Emma Allen

As a mental health educator, I would like to point out that this film is built around a combination of the absolute worst of misconceptions, contradictions, and wholly incorrect 'facts' about mental illness. First of all, sociopathy and psychopathy are NOT mental illnesses. They are personality 'disorders'. They can't be treated with therapy or medication. They can't be treated; full stop. They say 'D' can't feel anything (it's true that shallow affect is one aspect of sociopathy), yet he is taking Lithium and an 'anti-psychotic & anti-depressant'. Sociopaths aren't psychotic, it's an incredibly rare anomaly when a sociopath experiences 'insanity' or psychosis. (The only colleague of mine who has met one, it was a single case in his lifetime working in psychiatric wards). Onto the medications. So if the character is a psychopath and doesn't feel deep emotions, Lithium and anti-depressants are not going to help. No medication can help a psychopath, and taking a mixture like that can be really dangerous (he wouldn't be able to function). Lithium dulls emotions and blunts the severity of emotional highs and lows.There is even a line when they completely contradict this fact, when his psychiatrist says that his medication with help him start to feel emotion. Most psychological therapies are also considered a very bad idea for psychopaths, this is because they learn better ways of disguising their true intentions and their fundamental personality. There are definitely some things you can help them with in order to channel their 'skills' productively, but their motivation will not be to reconnect with people or integrate into society unless it is solely to benefit themselves. They don't care about anyone, that's one thing the character mentions about himself; yet he breaks parole to go to his brother's funeral? Why, if he doesn't care? It's not in his self-interest to do this. He is not a good liar, he is not glib, or charming in any way and he is does not attempt to manipulate people. He is not a psychopath, basically. This film was released in 2021 and it's shocking to STILL see such a harmful depiction of 'mental health issues'. Because psychopathy is NOT a mental health issue. This particular film seems to be particularly bad, simply because someone has evidently hashed together some Wiki definitions of various personality disorders and mental illnesses. People who experience psychosis are rarely violent, in fact, they are more likely than the general population to be hurt by others. Psychosis is rarely a permanent state and medications help. People with schizophrenia deserve respect and compassion, not for this tired stereotype to be be shown again and again - there is a direct correlation between these misconceptions and violence against the mentally ill, so it's a serious issue. Mental illness does not make you violent, cold, callous or unable to feel emotion, (quite the opposite.). Simply put; mental illness is not a personality type. Please do not be scared of people who experience mental illness, they have done nothing wrong and when their illness is at it's worst, they are suffering immensely. I just wish scriptwriters and movie makers would look up the basic (and contradictory) definitions of 'psychotic' and 'psychopathic'. These misconceptions are dangerous to real people. Misinformation and propaganda are at the forefront of modern discord, yet this kind of harmful media is still being churned out with no warnings, caveats, or facts. I hope this is clear, my apologies if it isn't. I just hope this helps someone.