Essay about The Portrayal of Schizophrenia in Me, Myself,...

Most people gather what they know about mental illnesses from television and film. Unfortunately these media portrayals are inaccurate and create stigma. They depict people suffering from mental illnesses as different, dangerous and laughable. Characters are often addicted to drugs or alcohol, are violent, dangerous, or out of control. Horror film characters like Norman Bates in Psycho, Jack Torrance in the Shining, or Hannibal Lecter in Silence of the Lambs associate the typical psycho- killer with people who suffer from a mental illness. But dramas and horror films are not the only film genres that create stigma. Comedies like What About Bob and many others not only stigmatize, they also make fun of mental illnesses and the people†¦show more content†¦It promotes misinformation either out of ignorance or to make for a more entertaining story by identifying Carrey’s character as schizophrenic versus the correct diagnosis of multiple personality disorder. It stereotyp es schizophrenia as a battle within us between good and evil. Hanks character exaggerates the perception that people with mental illness are violent even though violence is not a symptom of schizophrenia. Even the movie’s tagline reads â€Å"From Gentle to Mental† and again equates mental illness with violent behavior. What I found most troubling is how the movie portrays schizophrenia, its symptoms and treatments as a joke. In one scene Carrey’s character is diagnosed as having â€Å"advanced delusionary schizophrenia with involuntary narcissistic rage.† It also should be noted that Fox marketers distributed white jelly-bean â€Å"pills† that supposedly cure schizophrenia at the films premiere. The bottle’s label warns that side effects include â€Å"genital elephantisis.† The effect of this film could seriously affect the lives, behavior and medical compliance of those with existing conditions. The film also targets age groups that are most at risk from showing early signs of illness. But who would want to seek help for any distressing feelings they have when they know that mental illness is the object of ridicule and believe it to be embarrassing or shameful. Because of the stigma created by films like Me Myself and Irene, it isShow MoreRelatedEssay Media Madness1389 Words   |  6 Pagesseriousness of mental illnesses often view the media portrayals as offensive, inaccurate, and stigmatizing, and they have every reason to feel that way. Schizophrenia is very serious but popular illness of choice for many filmmakers. However, how often do they get it right? And how often do they get it wrong? Before answering these questions, what exactly is schizophrenia and how does one present with the illness? What is Schizophrenia? Schizophrenia is a very devastating disorder in the brain thatRead MoreTaking a Look at Schizophrenia1249 Words   |  5 PagesA common mistaken belief is that people with schizophrenia have multiple personalities. Many people confuse schizophrenia with split personality or multiple personality disorder (Lilienfeld et al, 2010). The misunderstanding stems from the meaning of the word schizophrenia, as in Greek it means split mind (Boruck, 2008). In 1990, Carlson proposed â€Å"schizophrenia is probably the most misused psychological term in existence† . Vaughan (1977), performed a study which found that 77% of studentsRead MoreThe Rise Of Mental Illness Essay1596 Words   |  7 Pagesnot question them. This becomes dangerous when judges or jurors in a courtroom also begin to adopt this ideology. In â€Å"The Myth of Mental Illness in the Movies and Its Impact on Forensic Psychology†, L.E.A. Walker et al. observe how the adverse portrayals of psychological disorders in films negatively influence public perceptions toward the mentally ill and, as a result, effect the outcome of court cases. I agree with Walker et al.’s point about the roles in these movies being so powerful that people