If you are someone who is interested in understanding mental health, mental illnesses and how they manifest in the daily life of an individual, and at the same time enjoy a good TV series, then this blog is for you. With the increase in mental health awareness and prevalence of mental disorders, the representation of various issues like Schizophrenia, Depression and other mood disorders, Anxiety disorders and panic attacks, Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) shown as psychopathy or sociopathy, Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD), Dissociative identity disorder (DID), neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder or Intellectual Disability, substance abuse, childhood abuse, bullying, relationship issues, dysfunctional families and so on has also increasingly become popular.
Watching a Netflix series based around mental health can be super important, for instance, if you are trying to understand whether the symptoms of a mental illness relate to you or a close one, if you’re a psychology student or mental health professional trying to explore the variety of portrayal of living with a mental disorder, or if you’re just someone fascinated by the human brain, or even just for raising awareness and increasing inclusivity.
Netflix series to understand mental health
Let’s take a look at some noteworthy Netflix series that accurately portray mental health conditions in an engaging way:
BoJack Horseman
This is an animated series that follows BoJack Horseman, who is a half-horse half-man celebrity struggling to come to terms with his stardom ending but is still chasing Hollywood. He struggles with a pill addiction which he uses to counter his depression. His self-destructive behavior is portrayed through a vicious cycle of trauma & addiction and an inability to overcome it. A dark humour coupled with the mundane and raw honesty is why many viewers find the show extremely relatable.
Mental Health Themes: Addiction, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, self-deprecating humour, trauma, self-destructive behavior, inability to maintain relationships, commitment issues.
Queen’s Gambit
This is a Netflix original series that follows Beth Harmon, who is an orphan and has superior intelligence and shows an affinity for chess from an early age. She becomes a world-renowned chess player and is often referred to as a chess prodigy. The show is set in the 50s-60s hence, there weren’t many female chess players in the competition circuits. She battles with addiction to tranquilizers while growing up and childhood trauma and eventually adopts an alcohol dependence while she is climbing the ladder to success. It’s a people favourite because it portrays this juxtaposition of a genius and their substance addiction, which is accurate and quite common.
Mental Health Themes: Addiction, childhood trauma, hyper independence, pressure of success and being a prodigy, loss of parents at a young age.
After Life
A series created by and starring Ricky Gervais that follows Tony through various stages of coping with grief after the death of his wife. Tony isolates and pushes away his close ones, struggles with suicidal thoughts and depression on a daily basis. His journey of dealing with the loss of a significant other is portrayed through a combination of humorous and heartfelt moments. People enjoy this show for its portrayal of men’s mental health issues, coping with grief and consequential realization of importance of human connection and kindness.
Mental Health Themes: Coping with grief, death of a loved one, depression, suicidal thoughts and ideations, building a relationship with self, coping mechanisms, isolation.
Atypical
A Netflix original coming-of-age comedy series that follows Sam, an autistic individual as he navigates dating, growing up, making friends on his quest of gaining independence. Through the impact of his growing independence, life’s ups and downs on the family members, the show portrays how having an autistic family member can impact the family dynamics and members on an individual level as well. As Sam develops his identity outside of his family life, his family also struggles with anxiety, anger, loss and displacement throughout the series. This is a crowd favourite due to its humorous yet accurate portrayal of an individuals on the spectrum and their families.
Mental Health Themes: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), social development, social anxiety, panic attacks, LQBTQIA+ representation and acceptance, bullying, emotional outbursts, therapeutic interventions.
Modern Love
An anthology series of a range of stories that explore different aspects of love, relationships, and their various stages as well as mental heath issues. This show portrays how an individual’s love life can intersect and the extent to which it impacts their personal, professional life and mental health. This is a relatable, raw and real representation of love and life stories which is why it has gained popularity so fast.
Mental Health Themes: Anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, stress, self-esteem, self-destructive behavior, emotional dysregulation and outbursts, relationship issues.
These and many other shows offer a profound, behind-the-scenes insight into mental health, each from a unique perspective. While these shows will enrichen your understanding and empathy about many serious illnesses, they can also be a source of encouragement to seek mental health support, social support and professional help. So if you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues, do not hesitate to reach out at North America Behavioral Health Services and get the support and assistance that is needed to live a fulfilling life.
