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THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER Movie Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower Michael Gamez California State University, Fresno 1 THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER 2 Movie Review: The Perks of Being a Wallflower As human beings, we are exposed to many traumatic experiences throughout life – death, rape, failure, and rejection, just to name a few. Experiencing these types of events may cause post-­‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in individuals. In many cases, when children undergo traumatic events the public believes that it does not have as great of an effect on them than it would on an adolescent or young adult (Jung, 2011). Children may not understand the seriousness of their experience, which is what prompts society to believe that it will not have a debilitating effect on them. However, that is not the case at all. In many cases the event affects the individual later in life and has the potential of developing into PTSD. It not only affects the individual, but it also affects the entire family. The Perks of Being a Wallflower provides realistic examples of what a younger individual who suffers from PTSD goes through on a daily basis. Aside from managing their PTSD, adolescents face all the stressors that come with being in high school. These added stressors, in some cases, can trigger breakdowns in the individual (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 2014). The film also touches on how the family may interact when they have a mentally ill family member. These realistic and accurate characteristics of the movie has the potential to decrease the stigma that is associated with those who have PTSD by showing what life is like from the individual’s perspective. The movie accurately portrays PTSD by showing what it is like for the individual to experience a mental breakdown as a result of their PTSD. The movie also does a superb job at depicting how the present may trigger events from the THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER 3 past, which can also trigger a mental breakdown or cause the individual to feel uncomfortable. The movie follows Charlie, the main character, as he journeys through his first year of high school following the suicide of his best friend Michael. His best friend’s death caused him to reflect back on his aunt’s death when he was five, which ultimately led to his PTSD. Charlie was previously hospitalized after experiencing a mental breakdown due to the death of Michael. Charlie shows signs of PTSD because he is battling depression. His depression is caused by his aunt’s death because he feels like he is responsible for it. A semi truck hit his aunt as she was going to get his Christmas present. Charlie constantly replays the night his aunt died in his head. In addition to depression, children and teens with PTSD often display poor social skills (Jung, 2011). Charlie is very hesitant to make friends due to fear of rejection (Byrne, 2000). This is a common stigma that individuals with PTSD often experience. The movie depicts this stigma when no one interacts with Charlie on the first day of school and they only remember him for the first mental breakdown he experienced while in middle school. His aunt’s death as well as his best friend Michael’s death also prompts Charlie to fear getting close to others because he is afraid he might lose them. At first, Charlie is hesitant to befriend Sam and Patrick; he does not know if they will accept them and if they do become his friend, he is not sure if they will stay his friend. Unlike the stigma of rejection, Sam and Patrick serve as a symbol of hope. They serve as hope that there are people out there who will not pass judgment based on your mental illness. Sam and Patrick, too, have their own issues so this shows that Charlie is not alone. Seeing this can increase the general public’s THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER 4 acceptance and compassion for those with a mental illness because we see Charlie in a better state of mental health after he befriends Sam and Patrick. Moreover, Sam and Patrick show Charlie how to live life in the present and the important of feeling “infinite.” Those with a mental illness can be reassured that they are not alone – there are others just like them. Depression is also expressed a lot on the movie. We see Charlie’s depression, but we are also exposed to Patrick’s fit of depression that is caused by a homosexual relationship that he has to keep secret. Patrick cannot openly express his affection with his boy friend. Therefore, everything they do is in secrecy. He begins to experience severe major depression after he and his boy friend Brad, are caught together in the basement by Brad’s father. Brad’s father begins violently beating him up, but there is not anything that Patrick can do. This sparks his depression because he feels guilty that he did nothing to stop Brad from being beat up. This also causes Brad and Patrick to break up, which only increases the severity of his depression. Patrick’s depression is characterized by fits of mania because every night he believes that “tonight is going to be different and he will find his destiny.” This excitement is used to mask his numbness. In the end, he ends up feeling helpless and empty, which are all common characteristics of depression (NIMH, 2014). As stated, Charlie’s depression was caused by the death he experienced at such a young age as well as the initial sexual abuse he encountered with his aunt. A common stigma with sexual abuse is that either men or homosexual men tend to be the abuser (APA, 2014). However, the movie fights that stigma by showing that a woman is just as capable as a man of committing sexual abuse. Sexual abuse can cause depression, THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER 5 anxiety, and social problems in a child later on in life after the initial event (APA, 2014). Charlie displays anxiety when he is reminded of events in his past. The thing that causes the most anxiety is Sam because she reminds him of his aunt Helen. When Sam and Charlie first have a sexual contact he has flashbacks of his aunt touching him. Also, Charlie reaches a peak in his anxiety and ultimately suffers a mental breakdown when Sam leaves for college. Sam leaving for college reminds Charlie of his aunt Helen’s death because in a way Sam leaving to college is like a part of her dying because Charlie thinks he may not be able to see her again. Charlie normally takes medications to decrease these delusions that he experiences, but they ultimately begin increasing in nature (NIMH, 2014). All of the symptoms displayed in The Perks of Being a Wallflower provide a greater understanding for what those with PTSD go through and what it is like to suffer from depression. At the beginning of the movie Charlie appears to be have learned to manage his PTSD by doing leisurely activities such as reading as well as with the help of medication. However, PTSD is a constant battle and one can experience a mental breakdown at any time no matter how well they manage their PTSD. Individuals are susceptible to a relapse at any given time. With Charlie’s second mental breakdown he is taken to Mayview Hospital. The hospital has the stigma of being a place for crazy or trouble kids. Mental health professionals are, too, stigmatized at times. They may be stigmatized as just prescribing the patient a bunch of medications in hopes that they will get better or they may insist that patient go to a mental institution. However, the film depicts Charlie’s clinical psychologist as very attentive and dedicated to Charlie. A clinical psychologist provides treatment by means of THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER 6 therapy, and may be able to prescribe medication depending on the state he/she is in (MHA, 2014). Charlie is hesitant to stay in treatment because of the cost, but his psychologist assures him that it will be fine. The movie sheds a positive light on mental health facilities and mental health professionals. It shows how combined with social support and a good mental health professional the road to recovery is achievable. Charlie’s therapist is just one of many types of mental health professionals that are available. There are many types of mental health professionals that specialize in different things (MHA, 2014). Viewing the mental health in a positive light can influence those with a mental illness to seek out help because they can see that their best interests will be at hand. The movie accurately depicts what it is like for a family to live with an individual who has a mental illness, but it does not put enough emphasis on it. In the film, Charlie’s family tends to not discuss his PTSD unless he has an episode. The sense of disconnection and detachment is present though out the movie. His parents never ask how Charlie is doing and the family as a whole seems to lack life except when their eldest son Chris comes home from college. The presence of disconnection and detachment may contribute to the stigma that the individual with a mental illness may wish to be left a lone (Byrne, 2000). Disconnection and detachment is common and in many cases the trauma survivor does not want to talk about what happened (NAMI, 2011). A result of disconnection and detachment in the film is Charlie’s parents finding out that his aunt raped their son. This was withheld from Charlie’s parents because he did not want to tell his parents. This is a normal feeling amongst families who experience mental illness in any way, but it is THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER 7 important to be educated about the trauma and its effects. It is important for family to know that it is fine to seek outside support (NAMI, 2011). The Perks of Being Wallflower is a milestone in today’s generation. It is not often that a movie is released that sheds a light on mental illness and provides a greater insight. The movie portrays what it is like to live with PTSD and how PTSD can be caused in individuals. The movie depicts various aspects of living with PTSD, which includes, but are not limited to: depression, stigma, seeking help, effects of PTSD on families, understanding causes of PTSD. Charlie serves as a symbol of hope for people with a mental illness, and his character also serves as an advocate for compassion towards those with a mental illness. As a result, The Perks of Being a Wallflower reflects an “A” MMI rating. THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER 8 References American Psychological Association (2014). Understanding Child Sexual Abuse. American Psychological Association. Retrieved from: http://www.apa.org/pubs/info/brochures/sex-­‐abuse.aspx?item=6 Byrne, Peter. (2000). Stigma of mental illness and ways of diminishing it. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment. 6, 65-­‐72. Retrieved from: http://apt.rcpsych.org/content/6/1/65#BIBL Mental Health America (2014). Types of Mental Health Professionals. Mental Health America. Retrieved from: http://www.mentalhealthaerica.net/types-­‐mental-­‐
health-­‐professionals National Institute of Mental Health (2014). Depression. National Institute of Mental Health. Retrieved from: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression/index.shtml?utm_sourc
e=BrainLine.orgutm_medium=Twitter National Alliance on Mental Illness (January 2011). Understanding and Coping with PTSD. National Alliance on Mental Illness. Retrieved from: http://www.nami.org/Content/ContentGroups/Programs/Family_to_Family
/PTSD_Module_Pevised_Feb_2011.pdf U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs (January 3, 2014). PTSD in Children and Teens. U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. Retrieved from: http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/family/ptsd-­‐children-­‐adolescents.asp Yung, Elan K. DoctorJung.org. (2011) Sexual Trama. The Sexual and Trauma Solution. THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER Retrieved from: http://doctorjung.org/Dr._K.E._Jung/the_Sexual_Trauma_Solution.html 9