Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Mental Health Month

May is Mental Health Month, so I do want to talk about this a little bit. Although I'm hesitant to discuss my own mental health here, ensuring that good role models exist in the forefront and reducing the stigma is really important to me. There need to be resources for people to go to understand their own mental health, the mental health of others, and to feel less alone in their struggles.

Today I want to highlight some books and movies that feature different mental health situations that will resonate with a variety of groups. I'm only including pieces that I have read or watched, because I don't like to comment too often on things that I'm not familiar with. If you have any of your own pieces that you think people will want to experience, please don't hesitate to mention them in the comments. There are some great pieces out there that I won't have seen yet!



Books
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Speak
The Bell Jar
Rebecca
Mockingjay
Just Listen
Green Angel
Go Ask Alice
A Monster Calls
New Moon
Thirteen Reasons Why
Hamlet



Movies
Good Will Hunting
Dead Poets Society
A Beautiful Mind
It's Kind of a Funny Story
Benny & Joon
Phoebe in Wonderland
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Iron Man 3
Splendor in the Grass


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6 comments:

  1. paperbackprincessMay 28, 2019 at 10:09 AM

    I love how Mockingjay handled PTSD. I would also add Challenger Deep by Neal Shusterman to this list for its amazing portrayal of OCD.

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    Replies
    1. Prototype_SR04June 4, 2019 at 6:44 PM

      I've heard a few things about Challenger Deep, but I haven't looked into it yet. I'll check it out.

      Delete
  2. Chloe (Forever Fictional)May 28, 2019 at 11:31 AM

    I love the way Iron Man 3 deals with PTSD- it's one of the reasons I love Tony so much. Instead of making this perfect superhero, they made him flawed and human and I love this representation!

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  3. Roberta R.June 2, 2019 at 10:21 AM

    I wanted to do something for MHM myself this year, but I got sidetracked by, eh, LIFE. I had to take my infamous hiatus and...well...maybe next year!

    The only book I've read from your list is The Bell Jar. I must admit I've always been wary of 13 Reasons Why because it has a reputation of glorifying suicide, or at the very least, of pinning it on those who get left behind...I'm curious about your opinion now.

    I wanted to recommend Challenger Deep, but Paperback Princess beat me to it. It's both poetical and raw, and if you don't let the double perspective scare you (though the double perspective is actually the point), a must read.

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    Replies
    1. Prototype_SR04June 4, 2019 at 6:49 PM

      I read 13 Reasons Why not long after it came out, and before it had too much publicity. I thought it was a deeply moving and impactful book, and didn't find it as glorifying suicide in any way. In all honesty, I was incredibly shocked to hear people say that about the book. Now, I haven't read it in maybe 9 or 10 years, so I would be interested in revisiting it to see if my opinion changes.
      Ah, two recommendations for Challenger Deep, eh? Well, I guess I better get at looking it up.

      Delete

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