Characters With Psychological Disorders: Adrian Monk and Dr. Gregory House

Entering the taboo world of mental illness, stigmatized as the crazy and psychotic by decades of

For my case study my group and I chose the movie “Fatal Attraction”, and we chose Alex Forrest for our case study. For my part I chose to do the diagnosis aspect on Alex Forrest. Throughout this paper I will be diagnosing Alex Forrest. The following key clinical data will be discussed: client demographics, presenting problem, preliminary diagnostic information, symptoms, client characteristics and history, diagnostic impressions, potential disorders, and the DSM diagnosis.

In a study conducted by Otto F. Wahl of George Mason University it was concluded that the portrayal of the mentally ill was extremely inaccurate when compared to what mental illness experts uphold.“ … early studies, for example , compared media depictions with the opinion of mental health experts and concluded that ‘ in general , the causes, symptoms, methods of treatment, prognosis, and social effects portrayed by the media are far removed from what the experts advocate.” This shows without the help of experts in character development the mentally ill are seriously misrepresented. Another study conducted by Donald L. Diefenbach and Mark D. West of the University of North Carolina at Asheville to see how television influenced attitudes towards mental illness concluded much to the same. “The study found that the view of mental illness expressed by the mass media was even further removed from health professionals than that of the lay public. “ Once again we see that the lack of professional guidance in the media leads to the flawed depiction of the mentally

Adrian Monk, portrayed by actor Tony Shalhoub, is the main character in the USA Network series MONK. Monk is a former homicide detective for the San Francisco Police Department, suffering from an anxiety disorder known as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), as well as numerous phobias. After Monk’s wife was murdered, his disorder worsened leading to his suspension from the police force. When the series opens, Monk works as a private police homicide consultant and undergoes therapy to overcome his anxiety disorder and phobias. He is assisted by a private nurse who helps him cope with his disability on the job.

For this paper, I was very interested in discussing Charlie Sheen and mental health. Charlie Sheen, born Carlos Irwin Estevez in New York City, is 49 years old with 5 children and has been divorced three times. I chose him for two reasons. First, I enjoy him as an actor and watching what he stars in. Second, there are a lot of speculations as to what is actually wrong with him in terms of his psychological health. I want to find a clear diagnosis for his problems and state of mind.

Adrian Monk is a 55 year old Caucasian male. He appeared well dressed and groomed. He graduated from University of California, Berkeley. He is a former San Francisco homicide detective. He is best known for his peculiar approach to solving difficult crimes. He received a psychological discharge for the police department after the death of his wife, Trudy. He hopes to be reinstated.

ts our study of the stigma related to mental health illness. There is a lack of research investigating the portrayal of psychologists, those affected by mental illness and issues of mental health; this lack of research prevents any interventions from being made to protect those at risk. “With the continued portrayals of therapy in the media, it is important to consider how these images may affect attitudes and beliefs that can contribute to help seeking behavior”. (Maier, et al., 2013, p.1). Although there is research supporting that psychological and medical treatment are effective for a broad range of mental illnesses, only around 11% of those who have a diagnosable issue will seek help (Corrigan, 2004). The researchers of this article were interested in how the media portrayal of psychologists and mental illnesses impacts those who should seek therapy, through the formation of stigma. The hypothesis of the article study is formed around the idea that turning to a professional for help is not viewed as a sign of weakness when the psychologists are viewed as trustworthy and have experience.

The hit show, ‘This is Us’ displayed a emotional scene of Randall Pearson, played by actor Sterling K. Brown, experiencing panic attacks (anxiety/panic disorder). It stroke him unexpectedly when he called his brother, Kevin Pearson, played by Justin Hartley, that he wasn’t able to make it to his play. This article on Huffington Post titled “ ‘This is Us’ Totally Captured The Hard Truth of Panic Attacks,” written by Lindsay Holmes, describes Randall’s symptoms of “instability, disassociation, stress and tearfulness (Holmes). The author continues on about how many people have a misconception, stigma, and negative stereotype regarding mental illness. Due to this reason, people become hesitant or do not ask for help. Celebrities are the

Years ago mental illness was perhaps the most misinterpreted and mistreated illness. It is a disorder that is characterized by disturbances in a person’s thoughts, emotions, or behavior. At one time it was a sickness that no one would dare talk about. The humiliation was so strong it was looked upon as a crime. Patients would be “put away” not to be treated but to protect them from the community. It was an illness to be ashamed of and was thought to be brought upon by patients themselves. Mental illness refers to a wide variety of disorders, ranging from bipolar disorder or depression, to post-traumatic stress disorder, and schizophrenia. Each one of these disorders can cause anywhere from mild distress to those that impair a person’s ability to function in normal day-to-day life. In the movie “Call Me Crazy: A Five Film”, it looks at how each individual copes with mental illness and succeeding in everyday situations. By comparing similarities in the film with the differences about mental illness in ordinary life we can understand how the movie at times exaggerated mental disorders.

Modern television shows will be analyzed to find any indication of a shift from misrepresentation of the mentally ill to a portrayal that does not represent them as incapable or unable to perform well socially in the real world, or in a job. Shows such as Grey’s Anatomy and Homeland will be evaluated based on the correct representation of disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder, alcoholism/addiction, and bipolar disorder. These shows will be compared to other television shows such as Saved by the Bell that misrepresent mental illness. A detectible shift from negative misrepresentation to a more positive representation will be prevalent if there is a focus on a disorder of an individual in not just a negative light.

One in every seventeen people in America suffers from a mental disorder. These disorders inhibit the afflicted person from functioning properly and coping normally with daily life. Many afflicted with a psychological disorder do not exhibit obvious symptoms, as medical advancements have made it possible for these disorders to be suppressed or even nonexistent. Today, however, harsh stigmas exist that unfairly categorize those with a mental illness as violent, unfriendly, and abnormal. The media and federal government are culprits in fabricating the unrealistic depictions of mental disability that define the portrayal of those who are mentally or psychologically disadvantaged.

Personality disorders are very defined and recognized in today’s society. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) published by the American Psychiatric Association provides common language and standards classifying mental disorders. The DSM is used by many people in varying disciplines in the USA as well as many other countries. In times past, people with disorders may have been outcast from a community or even persecuted. However, in our current culture the pendulum has swung in the other direction. It almost seems that there is a trend to explain all behavior by a mental disorder. This results in needing to disprove that certain people are not displaying a disorder, rather acting within a normal human emotion or

Mental illness is heavily stigmatized in mainstream media sources, such as articles, books and movies. The character who is suffering from a mental disorder, which is stigmatized is often exaggerated for the sake of entertainment. The stigmatization of mental disorders is unfair to those who have mental disorders. The viewers of media are viewing those suffering from the disorders as “psychotic” or “crazy”, which is inaccurate and unjust to those affected. The media representation of the disorder provides vague and inaccurate causes and treatments. In the movie series “The Dark Knight Rises” and television series “Dexter”, the characters Joker and Dexter are afflicted with the mental disorder antisocial personality disorder; in which it creates

Dr. Gregory House was born on the 11th of June 1958 from a relationship between Blythe house, his mother, and an unknown male. His mother was a house wife married to a marine pilot, John House, who was not present when House was conceived being on overseas active duty. His mother also had an affair with another man, Thomas Bell, who House mistook for his father because of the physical characteristics that they shared.

Mental illness is often wrongly portrayed in the United States’ media creating stigmatization and misrepresentation. Mental illness “refers to a wide range of mental disorders that affect your mood, thinking and behavior” (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2015). Examples of disorders include anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Any “negative attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors are called stigma” (Wilson et al., 2016, p. 2) and stigma can contribute to progression of mental illness because of its harmful effects due to misrepresentation in the media. In the recent years, the United States media has began to address the reprehension around the topic of mental illness, as it has began to develop into a rising problem in citizens across the nation. In the past, any portrayal of a figure or character with a mental disorder would be wrongly depicted, therefore, creating a distorted perception for the viewers (Stout et al., 2004, p. 1). Television shows have started to establish characters with mental illness in hopes to lessen the stigma behind ill characters due to the wrongful associations viewers may make. The way media viewers’ stereotype the mentally ill into categories can be harmful to the well being of those with disorders. Stereotypes can be so harmful that even medical professionals “contend that stigma is a major reason why one-fourth of the estimated 50 million Americans experiencing mental illness yearly will not seek