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• Medication—for example, antidepressant medications, mood-stabilizing medications, anti-anxiety medications, and anti psychotic medications.
• Psychotherapy—a process focused on helping one heal and learn more constructive ways to deal with the problems or issues within one’s life; for example, cognitive behavioral therapy, psychoanalysis, systemic therapy, and family therapy.
• Brain stimulation—sometimes used for depression and some other mental health disorders.
• Hospitalization and residential treatment programs—generally recommended when one can’t care for oneself properly or when one is in immediate danger of harming oneself or someone else.
• Substance abuse treatment—substance abuse commonly occurs along with mental illness, which often interferes with treatment and worsens mental illness; substance abuse treatment is needed when/if one can’t stop using drugs or alcohol on one’s own.

Suggestions for Depicting Mental Illness

Treatment is one of the most important details to consider when designing characters and story lines concerning mental illness. Depicting the proper treatment for the symptoms that your character is experiencing not only engages your audience and increases awareness – it also provides you, the writer, with a new opportunity to explore the trials your character may endure while finding the correct treatment and the triumph they feel when the treatment is successful.

Consider these suggestions during your character and story line development:

• Contrary to some misconceptions, one can live a gratifying life despite mental health challenges; it all depends on how successfully the disorder is managed.  In fact, research shows that depicting someone with a mental illness who succeeds in various areas of their life is the most effective way to reduce stigma and discrimination.

• Think about ways that you can showcase characters seeking out help either on their own or from the recommendation of a friend or family member.

• Consider showing how misconceptions surrounding mental illness and help-seeking behaviors, including from specific cultural groups, can prevent a character from seeking diagnosis and treatment. When possible, attempt to offer solutions such as an understanding friend, counselor or clergy member that helps them to accept their illness and feel motivated to do something about it.

• When appropriate, show the consequences of un-addressed mental health challenges on the person who lives with it, as well as his or her family, friends, and community.

Profile On:Take Shelter

The PRISM Award-winning film Take Shelter focuses on a man living with symptoms of schizophrenia. After experiencing vivid dreams and hallucinations about an apocalyptic storm harming his family, Curtis, played by Michael Shannon, seeks out treatment from a counselor at a free clinic. During his counseling session he discusses his own family history of mental illness, including his mother’s diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia. Throughout the film, Curtis continues to experience hallucinations and ultimately overdoses on seizure medication. At the end of the film, Curtis is referred to a psychiatrist about more intensive treatment for his illness. However, during a family vacation to Myrtle Beach prior to beginning treatment he actually comes face to face with the storm he has been hallucinating about.

Take Shelter offers a unique perspective on mental illness in that despite the main character seeking professional assistance, the symptoms of his mental illness persist because he has not yet found the right treatment strategy. This type of story is very important in the mission of reducing misconceptions about mental illness and mental health. Depictions like this one showcase that even with the proper steps and help seeking behavior, there is no quick fix to mental illness. It is only treatable over time, with the right treatment plan and professional support system in place.