Mental Health On TV

[Peter Parka]

I'm a bit sick of the unfair way people with mental health problems are portrayed on telly. I'd say that probably 80% of people with mental health problems portrayed on telly are shown to be violent. Schizophrenics are the worse where I reckon over 90% of them are shown to be potential murderers where, in general they are less likely to be violent. Paranoid schizophrenics, who are in the minority of them are the most likely to be violent. I'm not saying that people with mental health problems arn't as likely as others to be violent and they probably are more likely but no where near the scaremongering proportions that tv portrays. This is unfairly prejudicing and scaremongering about people with mental health problems.

 

[Sneakiecat]

Or, if they're not violent, they're shown in a comedic way. Yes, let's all laugh at repeated hand washings, weird twitches, whatever they think passes as comedy these days.

 

[ClicheGuevara]

Ever watched that show Obsessed? I think that show displays mental disorders in a very factual way.

(600 post in 2 months? shouldn't I be up to 3000 or so by now? ;-P)

 

[Sneakiecat]

I've never seen it but I've been watching Hoarders on A&E. It's done in a non-judgmental sort of way but is still very compelling to watch.

 

[ClicheGuevara]

Obsessed is the same way as Hoarders or Intervention...A&E is great at that.

 

[Sneakiecat]

I'll have to check it out.

 

[Peter Parka]

Or, if they're not violent, they're shown in a comedic way. Yes, let's all laugh at repeated hand washings, weird twitches, whatever they think passes as comedy these days.

I will admit, I will laugh at some of these people but not in a nasty way, some of the things they do because of this are genuinely funny, I'm sure some of the things I do are funny and I'm happy to make people laugh, it's better than crying. Getting the balance though is what's needed, I'm happy to laugh with them, not down at them and the rest of their personality should be shown, not parading them around like some kind of performing monkey.:thumbup

 

[Sneakiecat]

So many times, they focus on the "weird" and not the person. I agree, it can be humorous and that a balance is needed. It just never seems to happen.

 

[Peter Parka]

Exactly! There was a documentary over here about people with tourettes. It was honestly one of the most sidesplittingly funny things I've seen. Although it caused them problems, the people they interviewed could still laugh at the things they aciddently said and I found them to be lovely people. It still focused on the worst affected though where as most people with the condition will just have minor ticks which obviously dont make good tv. Thanks to programs like this, your average person probably thinks that everyone with tourettes walks around hitting old women and racially abusing people.:willy_nilly: