Mental Illness In The Media Essay

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The media is an important source of information for many people. They look to it for what’s right and wrong. When portraying mental illness and psychotherapy, the media tends to get it wrong which has far-reaching results. Inaccurate depictions fuel stigma and may prevent people from seeking help. Media perceptions of illness portray stereotypes and extremes of mental illness instead of the various ways that mental illness can manifest itself. There are shows that get it right or at least as close to right as they can get without sacrificing the entertainment element for their viewers.
The worst stereotypes come out in such depictions: mentally ill individuals as incompetent, dangerous, slovenly, and undeserving. When a character in a show is shown to have a mental illness they are often portrayed as being dangerous or reckless. They are shown as violent and criminals. It is a common theme that shows itself time and time again in the media. Criminal Minds, a police crime drama, has its fair share of criminals. A lot of them seem to have some sort of mental illness and commit violent …show more content…
The show Empire attempts to showcase one of its main characters, Andre Lyon, dealings with bipolar disorder. It is a well-intentioned but unrealistic portrayal that stigmatizes a real health issue. There are things that Andre gets right and that Andre gets wrong. Andre’s behavior seemed like it was more on the manic side of bipolar disorder. Although audiences learned that Andre took medication, his bipolar diagnosis wasn’t discussed until he became erratic and violent. In one scene, Andre is seen in an empty studio playing Russian roulette, and in another he sits in a running shower fully clothed. After he attempts to attack his brothers in an elevator, he is forcibly carted off to a psychiatric hospital, where he finally receives treatment. The character pretty much exemplifies every worst-case bipolar

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