Psychopathology Film Analysis: Girl, Interrupted

Girl, Interrupted

                         

Plot Summary:

            This film is about a teenage woman, Susanna, who was put in a mental institution because of her suicidal attempt, aspirin overdose with vodka. She spent almost a year there, making friends with all kinds of different patients and experiencing many hard times including watching the result of her best, social path friend’s, Lisa, shock therapy or worst, witnessing her suicidal friend hanging dead. To get out of there, she soon learned to corporate, follow rules, and started to open up; she eventually was discharged. Throughout the movie, Susanna’s Borderline Personality Disorder was clearly presented.

Disorder:

Borderline Personality Disorder is a personality disorder characterized by repeated impulsive behavior, instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and moods. People with BPD have history of intense volatile relationship, low tolerance for frustration and being alone, and drastic reaction over small provocation. Self-mutilation and suicide attempt are common. They may have transient episode of psychotic like symptoms or have overlap symptoms for mood disorder (Comer, 2010) (Student Notes).

From the movie, Susanna was very impulsive. She had sex with the husband of her mother’s friend, kissed with the security guard, and had casual sex with two people in the same day while she was in the mental institution. She also stole her medical record, broke out of the hospital, tongued her medication, and drugged a nurse there. These spontaneous behaviors are some of the signs. Moreover, she does not really know who she is and had hard time being herself. She showed repeated unstable self-image that can be observed as she alternate from moment of self-acceptance to moment of extreme depression and confusion, for example, when she refused to get out of bed when Lisa left. The reason Susanna was in the mental institution in the first place was aspirin overdose with alcohol. This suggests her suicidal attempt. In the early scene, she had severe bruises on her hands showing self-mutilation. Furthermore, her beliefs that she had no bones in her hand and that her bone were constantly disappearing and reappearing clearly showed her transient episode of delusion. Last but not least, she has unstable interpersonal relation. For example, she goes from thinking that Lisa is the perfect friend to hating everything about her, then back to wanting that friendship again.

Causes:

Biological – Lower brain serotonin activity is linked with Susanna’s impulsive and suicidal behavior. Also, close relatives of people with borderline personality disorder are five times more likely than general population to have the disorder (Comer, 2010).

Psychodynamic – Early lack of parental acceptance caused the disorder. Susanna could have been neglected and rejected by her parent as child, and this could lead to inability to cope with separation out of a fear of abandonment tortures (Comer, 2010).

Sociocultural – Her culture undergo rapid change and loses it stability so it inevitably leave her with identity problem, feeling of emptiness, high level of anxiety, and fear of abandonment (Comer, 2010).

Treatment:

Biological – Antidepressant and antipsychotic (lithium and Prozac are common) can help calm the emotion and aggression of people with BPD (Student Notes).

Adapted Psychotherapy – This may help improve people with BPD by reducing their dependency.

Cognitive behavioral therapy – BPD specific one that encourage patients to accept the negative affect without engaging in maladaptive or self-destructive behaviors.