim to have as well as encouraging people to

obtain a proper diagnosis from a medical professional.

Many people will say that it is only entertainment and should not be critiqued so

harshly. However, there are real consequences as described in one study “it leads to

damage in social facilities (e.g. employment, accommodation), self-esteem, help-

seeking behavior, friendships, and family relations—as well as complications in the

justice and health care systems” (Durna, Yorulmaz, & Aktaç 2018). In another study it

was found that up to 10% of cases involving Borderline Personality Disorder committed

suicide (Paris, 2019). There is even a lack of knowledge in the medical community.

There are disorders that are not widely studied or known about which leads to

misdiagnoses or people being turned away. One woman who has DID described her

experience, “I went to countless doctors trying to figure out what the hell was happening

to me. I would 'wake up' in random places and states (yes, geographically different

states hundreds of miles away)” (Rosenberg, 2017). If there were more accurate

representations in media, it can lead to more research and studies into illnesses that are

not widely known.

Due to many of these factors, many people with mental disorders are incarcerated

rather than receiving proper help. “There are only 35,000 state hospital beds for the

mentally ill, yet there are 10 times more severely mentally

ill persons housed in prisons and jails” (Packer, 2017).

This is portrayed in the character Suzanne Warren also

known as “Crazy Eyes” from the Netflix show “Orange is

The New Black.” “Orange is The New Black” is a show

loosely based on the autobiography Orange is The New

Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison by Piper Kerman. It

not only focuses on the main character, Piper, but also

the other inmates like Suzanne Warren. Suzanne has

various habits like violent outbursts, delusions, and irrational decision making. It is
presumed that the character deals with Borderline Personality Disorder (Packer, 2017).

This disorder is characterized as “an illness marked by an ongoing pattern of varying

moods, self-image, and behavior…People with borderline personality disorder may

experience intense episodes of anger, depression, and anxiety that can last from a few

hours to days” (“Borderline Personality Disorder”). This show is one of the more

accurate portrayals of mental illness and also serves to shed light on the issue of people

with mental illnesses being incarcerated instead of receiving help. Show like this give a

perspective that may be underrepresented. It provides awareness and can educate

people on societal issues. Some may even feel validated. Many people become aware

of their own disorders through media representations and can then seek help or begin

to understand themselves better.

Purpose. What is the purpose of this essay? A call to action. Writers, directors,

and others involved in the entertainment industry need to know that their depictions and

interpretations of people with mental disorders can have varying consequences. Using

stereotypes, misconceptions, and false information can harm people who actually have

these disorders. As a society we need to do better in destigmatizing mental illness. If

popular media were to become properly educated and shed a positive light on mental

illness it can lessen the stigma. People learn from what they see, and we need to see

more positivity and accuracy.

Self-assessment:

PROCESS:   

I think I did really well on the process of researching about my topic. I found a lot of

sources and I learned a lot. I think some of my discussion posts were really well done

and I was proud of those.

Improvements: I would have prepared more of a draft and asked for more help if I had

more time. I also would have really thought about the organization of the paper and

worked out the best way to format it.

PRODUCT :

I think that I provided some good examples and gave accurate definitions to the

disorders that I mention. I feel that I did a well on the introductory paragraph by being

visual and making the reader think. I like the images that I put, I feel like it keeps the

reader’s attention. I tried to add as much description as I could so that people would not

get confused about what I was talking about.

Some improvements, I feel like I am too repetitive. There is more that I know I can put

but I also do not want to overload it with random things. There is so much information

about my topic but I did not want to overdo it. If I had more time I would have organized

this essay better.

 Works Cited

Bhandari, Smitha. “Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder): Signs,

Symptoms, Treatment.” WebMD, WebMD, 22 Jan. 2020, www.webmd.com/mental-

health/dissociative-identity-disorder-multiple-personality-disorder#1-2.

“Borderline Personality Disorder.” National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of

Health and Human Services, www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/borderline-personality-

disorder/index.shtml.

Durna, Gülşah, et al. “Public Stigma of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Schizophrenic

Disorder: Is There Really Any Difference?” Psychiatry Research, Elsevier, 10 Dec.

2018, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165178118307844#bib0002.

“How Common Is Dissociative Identity Disorder?” WebMD, WebMD,

www.webmd.com/mental-health/qa/how-common-is-dissociative-identity-disorder.

Kelly, Owen. “How Common Obsessions and Compulsions Are Treated With OCD.”

Verywell Mind, Verywell Mind, 12 Oct. 2020, www.verywellmind.com/what-are-common-

obsessive-behaviors-2510679.

Lenti, Erica. “When It Comes to Representations of OCD in Media, We Can Do so Much

Better.” This Magazine, Lisa Whittington-Hill, 26 July 2018, this.org/2018/07/26/when-it-

comes-to-representations-of-ocd-in-media-we-can-do-so-much-better/.

“Mental Illness in Popular Culture.” Edited by Sharon Packer, ProQuest Ebook

Central, ABC-CLIO, LLC, 2017, ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/csu/detail.action?

docID=4857062.

Padilla, Anthony. “I Spent a Day with MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES (Dissociative Identity

Disorder).” YouTube, YouTube, 4 Mar. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ek7JK6pattE.

Paris, Joel. “Suicidality in Borderline Personality Disorder.” Medicina (Kaunas,

Lithuania) vol. 55,6 223. 28 May. 2019, doi:10.3390/medicina55060223

Rosenberg, Shannon. “Here's What It's Actually Like To Live With Dissociative Identity

Disorder.” BuzzFeed, BuzzFeed, 6 Oct. 2017,

www.buzzfeed.com/shannonrosenberg/heres-what-its-actually-like-to-live-with-

dissociative.

Images: all images are hyperlinked.