Stigma
I understand that stigma is a tricky thing to really discuss. From my personal experiences, I would have to say that stigma was one of the reasons I was hospitalized in such a bad state. I had called the police because I believed that my parents wanted to kill me. I had started hearing voices and talking with them many months prior, but I was so scared of living in a mental institution for the rest of my life that assumed they had to be real; that I was psychic. Of course now I know that with daily medication, permanent institutionalization is not necessary. Thus, I understand stigma is a dangerous thing that can make a mentally ill person refuse treatment, even though it could potentially change their lives for the better.
But this isn't a post of battling stigma, or trying to overcome, for I've seen how difficult it can be. Rather this is an anecdote of how ridiculous stigma can become at times. I'm not sure what the other schizophrenics will think, but I found this movie, "Mine Games", hilarious.
*** I do want to point out the beyond this point is the spoiler for the movie, but then again this movie isn't really worth watching***
Essentially "Mine Games" is a horror movie about a group of friends who get lost at night while looking for a cabin owned by their other friend. When they get into the cabin, all these strange things start to happen. Of course, one of the friends is a stable, medicated schizophrenic. From my impression, he seemed like an overall nice, kind guy. But over the course of about a day or two, the schizophrenic ends up skipping his medication for one day, and becomes psychotic and kills everyone. There's this whole thing where he meets a past version of himself and this "cycle", as the end of the movie refers to, is probably was one of the reasons for his rampage. But it's silly to assume that skipping medication for one day would change you so much that you kill your close friends.
I understand that this movie plays on the stigma of mental illness, and I should be offended, but its just so ridiculously inaccurate that I couldn't help but chuckle. I've had days where I had forgotten to take my medication, or needed to finish up an assignment for university (anti psychotics make you drowsy), and though its not recommended, I've turned out fine.
I guess maybe if you aren't a schizophrenic this movie would just be offensive, but for me I just can't stop laughing.
But this isn't a post of battling stigma, or trying to overcome, for I've seen how difficult it can be. Rather this is an anecdote of how ridiculous stigma can become at times. I'm not sure what the other schizophrenics will think, but I found this movie, "Mine Games", hilarious.
*** I do want to point out the beyond this point is the spoiler for the movie, but then again this movie isn't really worth watching***
Essentially "Mine Games" is a horror movie about a group of friends who get lost at night while looking for a cabin owned by their other friend. When they get into the cabin, all these strange things start to happen. Of course, one of the friends is a stable, medicated schizophrenic. From my impression, he seemed like an overall nice, kind guy. But over the course of about a day or two, the schizophrenic ends up skipping his medication for one day, and becomes psychotic and kills everyone. There's this whole thing where he meets a past version of himself and this "cycle", as the end of the movie refers to, is probably was one of the reasons for his rampage. But it's silly to assume that skipping medication for one day would change you so much that you kill your close friends.
I understand that this movie plays on the stigma of mental illness, and I should be offended, but its just so ridiculously inaccurate that I couldn't help but chuckle. I've had days where I had forgotten to take my medication, or needed to finish up an assignment for university (anti psychotics make you drowsy), and though its not recommended, I've turned out fine.
I guess maybe if you aren't a schizophrenic this movie would just be offensive, but for me I just can't stop laughing.
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