The Portrayal of Mental Illness in “Girl, Interrupted” Essay

The Portrayal of Mental Illness in â€Å"Girl, Interrupted† The film â€Å"Girl, Interrupted† is a true story adapted from the original memoir by Susanna Kaysen. Set in the 1960s, it relates her experiences during her stay in a mental institution after being diagnosed with borderline personality disorder following a suicide attempt. Many films include characters with a mental illness; the actors who play these characters have the immense challenge of staying true to the illness they portray. The main character in â€Å"Girl, Interrupted,† Susanna Kaysen, played by Winona Ryder, was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. According to the DSM-IV-TR (2000) borderline personality disorder is a pervasive pattern of instability in relationships,†¦show more content†¦Her parents became embarrassed by her condition and were anxious to know when she would be released from the hospital, most probably so they would not have to explain to people where she was and what had happened to her. Lisa Rowe, played by Angelina Joli e, was diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder which, according to the DSM-IV-TR (2000) is a pattern of disregard for and violation of rights of others. People with antisocial personality disorder, or sociopaths, fail to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behavior, they perform actions that are grounds for arrest such as destruction of property, harassing others, stealing and pursuing illegal occupations (DSM-IV-TR, 2000). They are deceitful, manipulative and repeatedly lie and con others to gain personal profit or pleasure. They display impulsivity and fail to plan ahead; they make decisions without consideration of consequences to self or others. Sociopaths are irritable and aggressive; they get into fights and assault others, for reasons other than self defense. They are extremely irresponsible and engage in sexual behavior, substance abuse or other behavior that has high risk of harmful consequences. 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