Stigma In Girl Interrupted

The film titled Girl, Interrupted tells a story about a young woman, named Susanna, who was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, due to, her erratic behaviour and attempting suicide by consuming an entire bottle of pills. Susanna’s parents, especially, find her actions to be a burden and problematic and collectively make a life changing decision for their “troubled” daughter. After consulting a psychiatrist, Susanna is sent to a psychiatric hospital to treat her new diagnosed mental illness. The movie provides several depictions concerning mental health and negatively paints a picture of individuals living with mental illness. Thus, making it difficult to deconstruct such stigma that continues to persist within society. The film promotes stigma related to people
In Western society, it has been socially constructed to believe pills and other medications will fix our problems relating to our health. Simply, if we do not treat diseases or illnesses appropriately, we risk getting sicker. During one scene, Susanna and Lisa resist taking their medication, and eventually Lisa convinces Susanna to stop completely. With that being said, the stigma around the issue of medicalization as being honourable treatment is highly valued in our society. In fact, medicalization is thought to reduce stigma because it keeps mentally ill individuals from behaving abnormally in social settings. Therefore, it makes it difficult for the oppressed to live their lives because their disability prevents them from various opportunities. The film provides insight into the stereotypical hardships and realities that society would think the mentally ill experience on a daily basis. On the contrary, the film lacks individualism which in turn dehumanizes the subjugated population and perpetuate common negative stereotypes within