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Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Psycho (1960) in Movies
Aug 9, 2017
Incredible cinematography (2 more)
Norman Bates is the ultimate villain
One of the first earl films to discuss mental illness
My favourite Hitchcock film
This Hitchcock film is astonishing for breaking boundaries. From being one of the first original horror movies, showing 'obscene' shower scenes, to discussing multiple personality disorder. From the first minute, the film is tense and the fact of what happens to the leading lady after 30 minutes is jaw-dropping. When Norman Bates is discovered, his final scene of becoming his mother is horrifying. One of the best Hitchcock films ever to have been made.
Serena Marie (7 KP) rated Turtles All The Way Down in Books
Jan 23, 2018
Mental Health Issues (3 more)
Plot
Characters
Quoteable
John Green Does It Again
I will start off by saying that I love John Green. His books have always been a favorite of mine. Looking For Alaska is a book I will gravitate towards over and over again. He has such a great writing style with the most beautiful quotes. I can't get over it if we're being honest.
Mental health is a big and important topic. With something so big comes a lot of responsibility when writing about it. John Green nails it. The way he talks about Aza's OCD and how he describes her thought processes is amazing. You really start to bond with the character and feel for her. BUT, not only do you feel for her, you get frustrated with her because you start to get invested. The way that she navigates her life, her thoughts, her relationships, her everything is so well thought out by John.
I think this book has started a lot of really important conversations. People are talking about OCD. How to cope with someone who has OCD. How to cope with having it yourself. How to seek help and know that there ARE great resources out there that people don't know about. Best of all, it's helping to take away the awful stigma that seems to be attached to mental illness and mental health.
Thank you, John Green. Your books bring me peace.
Mental health is a big and important topic. With something so big comes a lot of responsibility when writing about it. John Green nails it. The way he talks about Aza's OCD and how he describes her thought processes is amazing. You really start to bond with the character and feel for her. BUT, not only do you feel for her, you get frustrated with her because you start to get invested. The way that she navigates her life, her thoughts, her relationships, her everything is so well thought out by John.
I think this book has started a lot of really important conversations. People are talking about OCD. How to cope with someone who has OCD. How to cope with having it yourself. How to seek help and know that there ARE great resources out there that people don't know about. Best of all, it's helping to take away the awful stigma that seems to be attached to mental illness and mental health.
Thank you, John Green. Your books bring me peace.
Eleanor Luhar (47 KP) rated Am I Normal Yet? in Books
Jun 24, 2019
Holly Bourne writes about two of my absolute favourite topics: feminism and mental health.
So Evie is a teenage girl, who desperately wants to be "normal". She's been diagnosed with Generalised Anxiety Disorder and OCD, and is trying so, so hard to prevent them from ruling her life anymore.
Evie combats a number of issues in this book, such as the stigma around mental health, and the misuse of diagnoses (eg. "I like things neat, I'm so OCD"). She's such a real character, who makes mistakes and upsets people and keeps secrets. She shares her bad thoughts, her rituals and her worries with us, which makes this book so fantastically relatable for people with similar thoughts.
Like everyone else suffering with mental illnesses, Evie has a ton on her plate. Recovery, boy problems, friendship problems... And her desperation to just be normal for once, which leads her into a teenage guys bedroom and triggers a horrific relapse.
This doesn't have a typical happy ending. Yes, things do get better at the end, but Evie doesn't magically beat her illnesses or avoid a relapse altogether - because that's just unrealistic. Mental health doesn't work like that. Recovering from a mental illness is a rollercoaster, with about a thousand loops.
The girls - the Spinsters as they decide to call themselves - are all fabulous too. They talk about all the things that people don't talk about enough, including periods and the difference between mental health care for males versus females. I think these are all such important topics, and are covered fantastically in this novel from a teenage girl's viewpoint.
Overall, I think this is just such a wonderful, important book. For those of us who are struggling with mental health issues, it helps us to feel less alone, and lets us know that our problems are not uncommon. For other people, the more "normal" people, Am I Normal Yet? provides an accurate insight into the mind of someone who's not having such a great time mentally. I really loved this book and all the topics it includes. A new favourite of mine, with 5 stars.
So Evie is a teenage girl, who desperately wants to be "normal". She's been diagnosed with Generalised Anxiety Disorder and OCD, and is trying so, so hard to prevent them from ruling her life anymore.
Evie combats a number of issues in this book, such as the stigma around mental health, and the misuse of diagnoses (eg. "I like things neat, I'm so OCD"). She's such a real character, who makes mistakes and upsets people and keeps secrets. She shares her bad thoughts, her rituals and her worries with us, which makes this book so fantastically relatable for people with similar thoughts.
Like everyone else suffering with mental illnesses, Evie has a ton on her plate. Recovery, boy problems, friendship problems... And her desperation to just be normal for once, which leads her into a teenage guys bedroom and triggers a horrific relapse.
This doesn't have a typical happy ending. Yes, things do get better at the end, but Evie doesn't magically beat her illnesses or avoid a relapse altogether - because that's just unrealistic. Mental health doesn't work like that. Recovering from a mental illness is a rollercoaster, with about a thousand loops.
The girls - the Spinsters as they decide to call themselves - are all fabulous too. They talk about all the things that people don't talk about enough, including periods and the difference between mental health care for males versus females. I think these are all such important topics, and are covered fantastically in this novel from a teenage girl's viewpoint.
Overall, I think this is just such a wonderful, important book. For those of us who are struggling with mental health issues, it helps us to feel less alone, and lets us know that our problems are not uncommon. For other people, the more "normal" people, Am I Normal Yet? provides an accurate insight into the mind of someone who's not having such a great time mentally. I really loved this book and all the topics it includes. A new favourite of mine, with 5 stars.
Ross (3282 KP) rated American Horror Story - Season 2 in TV
Jan 14, 2019
So much gorier and darker than the first series, Asylum chronicles the events of Bloody-face, the twisted fictional serial killer of the 1960s. This is the story underlying all events in the series, but there is so much more going on. We are treated to a glimpse into the abuse and disgust of people suffering mental health problems, and the supposed treatments being dreamt up to deal with their issues.
The series also has aspects of demonic possession, alien abduction and so much more.
While there were some aspects I felt were left open (the alien abduction for one), and others were not explored quite as much as it could have been, I feel this should be seen as more of an anthology series, where a number of stories of mental illness all intertwine to tell one thrilling story.
An exciting, but at times uncomfortable to watch series with some excellent acting and writing.
The series also has aspects of demonic possession, alien abduction and so much more.
While there were some aspects I felt were left open (the alien abduction for one), and others were not explored quite as much as it could have been, I feel this should be seen as more of an anthology series, where a number of stories of mental illness all intertwine to tell one thrilling story.
An exciting, but at times uncomfortable to watch series with some excellent acting and writing.
The Chocolate Lady (94 KP) rated The Girl on the Landing in Books
Oct 7, 2020
Reading Paul Torday's novel "The Girl on the Landing" makes one want to paraphrase Joseph Heller's quote from "Catch 22" to read: "Just because you're [being treated for] paranoid [schizophrenia], doesn't mean they aren't really after you". The plot here is dark, fascinating and gives one food for thought about mental illness and if some types of disturbed states might not have some basis in the outside world. Torday knows how to grab his readers, and his style is one that makes reading his books a pleasure. You can read my full review here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2013/12/21/a-girl-who-is-part-mystery-part-fantasy/
Bubblesreview (110 KP) rated A Note Of Madness in Books
Feb 9, 2019
Mental health awareness (1 more)
Likeable chapters
This novel was the authors debut, for a debut novel it's well written and flows fairly well. The portrayal of bipolar disorder / manic depression is realistically unsettling. It really shows how damaging a misdiagnosis could be and the serious effect of being dismissed. To avoid spoilers I'm not going to say if this story ends with a happy or an unfortunate end. I will advise you NOT to read this if you suffer from a mental illness and are triggered easily, this could be a serious trigger.
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Following on, although I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and really appreciate the mental health awareness in it which is a rare find in a book, I found this a hard one to score higher than 7/10. This is solely due to the fact that the chapters are long, ranging on average at about 25+ pages. This made it difficult to stay focused and I found myself having to read back a couple of pages to recap. This is completely my own problem as I enjoy shorter chapters and I really dislike stopping half way through a chapter.
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Overall I 100% recommend this book. It's very underrated and deserves more awareness
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Following on, although I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and really appreciate the mental health awareness in it which is a rare find in a book, I found this a hard one to score higher than 7/10. This is solely due to the fact that the chapters are long, ranging on average at about 25+ pages. This made it difficult to stay focused and I found myself having to read back a couple of pages to recap. This is completely my own problem as I enjoy shorter chapters and I really dislike stopping half way through a chapter.
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Overall I 100% recommend this book. It's very underrated and deserves more awareness
Bookapotamus (289 KP) rated The History of Jane Doe in Books
May 29, 2018
I was really intrigued by the description of this book and happy when I won the chance to read and review it. The History of Jane Doe is an ode to first loves, and a journey through mental illness. It's fun, it's sad, it's heartbreaking while also being heartwarming.
Ray is a high-schooler history-buff in love with Jane. She enters his life and him and his best friend Simon are forever changed. But she hides some deep dark secrets that torment her and Ray has a hard time seeing into her head, as is usually the case when loving someone who is depressed, and he struggles to find his way through her dark past so that they can have a future. This is a history of her life, written by Ray, flipping between the past and present of one devastating day when everything changes.
Michael Belanger writes that he's experienced some painful episodes in his life, and it's evident in how eloquently he decribes feelings of sadness and darkness. I can imagine this book will make quite a few people very sad, as most everyone knows someone who suffers from depression, or anxiety, or other forms of mental illness. But I also think it will probably help just as many. I applaud him for his candor and insights into a rarely talked-about issue.
If you love 13 Reasons Why, or anything by John Green, you will love this story. The witty banter between Ray and Jane, Simon and Mary is refreshing and fun, and it's an interesting look into mental illness, how things in life can trigger it, and change a person, and and exploration of how it affects all those around you, and how even though you may think you are ending your suffering, you are ultimately just passing it on to those who loved you.
What I took away most from this is that even if you feel like you are drowning in darkness and can't see past the shadows, you never know what a light you'll be to someone else.
Ray is a high-schooler history-buff in love with Jane. She enters his life and him and his best friend Simon are forever changed. But she hides some deep dark secrets that torment her and Ray has a hard time seeing into her head, as is usually the case when loving someone who is depressed, and he struggles to find his way through her dark past so that they can have a future. This is a history of her life, written by Ray, flipping between the past and present of one devastating day when everything changes.
Michael Belanger writes that he's experienced some painful episodes in his life, and it's evident in how eloquently he decribes feelings of sadness and darkness. I can imagine this book will make quite a few people very sad, as most everyone knows someone who suffers from depression, or anxiety, or other forms of mental illness. But I also think it will probably help just as many. I applaud him for his candor and insights into a rarely talked-about issue.
If you love 13 Reasons Why, or anything by John Green, you will love this story. The witty banter between Ray and Jane, Simon and Mary is refreshing and fun, and it's an interesting look into mental illness, how things in life can trigger it, and change a person, and and exploration of how it affects all those around you, and how even though you may think you are ending your suffering, you are ultimately just passing it on to those who loved you.
What I took away most from this is that even if you feel like you are drowning in darkness and can't see past the shadows, you never know what a light you'll be to someone else.
Alison Pink (7 KP) rated The Kneebone Boy in Books
Jan 15, 2018
What a fantastic little book! I will admit that it took me a few chapters to be hooked in, hence the 4 stars, but once it got going it was a great read. It is definitely a middle grades book but it deals with some rather heady issues...mental illness, abandonment, self perception, confidence. The Hardscrabbles are fascinating characters with all the problems a normal family deals with...even if they do deal with them Ina rather over the top way. I will admit I was surprised by the ending. I can usually figure books like this out and to my delight there were a few surprises in there. Worth the read for sure.
Lee (2222 KP) rated Undone - Season 1 in TV
Sep 15, 2019
Incredible
It's not very often I binge watch a show but from the moment I saw the trailer for this, I just had to watch it all.
It's kind of difficult to explain the show outside of what is hinted at in the trailer - Alma is seeing visions of her dead father, who is now teaching her how to time travel so that she can go back and try to prevent his death!! It's a trippy, sci-fi drama dealing with grief, trauma and mental illness, beautifully told using a rotoscoped animation style and featuring a great cast including Rosa Salazar and Bob Odenkirk. I absolutely loved it and really hope we get another season.
It's kind of difficult to explain the show outside of what is hinted at in the trailer - Alma is seeing visions of her dead father, who is now teaching her how to time travel so that she can go back and try to prevent his death!! It's a trippy, sci-fi drama dealing with grief, trauma and mental illness, beautifully told using a rotoscoped animation style and featuring a great cast including Rosa Salazar and Bob Odenkirk. I absolutely loved it and really hope we get another season.
Sarah (7798 KP) rated The Bell Jar in Books
Mar 18, 2020
A worthy classic
The Bell Jar is one of those well known classic books that pretty much everyone has heard of, but yet for me I hadn't a clue what the story was actually about. The story centres around a young woman's mental breakdown and descent into depression, and her subsequent slow path to recovery. It's not in the slightest what I was expected, but this is actually a rather good and worthy classic novel.
I wouldnt say Esther is a particularly endearing protagonist, there's a lot about her tale that doesn't make sense or seems a little lacking but I'm guessing this is because it's meant to represent her rather unhinged state of mind. It can get a little frustrating when things aren't explained properly, but for the most part the plot and story is very interesting and I struggled to put this down. It's well written without being pretentious, and it seems to be a very realistic tale about mental illness. The metaphor of the bell jar itself is a rather wonderful term despite the subject matter and one of the best metaphors I've ever come across in literature, as it's so true.
Overall this is a great classic and whilst it may seem a little dated, it's a really good study on mental health.
I wouldnt say Esther is a particularly endearing protagonist, there's a lot about her tale that doesn't make sense or seems a little lacking but I'm guessing this is because it's meant to represent her rather unhinged state of mind. It can get a little frustrating when things aren't explained properly, but for the most part the plot and story is very interesting and I struggled to put this down. It's well written without being pretentious, and it seems to be a very realistic tale about mental illness. The metaphor of the bell jar itself is a rather wonderful term despite the subject matter and one of the best metaphors I've ever come across in literature, as it's so true.
Overall this is a great classic and whilst it may seem a little dated, it's a really good study on mental health.