Schizophrenia in Entertainment - Film, TV, Novels: Accurate or Insulting?

07/07/21 • 44 min

Schizophrenia: Three Moms in the Trenches

Send a Text to the Moms - please include your contact info if you want a response. thanks!

Catch-up chat: re future episodes; people who call us “overbearing moms” and blame the family; patients’ “rights” vs. family caring;

Themes: What does entertainment media get wrong?

Lack of named diagnosis - UnReal, Girl Interrupted
Inaccurate/unresearched portrayal of SZ - Words on Bathroom Walls
Madness Always Linked to Genius - The Soloist, Beautiful Mind, Shine, Proof
Mistrusting Medication and Treatment - Beautiful Mind
Lack of Diversity - often male/white - no cultural differences in attitudes/traditions represented
Tendency Toward Violence - even serial killers - The Fisher King, Donnie Darko, The Joker
Hallucinations as mainly visual/romanticized - Beautiful Mind, Words on Bathroom Walls
Long/Lifetime Hospital stays - Love Actually
Blaming Family Dynamics/ Bad childhood as only “cause”
Treatable with Therapy alone - meds are bad - One Flew Over Cuckoo’s Nest
Romantic Love/ A Good Job can “cure” you - Words on Bathroom Walls
SZ Films “based on a true story” whitewashed for entertainment value -
Those with SZ are “possessed” by supernatural
Too Much Hope? Recovery? - Benny & Joon

Some things they get right:

Employment can be an important element of recovery - The Joker
Medication as often vital part of Treatment - The Joker, Silver Linings Playbook
The mental health system needs so much work - I Know This Much is True, The Joker
Family Emotional Reactions/Burdens - Silver Lining Playbook, I Know This Much Is True,
Other movies mentioned: The Snake Pit

Links:

https://thecinemaholic.com/schizophrenia-movies/

Next week’s guest:

Michael Mackniak, JD , Guardian Ad-Litem Services, Melissa’s Project

Helping Families Control the Chaos of Mental Illness at Home and at Work.

Want to know more?
Join our facebook page
Our websites:
Randye Kaye
Mindy Greiling
Miriam (Mimi) Feldman

Send a Text to the Moms - please include your contact info if you want a response. thanks!

Catch-up chat: re future episodes; people who call us “overbearing moms” and blame the family; patients’ “rights” vs. family caring;

Themes: What does entertainment media get wrong?

Lack of named diagnosis - UnReal, Girl Interrupted
Inaccurate/unresearched portrayal of SZ - Words on Bathroom Walls
Madness Always Linked to Genius - The Soloist, Beautiful Mind, Shine, Proof
Mistrusting Medication and Treatment - Beautiful Mind
Lack of Diversity - often male/white - no cultural differences in attitudes/traditions represented
Tendency Toward Violence - even serial killers - The Fisher King, Donnie Darko, The Joker
Hallucinations as mainly visual/romanticized - Beautiful Mind, Words on Bathroom Walls
Long/Lifetime Hospital stays - Love Actually
Blaming Family Dynamics/ Bad childhood as only “cause”
Treatable with Therapy alone - meds are bad - One Flew Over Cuckoo’s Nest
Romantic Love/ A Good Job can “cure” you - Words on Bathroom Walls
SZ Films “based on a true story” whitewashed for entertainment value -
Those with SZ are “possessed” by supernatural
Too Much Hope? Recovery? - Benny & Joon

Some things they get right:

Employment can be an important element of recovery - The Joker
Medication as often vital part of Treatment - The Joker, Silver Linings Playbook
The mental health system needs so much work - I Know This Much is True, The Joker
Family Emotional Reactions/Burdens - Silver Lining Playbook, I Know This Much Is True,
Other movies mentioned: The Snake Pit

Links:

https://thecinemaholic.com/schizophrenia-movies/

Next week’s guest:

Michael Mackniak, JD , Guardian Ad-Litem Services, Melissa’s Project

Helping Families Control the Chaos of Mental Illness at Home and at Work.

Want to know more?
Join our facebook page
Our websites:
Randye Kaye
Mindy Greiling
Miriam (Mimi) Feldman

Previous Episode

Siblings: My Brother or Sister has Schizophrenia - What About Me?

Send a Text to the Moms - please include your contact info if you want a response. thanks!

In this episode, we talk with our own daughters about the lived experience of the sibling when schizophrenia hits the family. The emotional toll on this group of family members is often swept aside in the wake of the crises involved in SMI. We give them a chance to speak.

Guests: Our Daughters - Angela, Lucy and Ali

PAST:

What was it like for you growing up, as your sibling’s illness began?
When did you start suspecting something was wrong?
Did you second guess any things your parents were doing for him?
Did you resent your brother for needing your parent(s) so much? Did you resent your parent(s)? And how did you work through that? (Kathy Day asked)

PRESENT:

What is hardest for you about your brother's illness?
How do your friends feel about him? How do they best support you?
Has your life changed in any positive ways because of your brother?
Do you see yourself as a mental health advocate? If so, how?
What is it like now? Where are you on the “graph of emotions?
Do you feel cheated that your mom spends more time with sick sibling? (Cindy Grossman asked - fb)
Do you fear that you could also become schizophrenic at any given time? Or your kids? (Kathy Burchett, fb)
Do you feel guilty that he got sick instead of you?? (Laura Pogliano)

FUTURE:

1. What are your major worries about when we parents aren't around to be front-line advocates for your brother?

2. What do you see yourself being able to do and what will you need help with?

3. What help do you hope will be in place?

Final question: What do you most want other relative groups - particularly parents - to know about your experience as a sibling of someone with SZ? How can we best be of help to you?

Links for mentions:

NAMI Family-to-Family

Want to know more?
Join our facebook page
Our websites:
Randye Kaye
Mindy Greiling
Miriam (Mimi) Feldman

Next Episode

Tools of Hope: Family Empowerment and Care Coordination in Mental Illness

Send a Text to the Moms - please include your contact info if you want a response. thanks!

Today is about solutions -( we’ve done a lot of episodes about problems) - and at the end we’ll share some free resources to help you if someone in your family has schizophrenia -

Guest: Michael Mackniak, JD
Free resources:
https://myfenow.com/3moms/

https://myfenow.com/tools-of-hope/

Other Links:

https://vip.myfenow.com/

https://michaelmackniak.com/

http://guardian-ct.org/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/FamilyEmpowermentNOW/

Mike’s book : Saving Melissa

Michael Mackniak specializes in coaching families and fiduciaries, to help them with the ability to get the comprehensive services for their loved ones, friends or clients.

He wrote "Saving Melissa: The Seven 7C's for Curing the Mental Health System" . It has insight and strategies into the process of creating an interrelated service system in their community.

He also leads Guardian Ad Litem Services, better known as Melissa’s Project, which is a copyrighted program based on Care Coordination.

We Talk About:

What are the 7 c’s, and the obstacles you face when trying to implement them ?

(Core Concepts you have found to be most successful in providing effective and efficient services in mental health treatment?)

Client Centered,
Communicative,
Collaborative,
Consistent,
Comprehensive,
Committed,
Coordinated

What are some of the common issues that you face when implementing your program

People don’t want to be leaders

HIPAA myths and misconceptions

Reluctance to change (systemically)

Institutional memory

“Who do you think you are?”

Why is Family Empowerment so important? Are there Core concepts there, too? And challenges?

Getting Tools of Hope - and More Resources

QUOTES:

“I really hate seeing broken systems...and there is nothing more inefficient than our mental health systems.” - Michael

“I firmly believe the systems cannot change and will not work without the assistance of the families. Without family help the rate of success is vastly diminished.” - Michael

“The mental illness that you’re going through cannot define your family, and it cannot define you and who you are as a person.” - Michael

Who Are the 3 Moms?

Randye Kaye -Broadcaster, Actress, Voice Talent, Speaker, and Author (“Ben Behind his Voices”)

Miriam Feldman – Artist, Mom, Author “

Want to know more?
Join our facebook page
Our websites:
Randye Kaye
Mindy Greiling
Miriam (Mimi) Feldman