Movies That Respect Mental Illness

Question

I want the people I meet (some of them) to understand anxiety. I am sick of people telling me to ‘just relaox’ or try getting a massage or taking the day off to distress. I know they mean well but people really are clueless about what it is like. The problem is every movie or show that I have ever seen that shows mental illness seems to make a joke out of it, or the main character can get better and happy by the end just because someone loves her or something. Do you know of any movies or shows that accurately portray mental illness. I wish there was one that I could just tell people to watch so they would get it.

David Johnson · Accepted Answer

Over the years I've heard a number of complaints much like yours. Media will poke fun at anything and anyone without much sensitivity to how it might impact others. Many attribute the continued stigma in the general public to mental illness insensitive portrayal on TV and on the Internet. The National Alliance for Mental Illness has long publicly criticized such events. And they have had some success in changing the minds of production companies. For at least the last eight years, SAMHSA has awarded media events that accurately and sensitively portray mental illness. Please click the links to hear more. I'm sure you will find what you are looking for there.

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