Stigma, Adaptation, and Recovery: Textual Representation of Mental Illness - Essay Example

?STIGMA, ADAPTATION, AND RECOVERY Stigma, Adaptation, and Recovery: A Textual Representation of Mental Illness In Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar and theMovie A Beautiful Mind Word Count: 2750 (11 pages) I. Introduction One text and one movie were chosen in order to help discuss whether representations of mental illness in the media reflect public opinion or shape attitudes and responses. In order to do achieve the task of how mental illness is perceived in the media, critical literacy and cultural theory are woven into the fabric of analysing the main characters in Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar and Ron Howard’s movie A Beautiful Mind with regard to the elements of stigma, adaptation, and recovery in mental illness. Of course, with the advent of this writing, judgments have been made with regard to the way audiences and/or readers might respond to such differing representations. This report reflects common attitudes reflected in the literature and media which are going to be discussed. With regard to stigma, an extensive, intensive look will be taken at the issues in discrimination that the mentally ill population faces. Not only that, but we will also examine how important it is for the mentally ill to adapt to their challenges as seen in some ways represented in media. Finally, recovery will be considered as an important element which is represented in the media as an ongoing process, recovery which happens for one character but then not for the other. Ultimately, how the mentally ill are represented in the media is not always correct but can serve up educational moments. II. Stigma Stigma with mental illness has tended not to go away. “There has been a substantial increase in research on the stigma related to mental illness over the past 10 years…” (Thornicroft, 2010, pp. 204). Obviously, in the movie A Beautiful Mind, the stigma of John Nash’s schizophrenia plagues him, dogging him, voices constantly ringing in his ears with the noises of familiar voices. Characters become real in his mind. Stigma is not new, however. It has been around a long time. One might ask, what is stigma itself? “Stigma was the name of a mark used by the ancient Greeks to signify something unusual or morally bad about a person” (Ramsay and Gerada, 2001, pp. 236). Media can have a great effect on the stigma of mental illness. “Thus part of the answer to the ‘so what’ question is that media images contribute to mental illness stigma — that is, to unfavorable ideas and attitudes toward those with mental illnesses” (Wahl, 1997, pp. 99). There are several female American celebrities who recently admitted to having to get treatment for bipolar disorder, for example—such as Demi Lovato, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Carrie Fisher, among others. One of the biggest obstacle for people like John Nash is stigma, because it isolates the individual to struggle with his or her illness by oneself. Stigma severely limits the ability for patients to recover because people have preconceived notions about the mentally ill which precludes recovery. Stigma is the “most formidable obstacle to future progress in the arena of mental illness and mental health” (Hinshaw, 2007, pp. x). Stigmas are not only bad in the media because they popularise uncouth attitudes towards the mentally ill. “Stigma…leads to discrimination against the stigmatised person” (Arboleda-Florez and Sartorius, 2008, pp. 69). Not only did Sylvia Plath’s main character Esther have to deal with her descent into mania, but she also had to maintain a ‘world of pretend’ that everything was fine when her world, in reality, was crumbling into pieces. “It is bad enough to have a serious chronic illness…but that is made even worse by stigma” (Ross, 2008, pp. 137). Of course, the mental health community must aid people like Esther and John who encounter mental health issues. “Social workers must know, first, the different ways the stigma of mental illness can manifest itself…” (Heller and Gitterman, 2011, pp. 21). Social workers are probably going to see a spike in mental health cases in the coming years, especially due to a global recession and other recurring issues. The celebrities in the media who have chosen to speak out about bipolar disorder have really highlighted how one can still maintain one’s social status, and, at the same time, manage their illness. In itself, bipolar disorder can be very difficult to manage in the beginning of having been diagnosed with the illness, and it can have consequences for peoples’ relationships as well as lives at home, work, and school. “Bipolar disorder, also known as manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in a person’s mood, energy, and ability to function…[which causes]… ups and downs…[that]…can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide” (NIMH Website, 2011, pgh. 2). Many times, people with bipolar disorder have been portrayed as people who have no impulse control, and this is exacerbated a bit sometimes in the movie A Beautiful Mind, where John Nash is fanatic, portrayed as a schizophrenic who has tons of newspaper clippings on the wall—creating a giant conspiracy theory. “[T]he media portray people with bipolar disorder as if they were wild and out of control. In this way, they worsen the public stigma against bipolar” patients (Burgess, 2008, pp. 9). The problem is mainly how society reacts to mental illness. “Stigma may seem to be an obvious problem but in reality poses a vast and perplexing predicament for society” (Corrigan, Roe, and Tsang, 2007, Ch. 2, pp. 1). In Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, her character Esther becomes alone and isolated, putting herself in the depths of depression and having to ‘go through the motions’ of living everyday, even though she sincerely doesn’t feel like trying anymore to live at a functional level. John Nash, in A Beautiful Mind, degenerates to the point where he is entangled in his own mind—having constructed conspiracy theories galore when his wife steps in and insists that he get treatment for his schizophrenia. It is only through time that John Nash is able to effectively manage his illness, which lends to adaptation. Even though Sylvia Plath’s character ultimately will choose a destructive adaptation (suicide)—like the mentally ill author herself—this is the quintessential example of art reflecting life and life representing art which is portrayed in the media. People who are ethnic minorities might especially feel stigma doubly as hard because, not only do they struggle with being “Other” as a minority—but they also experience the feeling of being ‘othered’ or discriminated against as the “Other” because they struggle with mental illness on some level. “Feelings about stigma are, however, much more pronounced among ethnic minority groups…” (Melillo & Houde, 2011, pp. 81). Stigma is definitely something that can be overcome, but it is not going to be easy. As it has been shown, stigma is a very real perceived problem in the public arena, because people have preconceived notions about the mentally ill and how they might act. For example, because someone acts a little unorthodox, he or she might be perceived as ‘crazy.’ Such terms harm people who are mentally ill, because these terms dehumanize the mentally ill person and deny them their humanity—in essence anthropomorphizing the mentally ill into animals who cannot control their baser instincts. Even though it is difficult to hear (and perhaps to read), the mentally ill are many times denied their human rights because they are not seen as equals—all because they suffer real, biological illnesses including (but not limited to) bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. III. Adaptation Adaptation is key for mental health patients, because it can mean the difference between their success and their failure. Coping is an important skill. In Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, one sees how a successful and accomplished writer, Esther Greenwood, acquiesces her life to madness when her life begins to crumble. Plath writes, “If I had to strain my brain with any more of that stuff I would go mad. I would fail outright. It was only by a horrible effort of will that I had dragged myself through the first half of the year” (Plath, 2005, pp. 35). Plath so eloquently elaborates upon the fact that she is someone who is struggling with quote going ‘mad,’ and she plainly confesses this in her roman a clef novel—which later becomes reality, a self-fulfilling prophecy of sorts, because Plath eventually commits suicide herself. Her bizarre descent into the scary world of losing one’s mind or wits is documented in The Bell Jar—very similar to what happens to John Nash in A Beautiful Mind. Luckily, in the movie A Beautiful Mind, John Nash is able to creatively and constructively avoid suicidal tendencies by coping effectively with his illness. He learns to manage his mental illness by realizing that it is his mind that is the enemy, and that with good medication management and solid training—he is able to drown out those voices that gave him so many problems before, almost destroying his life. Of course, family becomes a very important part of the mental health patient’s life. “Different family members, including the relative with serious mental illness, have often been in qualitatively different stages in their processes of adaptation to mental illness” (Dopp, 2008, pp. 19). Without a strong family tie, a person who suffers from mental illness is likely to fall into extreme poverty or have an emotional need that will not be fulfilled. This having been said, there is a very socially destructive component to mental illness, since it can damage relationships and, ultimately, peoples’ livelihoods. Esther, in The Bell Jar, mainly lives alone. However, it is John Nash whose livelihood as a professor and teacher at Princeton is almost destroyed, as well as his relationship with his wife, due to his mental illness schizophrenia. In A Beautiful Mind, we see how schizophrenia tortures Nash to the breaking point of almost completely losing his mind. However, he is, by the end of the movie, brought back from the brink of destruction by having found solace with his wife whom he loves and also coming back—after having successfully adapted to living with his malady—to teaching and research at his alma mater of Princeton University. Perhaps the following quote sums it up best, taken from a deleted scene in the movie: “Perhaps it is good to have a beautiful mind, but an even greater gift is to discover a beautiful heart” (IMDB Website, 2011, pgh. 15). It is the hearts of the mentally ill that touch even the most cold-hearted individuals, when they realize that some people who are mentally ill are tortured everyday by the things that go on in their own heads. They are constantly in battles with their psyches, trying to find a path from darkness to the light. Of course, in order to get treated, one must get diagnosed. “There are specific issues with the adaptation and implementation of guidelines in mental health including…diagnosis…” (Thornicroft, Szmukler, & Mueser, 2011, pp. 347). One of the biggest obstacles is getting treatment for those people who desperately need it the most. Thus, many people who should be referred to psychiatric services many times are not, for whatever reason. However, when people notice that someone is acting unusual, that person should probably be referred to a psychiatrist for evaluation if not already taking medication for a specific malady. Inability to adapt can signal evidence of greater problems. This is clearly evident in The Bell Jar. “One month after [the publication of The Bell Jar], Plath committed suicide. The Bell Jar is often considered a roman a clef, with Esther Greenwood’s descent into mental illness paralleling Plath’s own experiences” (Bloom, 2009, pp. 12). Without a doubt, the inability of some people to adapt signals a dark and, often, short road ahead. Without the proper family intervention and support, many mentally ill individuals retrogress into the recesses of their respective illnesses, succumbing to their worlds of illusion and hallucination. Without proper medication management, adaptation is difficult and recovery is made much less possible. However, those individuals who actively seek out treatment for their problems—even though they be indigent—will probably have the most will to survive, even if they don’t have the proper family intervention and support available. One of the most important elements about confronting mental illness is finding the resources to help patients afford their medications and convince them that medication management is the best way—although only one of many ways—that can alleviate symptoms of mental illness with its subsequent challenges. Of course, living with mental illness is by no means an easy feat. However, it is a problem that can be addressed. People can recover. As reflected in the media, mental illness as a diagnosis does not have to be a death sentence. Illness such as these—bipolar and schizophrenia—are treatable, and that is what should be emphasised. These illnesses, and illnesses like them—many years ago were not considered treatable. Now we know, from scientific research, that recovery is indeed possible. Of course, it is keeping that in mind that we realize the stereotypes that are perceived in the media—like the book and movie being analysed—that are not necessarily true of all people who suffer from such illnesses. This should be kept in mind when trying to parse the difficult realities that many people face every day in the face of such trying problems as they attempt to piece their lives together after episodes have occurred in their lives. IV. Recovery Recovery is one of the most important elements about being mentally ill that certainly must be addressed. In order to address this problem, having a set, specified schedule and living an organized and orderly life can contribute to the recovery process. Part of being able to recover is being able to “[p]rioritize [one’s] tasks” (Donatelle, 1999, pp. 63). Unfortunately, Sylvia Plath’s character Esther did not make it to the stage of recovery—and nor does Sylvia Plath in real life, either. However, the restorative process of writing and, in a way, writing her own epitaph—The Bell Jar is a metaphor for creating a moment in time that is encapsulated in a bell jar, the idea that one could crystallize a perfect moment. Plath reaches this goal in her fait accompli of The Bell Jar. Of course, there are many people who are skeptical about recovery in mental health, technically because mental health issues tend to be chronic ones. This does not mean that everyone who has a mental health problem will have a chronic illness, but for a majority of the cases encountered, many of the people who have mental health problems will later be diagnosed with an illness that must be addressed. “The concept of 'recovery' in mental health captures the key elements outlined in government health policy[, including] a focus on the individual and their wants, wishes and concerns…” (Brooker and Repper, 2008, pp. 4). Recovery, for John Nash, means that he is able to ‘make peace with his demons,’ so to speak, when he is an older man. He is at a black-tie affair, and he sees one of the people who he ‘talks to,’ or hears voices from—represented as another person, a man. However, he is able to notice the voice and speak to it, but is also, at the same time, able to walk away from the voice and let it be what it is—without having to let the voice torment him. In this sense, he has ‘recovered’ somewhat from his mental illness’s trap, which was that he was constantly responding to voices that he heard in his head. Being able to let these voices come and go without having to respond to them meant that he had finally been able to capably manage his illness well. V. Conclusion However one perceives the mentally ill in the media, it is important to remember that those afflicted by mental illness should focus on three main elements: stigma (perhaps), but even moreso, adaptation and recovery. Without adapting to the illness, sufferers of mental illness cannot begin to recover. Of course, recovery can be used as a pejorative term, but really the focus is on wellness and keeping oneself in good health, regardless of the fact that one may be mentally ill. The two media that were used to reinforce these ideas were Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, which describes one woman’s descent into mental illness, while the second form of media analysed was the movie A Beautiful Mind, detailing the life of mathematician and the Nobel Prize winner in economics, John Nash—who struggled with schizophrenia. REFERENCES Arboleda-Florez, J. & Sartorius, N. (2008). Understanding the stigma and mental illness: theory and interventions. US: John Wiley and Sons. Bloom, H. (2009). Sylvia Plath’s the bell jar. US: Infobase Publishing. Brooker, C., & Repper, J. (2008). Mental health: from policy to practice. US: Elsevier Health Sciences. Burgess, W. (2008). 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