Silver Linings Playbook

The film Silver Linings Playbook is a fictional story, that focuses on a mentally ill man who suffers from extreme mood swings, depression, delusions, and hypomanic and manic episodes. I would diagnose Pat as someone who is suffering from Bipolar II disorder. Bipolar II disorder is a disorder in which an individual experiences the presence of at least one major depressive episode, at least one hypomanic episode, and no history of mania. Throughout the film Pat experienced at least one Manic episode. This episode forced him into becoming arrested and hospitalized. He was unable to control his behavior, and it seemed that at first he wasn’t understanding why. When diagnosing a Manic episode, it does not need to last a full week, if it results

in hospitalization and mood stabilization. Later in the film Pat experienced several Manic delusions leading up to the episode, where he began fantasizing that Nikki and her lover were plotting against him.

This psychological delusion was not actually accurate, but because of his diagnosis, they are common. Although Pat experiences moments in the film where he feels that he is struggling with depression, none of the episodes seem to be overbearing. He seemed to always remain agitated and irritable which led me to because he was not suffering from either Major Depressive Disorder, or any other kind of depressive disorder. In the film Pat refers to these episodes as ‘depressive shit’ which he mentions to his therapist. These are minor episodes therefore being he never came anywhere close to a Major Depressive episode. Pat displayed many moments of hypomanic episodes. He becomes easily excited and revved up but never seems to last long or cause undue harm. An example of this is when Pat becomes very intrigued with making a better man out of himself, in order to prove to Nikki that he has changed. He believes that if he can master this dance performance, it will ultimately win her back. The duration is always strikingly short which seem to end after a few hours, and then he experiences doubt once

again.
Not only did Pat stand out to me for having a disorder, but Pat’s father and later to be girlfriend Tiffany.

Pat’s father is very superstitious about football. He firmly believes in the thought of flipping a coin, and wearing his jersey, and even eating particular snacks his wife makes to better his odds of winning. His uncontrollable betting and engagement in compulsive rituals stood out to me while viewing these particular scenes in the film. These behaviors are suggestive of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is a disorder in which and individual demands perfectionism, has a tendency to be interpersonally controlling, and pays devotion to detailing. All of these symptoms explained Pat’s father’s behaviors in this film. Tiffany on the other hand, displays many different behaviors including depression through grief, acting out through promiscuous sexual behavior, inappropriate social behavior, moody, anxiety prone. She bluntly asking Pat to join her inside, which the audience is all well aware of her intentions. She also was very inappropriate during the friendly dinner, where she began insulting her sister and everyone at the table. She admits to being prescribed Xanax. This drug is used to treat anxiety disorders. All of these behaviors, including the prescription drug, is proof that she has most likely been diagnosed with a disorder in her past, that the film did not announce. My assumptions include her possibly fitting the criteria for Major

Depressive Disorder or Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Major Depressive Disorder is a disorder in which an individual experiences a depressive episode everyday for at least two full weeks. Generalized Anxiety Disorder is a disorder in which an individual suffers from high levels of anxiety persistently, as well as excessive worry over many of life’s typical circumstances.
Although I truly enjoyed this film, and a few of the elements related to mental health seemed to be truthful, I do not feel as if the disorders we portrayed accurately. The film itself does not explain what these disorders are, or what they entail. I felt as if the author chose the most distinct and obvious symptoms of these disorders, and eliminated the rest. Although Pat fit the profile of a man suffering from Bipolar Disorder, I feel as if these scenes were not as severe as what they could be like in real life. There is several scenes where Pat displays extremely violent and aggressive behavior which may give viewers the wrong impression about these types of individuals. After learning about the symptoms, I feel as if the audience could leave after watching the film with misled information regarding all three disorders displayed.
I believe these disorders, especially Bipolar Disorder could have been displayed more efficiently and effectively. I think the writers could have made Pat seem a bit less forceful, bitter and aggressive then he was portrayed in the film. Not everyone in the audience was has listening or explored the previews to this film. The audience deserves a better understanding of what these disorders are called and what symptoms they include in order to grasp the writer’s full idea behind this film. I found it to be a little difficult to follow and a bit controversial.