Anyone have a feeling on how the movie Joker depicts mental illness?

[Tikirob]

I just saw the Joker. It says quite a bit about mental health and the mental health system and attitudes towards mental health in the states.

I had a tough time watching it do to my own mental health trials plus I don’t like to see gratuitous violence.

Just wondering if the community has seen the film and has any opinions.

Thanks

[lillyofthevalley37]

Just seeing glimpses of it makes me think it is the usual sick offering from Hollywood

It looks gross disgusting and not cool at all

[Tikirob in reply to lillyofthevalley37]

I understand and appreciate your response there were definitely gross moments in it. It made me anxious too.

[AmyKart]

I thought the movie was good and while it was about mental illness, I didn't have a problem with it.

[Tikirob in reply to AmyKart]

You are strong! Thanks for the reply.

[AuroraDis]

I couldn't agree with you more. If I hadn't been as part of a group in a lonely retail park on a Friday night I would have gotten up and walked out in the first half.

I found it very difficult to watch as a psychiatric survivor but also now as a mental health professional who does her best but due to the demands of the system also find myself worrying about not being able to support people who need it as adequately as I want to due to high case loads and targets and restrictions on appointment times etc.

I came away feeling very annoyed about the inference that once again, mental illness leads to violence. Even though I feel they invoked sympathy for joker in the first half of the film, that was dashed by the underlying message that off his medication he was a dangerous man. I was particularly annoyed by this as I think of all the messages in the film this is the one the public will hear the loudest.

A better message to take away I think would be the need to be kind to others always as you never know what else they are battling in their lives.

I hope you're ok. I was tearful and angry all day Saturday after watching it Friday it. It really affected me. I hope you have someone you can confide in and offload.

[Tikirob]

I agree I think the sympathy turns into a stereotypical portrayal. I also thought the delusional aspects of Joker were gratuitous. His mom was crazy but adopted him and such the neighbor was his girlfriend but she wasnt. I think other parts were good showing the lack of connection between mental health sufferers and the “normal” world and how to keeping up with that world often involves a lot of disappointment and isolation for us.

[Kittykatxxxxx]

I think it was realistic in that the budget cuts happen(I.e his social worker). I mean effectively he was abandoned/shunned by society , I think he references this.

It was extreme, most with mental illness aren’t violent .The violence was hard to watch.

I have to admit I enjoyed the film, my friend who works with people with mental illness, did not.

[Tikirob]

Great point! It was very true that they ran out of money and he’s like ok well who do I see next? And the reality is there is no place. I ran out of healthcare and I asked the outpatient place ok well where can I go next and they said who knows! There is no doubt inadequate mental healthcare is a national crisis - mentally unhealthy people are more apt to be sick, have accidents and self medicate from my experience, I could see how your friend would be effected by the portrayal of the MH system.

[pink83737]

i’ve never seen the movie!

[Tikirob]

I think you can wait for the Netflix release!