Index IntroductionMental Illness PortrayedMisconceptions/AccuracyPublic PerceptionOpinion on the FilmGeneral Opinion on Mental IllnessConclusionIntroductionGirl, Interrupted is a film released in 1999, directed by James Mangold. The film is based on a memoir about Susanna Kaysen and her time in a mental institution. The film revolves around Susanna Kaysen who is admitted to a psychiatric hospital, Claymore, in the late 1960s, following a suicide attempt. Susanna does not believe she is ill when she is admitted to a psychiatric hospital for the first time. In the film, Susanna is diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, Lisa is diagnosed as a sociopath. Susanna's roommate, Georgina, reveals that she is a pathological liar. No other diagnosed mental illnesses are mentioned. On the ward she makes friends with many other women with mental illnesses, mainly she is attracted to Lisa Rowe, who has been at Claymore for eight years, is rebellious and knows how to manipulate the staff. Lisa leads Susanna down the wrong path and convinces Susanna to run away with her, and they go to Daisy's house, who has recently been discharged. Lisa teases Daisy about the sexually abusive relationship she has with her father. Susanna is shocked when Lisa steals money from Daisy's dressing gown and still wants to escape after finding Daisy dead the next morning. Susanna realizes that she doesn't want to become like Lisa, calls an ambulance and returns to Claymore. Susanna is finally collaborating with therapy and is improving. Lisa returns to Claymore shortly before Susanna is released. He steals Susanna's diary and reads it to the other hospital patients, turning them against Susanna. Afterwards, Lisa reads an entry from Susanna's diary about her. Lisa attempts suicide after Susanna consoles her. Susanna goes to visit Lisa before she is released from the hospital, she is seen trying to convince Lisa that one day she too will be released from the hospital. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Mental Illness Depicted There are several mental illnesses portrayed in Girl, Interrupted. There are only a few diagnosed mental illnesses in the film, most characters are not given any specific diagnoses. For most undiagnosed patients, their mental illness can be assessed based on symptoms, speech, and appearance. Susanna is diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Borderline personality disorder is a mental disorder that causes difficulty functioning in everyday life because it affects how you think and feel about yourself and others. Another mental illness depicted in the film is sociopathy, in which Lisa is diagnosed as a sociopath. Sociopathy refers to patterns of antisocial behavior, including manipulative and deceptive behavior. Susanna's roommate Georgina says she has been diagnosed with fantasy psychology, who she says is a pathological liar. These characters display traits and symptoms of someone with a mental illness. There are characters in the film who are not given a specific diagnosis, but you can gauge their mental illness throughout the film from their actions, symptoms, and dialogue. There are some characters who can demonstrate delusional tendencies. MG, repeats the word "Bingo" as if playing a game while watching men being drafted into the war. Another character, Cynthia, laughs when nothing is said or at inappropriate times. There is a woman who exhibits catatonic states in which the patient does not respond when spoken to. There is a younger patient who exhibits childish behavior that is always seen with a little doll.Additionally, Polly is seen illustrating childish behavior, Polly often talks like a little girl and acts silly. Janet may be considered to have an eating disorder, but it is not specifically diagnosed. In the film, Janet has a nervous breakdown during a dance and claims that 74 is the perfect weight. All of these characters may not have been given a specific diagnosis, but you can get an idea of ​​what their diagnosis may have been. Misconceptions/Accuracy There are nine diagnostic symptoms specific to borderline personality disorder as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). However, borderline personality disorder did not appear in the DSM until the 1980s, so it is impractical to decide whether Susanna's diagnosis was accurate or not since the film is set in the 1960s. Of the nine criteria for borderline personality disorder, Susanna is specifically diagnosed with only a few of them. Susanna's dossier mentions that she is unable to make wise decisions, has had a nervous breakdown, and is very intelligent, but denies her condition. Susanna takes out the DSM and reads the symptoms related to Borderline Personality Disorder, even though this diagnosis was not in the DSM at the time the film was made. Her doctors said she was impulsive, but only when it came to being sexually promiscuous. This may not accurately represent Susanna's disorder as impulsive behavior is observed in Borderline Personality Disorder only when the behavior is harmful and interferes with a person's ability to function normally and impulsive behavior can be associated with many mental illnesses. Susanna attempted suicide early on, there is no reason to believe she has recurrent suicidal behavior. Susanna's symptoms do not accurately represent a complete diagnosis of borderline personality disorder. Lisa is diagnosed as a sociopath, her medical records mention that she has controlled relationships with patients, no response to medications, and her ups and downs are severe. At the time of the events in the film the diagnosis would likely be Sociopathic Personality Disorder, this diagnosis occurs when an individual does not conform to cultural or social norms. This could include antisocial tendencies such as always being in trouble, being cruel or insensitive towards others, and lacking responsibility and judgment. Lisa enters the hospital with great confidence, but soon discovers that her best friend has killed herself. Lisa begins to be violent, extremely loud and aggressive. He shows little remorse for his actions. The night before Daisy's suicide, Lisa taunts her about her abusive sexual relationship with her father. The next morning, Lisa takes the money out of the pockets of the robe Daisy is still wearing while still hanging. Lisa shows no remorse or empathy during that night or the next morning. It is evident that Lisa exhibits most, if not all, of the symptoms that can be diagnosed as sociopathic personality disorder. It clearly doesn't conform to the social norms of the hospital. She is often aggressive and extremely impulsive, due to her numerous attempts to escape from the hospital. He consistently shows no remorse or empathy throughout the film. Lisa's behaviors and symptoms accurately show a person suffering from sociopathy. Audience Perception Throughout the film, Susanna is the only character who is released, presumably healthy and well enough to live outside of the hospital. Most of the time, Susanna is considered the most mentally stable and independent compared to the other patients. By portraying Susanna in this way, her character is normalized making her more relatable to the audience. Even if his diagnosis