Silver Linings Playbook Essay

The movie Silver Linings Playbook focused on Pat Solitano’s journey after being released from a psychiatric hospital. Solitano was sentenced to 8 months there for beating a man half to death when he walked in on his wife and the man having an affair. While in the psychiatric hospital he was diagnosed with bipolar I disorder, he was let out when his mother told the courts that she and his father would make Pat live with them and that they would take him to the mandated therapy. Pat Solitano was obsessed with reconciling with his wife, who had a restraining order against him and during his quest to win her back he met Tiffany. Tiffany, who had borderline personality disorder, helped Pat reach out to his wife with the exception he had to help …show more content…
According the DSM 5 (2013) to be diagnosed with bipolar I disorder there has to be at least 3 of the following symptoms must be present to be considered a manic episode; inflated self-esteem, decreased need for sleep, rapid speech, flight of ideas, easily distracted, increase in goal oriented tasks, and excessive involvement with risky behaviors (p. 124). Throughout the entire movie Pat is only ever seen having a manic episode, he does however portray those characteristics well. He did not sleep much if it all, he had engaged in risky behavior trying to seek out his wife, he was highly irritable, and his obsession with communicating with his wife was another symptom. However, during the entire movie he never has a depressive episode. The movie covers a timeline of at least three months, and it is highly unlikely that a manic episode would last that long. Having a depressive episode is a key element in having bipolar disorder, which could lead to question the legitimacy of the way bipolar I disorder, was presented in the movie. He at one point was prescribed medication, but would not take it because he did not like the way it made him feel, which is a common reason people with bipolar disorder do not take medication. One last thing was that the rage that was exhibited when he beat up the man is not as much a symptom but rather a harmful stereotype where people believe that people who are bipolar are extremely violent and

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