Next to Normal and its depiction of bipolar disorder.- Page 3

[PalJoey]

Posted: 7/8/10 at 11:05pm

Dorothy Collins - It Doesn't Matter

Updated On: 7/14/10 at 11:05 PM

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 7/8/10 at 11:09pm

Michael Jackson - Man in the Mirror

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/9/10 at 10:33am

I wish there was a song I could link to that's about a man who thinks EVERYONE is obsessed with him- in love with him, can't get enough of him- when all they are doing is calling him on his bullsh*t.


Here's looking at you, kid

[Unknown User]

Posted: 7/9/10 at 10:35am

But, on the bright side- Ladies and Gentlemen, we FINALLY HAVE A DIAGNOSIS!

[jero2]

Posted: 7/9/10 at 12:38pm

they deal with it with great sensitivity and awesome creativity. although the shows goes beyond 'bipolar.

[romgitsean]

Posted: 7/9/10 at 5:33pm

I grinned when I saw this thread.

Granted, Next to Normal has a great score, but they did probably one of the worst jobs portraying mental illness in a musical that I have ever seen. And granted, it's a play. To add to that, a musical. And to add to that: a Broadway musical. So yes, mental illness is going to be as played up bigger than the stage its set upon: however, why bipolar disorder? That's my question. The traits Diana displays are closely related to that of schizophrenia or even alzheimers. But she's diagnosed with 'bipolar with schizophrenic tendancies'. But, really, her diagnosis is only looked at as bipolar with schiz on the side. That's not what everyone remembers. They just remember bipolar. And to be honest, it's really poorly emphasized she's more than that. I mean in the song, 'My Pharmacologist and I' she sings about her pills and diagnosis over the years, but the problem for me is that bipolar is put over schizophrenia. Because, in actuality, she is schizophrenic (with visual hallucenations) with bipolar tendencies.

I have other problems with the show beyond that though... which I won't go into. But that's my opinion. Don't get me wrong, I do like the show... but I'm not by any means in love with it or think it's the best thing since sliced bread.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/9/10 at 6:17pm

No, she doesn't meet criteria for schizophrenia. You would first have to rule out a mood disorder or schizoaffective disorder, which is impossible with the information we're given in the musical. She could have major depression with psychotic features, bipolar type I, or schizoaffective disorder.

Updated On: 7/9/10 at 06:17 PM

[best12bars]

Posted: 7/9/10 at 6:41pm

Since when to bipolar people hallucinate?

Ever??

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/9/10 at 6:51pm

Both major depressive and manic episodes can have psychotic features. Usually they're mood congruent. So, depression would feature hallucinations or delusions related to death, punishment, shame, guilt, etc and mania would feature hallucinations or delusions related to grandiosity.

The important difference is that, with a mood disorder, the psychotic symptoms appear exclusively during the mood episode. Schizophrenia they would be there even without depression or mania.

[April Saul]

Posted: 7/9/10 at 11:15pm

Spork Goddess is right. People with Bipolar Type I can certainly have hallucinations as well as delusions. It is such a difficult disorder; perhaps some people here are thinking of folks with Type II, which is far less severe.

[Yes, I'm Chance]

Posted: 7/10/10 at 12:20am

It makes for a very heroic ending..."All I need is me and my inner strength" and all, but it glorifies unhealthy and self-destructive and behavior.?

She abandons her daughter and walks out on her husband? Where exactly is that glorifying or heroic? If people think what Diana does at the end is heroic, they're idiots.

Also there is no "all I need is me and my inner strength." It's more "What I want to figure out is if all i need is me and my inner strength because so far, what we've been doing, with me relying on my daughter and husband to hold me together and going through therapy and prescriptions, isn't working, so I need to try something else for now, and I also need to give my family an opportunity not to have to always be afraid they're going to come home and find me bleeding out on the floor or retiling the roof or baking cakes for my long dead son."

[brightasyellow]

Posted: 7/14/10 at 12:57am

I'm verrry interested to see how Diana is as a character - is she just her illness and hallucinations? Granted, it's a musical and I don't expect it to be spot on, but just knowing that there's a MUSICAL depicting (somewhat realistically) someone with a mental illness means that the stigma of mental illness is abating.

And, yes, both auditory and visual hallucinations can occur during a manic episode.

[brightasyellow]

Posted: 12/13/10 at 5:03pm

I finally saw this in Los Angeles. I was very impressed with how the illness was portrayed (except for ECT - it is MUCH less intense). I was glad that they mentioned at the end *SPOILER*

that she knew her risks going off the meds because if they had sent the message that everyone should go off their meds I would've been highly pissed.

[binau]

Posted: 12/13/10 at 5:06pm

Oh, god. This thread again.

[brightasyellow]

Posted: 12/13/10 at 5:11pm

I'm sorry, but this show is very personal and as someone who HAS bipolar disorder, I'm excited to see it shown in a fairly honest light.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/13/10 at 5:43pm

It was nice to hear the follow up....and I'm impressed the poster took the time to actually FIND the old thread.

[darquegk]

Posted: 12/13/10 at 6:26pm

Next to Normal is the 21st century A Dolls House. Discuss.