Lahc m4 mh_feb 2019-filled out
- 1. Movies for Mental Health LA Harbor College February 26, 2019 Facilitator: Leslie Poston @artwithimpact #Movies4MentalHealth
- 2. Quick Facilitator Intro: Leslie Poston My first-year students, PhD clients, and professional clients experience many of the same mental health needs, issues, and stigmas. leslie@artwithimpact #Movies4MentalHealth
- 3. Here’s the Plan -Quick Introduction of Art With Impact -Setting the Scene Together: • Mental Health • Stigma -Watch and Discuss Films -Panel of Students and Resources #Movies4MentalHealth
- 4. Brought to you by… #Movies4MentalHealth Monthly Short Film Competition (See flyers/postcards on table) Campus Workshops Global Community PROP 63 - Mental Health Services Act 1% tax on people earning >$1m/year 25% to prevention and early intervention
- 5. Where were you right before coming to the workshop? #Movies4MentalHealth
- 6. Heads Up • Mental health is personal – YOU are the expert on your own experience. • Public space, so…no confidentiality • It’s okay to feel! • Films and conversations might be triggering. • Please take care of yourself however you need, including asking for help. #Movies4MentalHealth
- 8. Mental Health • Mental Illness • Mental Wellness #Movies4MentalHealth
- 9. Some movies and tv shows that show mental illness… A Star Is Born Red Band Society Split Batman (Series) and Batman Beyond Winnie the Pooh Glass BoJack Horseman 13 Reasons Why Skins Empire Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind Hannibal Lector (Series) To the Bone Rainman Game of Thrones #Movies4MentalHealth
- 10. Characters with mental illness are portrayed as… Criminals Outcasts Volatile Emotions or Lack Of Killers Mix of both, but manage to rise above illness Monsters Superheroes Quirky Weak Snarky Different Distant Darkly Humorous Brilliant Remorseless Rich Characters Alcoholics #Movies4MentalHealth
- 12. Stigma •A judgment or stereotype that is: • Always negative • Always untrue • Can be internalized #Movies4MentalHealth
- 13. How does stigma feel? Unfair Crippling Ostracizing Invalidating Rude (especially when influencing others) Offensive Hate Oppressive and controlling Lonely #Movies4MentalHealth
- 14. When the Fat Girl Gets Skinny By Abby Thompson AWI Winner, June 2017 #Movies4MentalHealth
- 15. Discuss in groups of three… • What did you think? • What did you feel? #Movies4MentalHealth
- 16. What did you think? What did you feel? Thoughts Gives the viewer a lot of perspective Challenge our expectations of what we think about other people Good representation of how people internalize their struggles, especially their social struggles (especially interacting with others) Having internal conflict of emotions due to her mixed bags of experiences – and dealing with hate for her size and trying to deal with that. Feelings The person saying someone should be skinny doesn’t know how the person lives or their individual health (or what can cause death) Made me feel sad that people who never noticed the character before then considered her an inspiration Felt heard and represented and could relate to her Felt sympathetic. We are often judged on how high we perform. We often don’t know what people are struggling with. She had low self esteem.
- 17. How did the filmmaking techniques help tell the story? Clever use of camera – focus on different objects as she was going through things in the room (i.e. apples) Showing bathroom door handle in the beginning – showing that this was her home. Symbolization of what has been happening to her and how she has been doing (banging door, what was on her plate, etc.) Getting out symbolized acceptance and being herself. Pills on plate to suppress appetite. Evokes sadness and shows how people restrain eating. Shows extent of her illness. Reaction of getting message from Dad (showed how it impacted her). Demonstrates helplessness. #Movies4MentalHealth
- 18. How did the filmmaking techniques help tell the story? Sound of flushing toilet – implies eating disorder. Sound of her voice held a lot of underlining feeling and also sounded a bit hypnotic. Appreciate the closed captioning. The way eating was represented (apple in the toolbox). Feels like a chore – the tools she used implied it’s hard for her to simply maintain her weight. Use of sad music and what it evokes/implies. Her mentioning her various rates implies range of her disorders and that she is finally at her desired weight or close to it. Interesting – candles near scale to make it look like a shrine. (Personal: scale was given too much power.) #Movies4MentalHealth
- 19. A FILM ABOUT LOVE By Dale John Allen AWI Winner, May 2016 #Movies4MentalHealth
- 20. Discuss in groups of three… • What did you think? • What did you feel? #Movies4MentalHealth
- 21. What did you think? What did you feel? Thoughts Sacrifices a person has to make – one that stood out (“I had to kills someone or they would kill me.”) Helpful, because that could be very selfish, but it is for you. Becomes painful and hard to be who you are/deal with it. Feelings Relate to a person obsessing about his depression (was triggering – reminder of having experienced that) Felt like without his friend, he’d be broken to pieces Seems like he is in love with his mania that he normally doesn’t feel when he depressed (giving up what makes him want to live life). Tough choice – would rather be happy, but he could only choose one (to survive).
- 22. What did you think? What did you feel? Thoughts More fair representation of thought process around bipolor and dealing with mania (often portrayed as one dimensional – often don’t see the the fluidity). Theme of falling in love with mania/depression often happens with creative. Powerful representation of how dangerous that can be as well as the side effects of fully dealing with that pain. Clinging to something he used to love to point that it drive him “insane” or be delusional – not sure what to do anymore. Feelings He may have been forced to take medicine. Even though it talked about bipolar, a lot of it was analogous to addiction (being in recovery). It could be applicable to different mental health issues.
- 23. What did you think? What did you feel? Thoughts “Sadistic Love” Interesting that he was aying that he was sad to kill this part of him. Was mourning losing that through therapy and medications. Hear that and understand that (related to eating disorder). Recovery was not a one time choice. Uncomfortable and hard. Looks at arms, showing possible scars, meaning he might have injured/harmed himself. Feelings Endless torment Sharing his struggle and implication that he must be “crazy” now.
- 24. Why don’t people get help? Not knowing where to begin or turn to Stigma of not having everything “together” and how one is viewed by others To tired to get out of bed Could be in denial Don’t have perspective to know when you need help (how you have always help) People don’t trust that it will work Self-coping Cultural Values and Belief Systems Acknowledging and accepting what may be going on. Costs – insurance. Job insecurity Cultural Shame/Need to be Independent #Movies4MentalHealth
- 25. Why don’t people get help? ACCESS Shy to tell that you are suffering Confidentiality (other people will know) Support and understanding (providing support or denying) #Movies4MentalHealth
- 26. Purpose By Victor Okoye AWI Winner, December 2016 #Movies4MentalHealth
- 27. Responses and Reactions? #Movies4MentalHealth Finally got what we wanted the most. Achieved purpose he hasn’t before (photography). Finally sees life and color. We’re often worked up to focus on the results and don’t enjoy the journey of life (or what we are working toward). Gratitude and appreciating what you have right now rather than working up to one BIG purpose. Been trying to find a way to break the cycle and bit by bit, he manages to see little things around him and he appreciates them. Will never know when we’ll lose happiness. In the morning, he focused on the humdrum moments of the day and then he chose to turn around and focus on the good things (like life lessons). From blacka nd white to colorful and beautiful. Brought up question often asks himself (audience member): Is life worth living? May be favorite film of the three films – shift within the arc of the story (same day, but a different outlook on his purpose occurs). Shift in music and perspective. Different outlook. Fascinating that his shift was in conjunction with falling in love with an artform. Art can be powerful.
- 28. What can we do? Trust each other to come clean and speak. Listen fully and never judge. Self-disclosure. If you suffer from mental illness, then you tell others. Self-improvement. Always time to improve yourself and invest in yourself. Don’t give all of your love/self to one person. Forgive (especially yourself) Not just doing what you have to do, but that you love to do.* Reiterated – what we love to do in our life and tie that to sustaining our livelihood. Small points of connection – putting something out and getting something back. Doesn’t have to be huge. Positive reinforcement. Creating and exercise. Can be anything – just even a walk in the park or seeing friends. Writing about how you feel/journaling. LISTENING – to self, others, and the world around you. #Movies4MentalHealth
- 30. Meet the Panel Rudy Caseres - LA Harbor College Alumni Jackelyn Dorado - LA Harbor College Student Hank Skulstad - Intern, Life Skills Center Adam McManamy, M.A. - Veteran Counselor, Veterans Center Donald Essex, LPCC, NCC, CRC - Director/Counselor, TRIO Program Nōn Wels - Creator and Host of You, Me, Empathy: Sharing Our Mental Health Stories #Movies4MentalHealth
- 31. Stay in touch! Don’t forget to leave your name and email on the sign-up sheet! @artwithimpact [email protected] #Movies4MentalHealth