I believe in happy endings
I know, I know. You think someone else decided to write this
blog because there is no way the same person who wrote the previous 3 blogs can
believe in happy endings. An in all fairness, my state of mind is pretty much
doom and gloom 90% of the time. But today, it seems the writing of my blog has
fallen into that 10% of feeling at peace and possibly even a bit happy. Unusual,
I know. Especially considering this week’s topic.
This week’s topic required us to watch a film about mental
illness and critique it. This made me want to chew off my wrists because I am
in the middle of one of the busiest times in the semester with tests,
assignments and practical’s. WHERE ON EARTH DO I FIND THE TIME TO WATCH A
MOVIE? Then came the question of what movie I should watch, then came the absolute
despair that I don’t want to watch a movie because I could be napping in that
time. As I’m writing this blog, you can gather that I did find the time and
actually enjoyed the reprieve from studying, typing up assignments and planning
practicals. I researched movies about mental illness, all with very ominous,
disturbing or unhappy endings. As you have likely been able to tell from my
previous blogs, this sort of thing is not what I needed, already being the
depressed, pessimistic person that everyone has come to know me as. I wanted
something that would not only lift my spirits, but also give me hope. Hope for
my patients.
As part of our
case studies, we have a section on prognosis. There are two types. Medical
prognosis is defined as “The
forecast of the probable outcome or course of a disease; the patient's chance
of 'recovery.” (Shiel Jr., 2019) Functional prognosis is “the prediction of the probable independent/ supported functional
performance of client during the course of a disability/ disease.” With all my
patients, both physical and psychosocial, these aspects have been rated poor.
Meaning chances of recovery are slim, and chances of living a “normal” life are
pretty much non-existent. If you think about it too long, it can become quite depressing.
So in the midst of all these horrible prognostic factors for my clients, as
well as my own few weeks looking rather dull, a pick me up was exactly what I
needed. And so came the choice of Benny and Joon.
This is a wonderful story that depicts the daily life
of a young girl (Joon) who has schizophrenia, and her older brother (Benny) who
takes care of her. It highlights both the difficulties of the mentally ill and
the care giver, who is often forgotten when it comes to people with any illness
or disorder. Joon’s symptomology comes alive from the beginning of the movie in
the way she becomes angry when things are moved around, calls trivial things - such
as there being no peanut butter- an emergency, how she hates loud noises and
becomes frustrated and starts screaming when she feels overwhelmed, lashing out
and hitting people. This is paralleled by Benny who is calm, cancels his plans
to look after Joon, ensures she participates in basic hygiene principles such
as brushing teeth, and orientating her when she has an episode.
But just as the symptomology comes alive, so does the
stigma that mentally ill patients are faced with or labelled with every day. Benny
describes Joon as blowing hot n cold, talking to herself, using “flowery words,”
hearing voices and even told her “well you are crazy.”
Furthermore, as in most movies, the strenuous
relationship between the siblings and the fact that Benny can’t find a
housekeeper to care for Joon while he was at work, are all solved by the
introduction of a man who just so happens to be Joon’s love interest. Sam is a
very eccentric character that does not seem to mind Joon’s random outbursts, strange
routine and mannerisms. A bond develops and they fall in love. While the movies
serious content was broken up by Sam’s strange ways of doing things (such as
toasting cheese with an iron,) ridiculous comedy stunts and eccentric heights
he went to to see Joon, it does somewhat romanticise mental illness. I know
love conquers all and all that mushy stuff, but unfortunately, this is not
realistic.
A huge positive of the film, as already mentioned, was
that it showed the life of the caregiver and the effect that having to care for
someone mentally ill has on the caregiver. This includes the inability to be in
a relationship because where does his sister fit in, not being able to make
plans because she can’t be left alone, getting phone calls at work for so
called emergency’s, making sure she takes her medication, worrying that his
sister isn’t out on the streets or playing with fire as she often loves to do,
and trying to figure out what is best for his sister without taking away her autonomy.
In the end (SPOILER ALERT,) Benny is in the beginnings
of starting a relationship, and Sam and Joon are seen, living in an apartment
together with Sam teaching Joon how to make iron toasted cheese, with none
other than 500 miles (by The Proclaimers) playing in the background. How can
you not be smiling when the movie ends on such a positive note?
So while being romanticised and unrealistic, sometimes we
need hope that in the end, everything is going to be OK, that there are people
who will go to eccentric heights to see you, who will walk 500 miles and walk
500 more. I want to believe that there is a happy ending for every one of my
patients and I want to be that person for my clients.
Christopher Reeves said “once you choose hope, anything is possible”
So I choose to hope.
I choose to believe in the possibilities.
I choose to believe in happy endings.
References:
https://youtu.be/tbNlMtqrYS0 (youtube link for The Proclaimers song)
Referencing the definition of functional prognosis from “Prognosis
in mental disorders” lecture notes.
Just some Benny & Joon gifs. (2019). Retrieved 1 September 2019, from https://imgur.com/gallery/zRB86
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