Let’s face it when it comes to depictions of mental health in movies and TV show they don’t get it right most the time and end up doing more harm to people suffering these mental health conditions than they help. But that is not always the case and sometimes they do get it right. These ten scenes taken from movies and TV shows nail it and provided the audience with an accurate portrayal of what mental health is all about…
Tony Stark – Iron Man 3 – Anxiety Disorder
OK, so the reasons for his anxiety are firmly in the grounds of science fiction it is the actor’s portrayal of it that is really noteworthy, especially the flashback scenes and the drop in confidence.
Hannah Horvath – Girls – Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
While she can be a controversial figure it was her accurate portrayal of someone suffering from OCD that is worthy of a nod of approval. Sure, it does help that the actor suffers from a very mild form of it in real life, but it was still a great piece of acting.
Carrie Mathison – Homeland – Bipolar Disorder
While the TV show does take this disorder to the far end of the spectrum it was still a positive look at it and very well acted out. While people who really suffer from Bipolar Disorder will say it only has a small element of truth it was still a good way to look at the extremes people can go through.
Patrizio Solitano jr – Silver Linings Playbook – Bipolar Disorder
This is yet another portrait of Bipolar Disorder but this time it hits home more about how people suffer with it in everyday life, especially when it comes to relationships and family life.
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Maria Bamford – Lady Dynamite – Bipolar Disorder
Just when you thought Netflix couldn’t portray mental health if they higher actors with real conditions along comes Lady Dynamite to provide some light relief. What I really liked about this portrayal was how it shows what it is like to have the condition throughout life, not just a small timeframe.
Edgar Quintero – You’re The Worst – Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
It’s not just PTSD this film tackles it is also depression and with all that combined with some accurate portals you end up with a film that tries its best to shed new light on PTSD that others before it haven’t tried before.
BoJack Horseman – BoJack Horseman – Borderline Personality Disorder
OK, so he is a cartoon horse, but that doesn’t stop this show from showing him suffering what people with BPD go through every single day. It doesn’t make fun of the condition and it doesn’t sweeten it for TV, it shows people the hard and raw side of this complex condition.
Jessica Jones – Jessica Jones – PTSD
What I like about this portrayal is that it shows even superheroes can suffer from poor mental health as well as showing that PTSD is not only for people who are war veterans. It doesn’t matter how strong Jessica is she still suffered from it and that is more important than how accurately she portrayed it.
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Randall Pearson – This is Us – Anxiety and Panic Disorder
Not only does this show how people deal with this disorder through life, but also that people don’t ever truly get over it. They just learn to manage it properly and that is what makes this portrayal noteworthy.
Rebecca Bunch – Crazy Ex-Girlfriend – Borderline Personality Disorder
Not only does this film capture what it is like to live with someone suffering from this condition, but it also accurately portrays the highs and lows of it in a serious, accurate way. Heck, even the songs have words in them that would make anyone stop and think about what it is like to have BPD.