David O. Russell’s Silver Linings Playbook is a movie that provides information about bipolar disorder from different perspectives. On the one hand, numerous individuals perceive mentally ill people as homicidal maniacs and narcissistic parasites. On the other hand, this movie demonstrates that it is a myth. In fact, the director of the movie highlights that people affected by bipolar disorder usually have periods of sleeplessness and paranoia accompanied by hallucinations (Olsen et al., 2016). At the same time, the movie is intended to show the importance of social support for people diagnosed with mental health issues. For instance, Pat finds a sense of belonging by entering into a relationship with Tiffany and maintaining a positive connection with his family.
Pat uses several strategies in order to manage the symptoms of his illness. First, this character sets the goal to win back his wife in spite of her restraining order. In other words, he is motivated to become a better person to achieve this goal. Second, Pat copes with bipolar disorder with the help of the social support of his parents and Tiffany who is also recovering from a breakdown inspired by the death of her husband. In turn, social support has a protective function in the course of bipolar disorder (Boyers & Rowe, 2018). However, medications and family-focused therapy should have been used in this case as well.
For example, the support offered by Tiffany has had a tremendously positive effect on the overall well-being of Pat. A young widow has a deep understanding of the psychological state of the main character, as she lost her family partner as well (Olsen et al., 2016). Therefore, by offering the opportunity to enter a dance competition with her, this woman provides essential help to Solitano and his mental health.
The phrase “Silver Linings” has always represented a prospect of hope or comfort in a gloomy situation. Accordingly, in spite of the difficulty of a certain situation, there is a brighter side to the problem that people are facing. In this case, Pat has not recovered from the complications of bipolar disorder yet; however, the movie demonstrates that this goal can be reached if an accurate approach is applied. The main character still manages to enter into new relationships and build a strong connection with his family in spite of problems that occurred in the past.
References
Boyers, G., & Rowe, L. (2018). Social support and relationship satisfaction in bipolar disorder. Journal of Family Psychology, 32(4), 538-543. Web.
Olsen, C., Russo-Mitma, G., Ancheta, K., Clark, M., Schonian, S., & Twist, M. (2016). Silver Linings Playbook. Journal of Feminist Family Therapy, 28(1), 51-53. Web.