False Portrayal of Mental Illness in the Media - 1110 Words

False Portrayal of Mental Illness in the Media Protagonist The movie â€Å"The Roommate,† revolves around a young girl named Sarah (Minka Kelly) who is starting her freshman year of college. Little does she know that she has a roommate that is diagnosed with numerous mental disorders that she is not treating by taking her medication. When they are initially acquainted as roommates, Sara comes across as being innocent and depicts very normal behavior. However, as soon as Rebecca and Sarah become closer to each other, Rebecca forms an obsession with Sara and strange events begin to occur. Each of Sarah’s close friends or allies becomes hurt, and even killed. As soon as Sara discovers the symptoms of her mental illness, she becomes extremely†¦show more content†¦295-296). However, soon after, they experience extreme episodes of depression, especially when they are unsuccessful in attaining goals that are seemingly realistic to them. Similarly, in the movie â€Å"The Roommate,† Rebecca portrays these symptoms throu gh the unhealthy obsession she has with Sara. She wants Sara’s full attention in every way possible and goes to any lengths to get this even though the relationship she desires to have with her is impractical. Through her impulsive and reckless behavior, she tries to â€Å"get her† by endangering or killing Sara’s friends who get in the way of their relationship. Furthermore, in the process of gaining Sarah’s affection, she displays tremendous hostility, another symptom of bipolar disorder. To explain, she shows extreme disdain to those who take time away from them being together. She then expresses extreme confusion as to why Sara does not have mutual feelings towards her, and experiences severe episodes of depression. Society’s View of Mental Illness Through Media After watching this movie, I felt that Rebecca’s character lacked tremendous depth. I would have liked to be given more background information on Rebecca and an explanation of why she was the way she was. Had the movie been revolved around the â€Å"crazy† girl and not about the girl who finds out about how she has a â€Å"crazy† roommate, the movie could have beenShow MoreRelatedThe Media And Federal Government1619 Words   |  7 Pages Mental and Social Disorder 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, unfriendlyRead MoreHow Does The United States Media Affects Mental Illness? 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