Mental and Obsessed
My column this week — out tomorrow — is about the TV show Mental. I have so many objections to the show, it took a long time to write. I could only fit in one of my central points, which is that … Well, I’ll let you read it tomorrow.
This was on NAMI’s Twitter feed recently:
Watch “MENTAL” on FOX-TV Tuesday 9:00 PM ET. Does it stigmatize or open minds? NAMI is monitoring. Send comments to smarch@nami.org.
There are also a couple feeds about the new A&E show Obsessed, which documents real people with real illness. Though some of its elements are sensationalized, I actually appreciate that the show will raise an awareness of what some people grapple with. Though Nidia’s OCD is incredibly extreme, I think any person with OCD will recognize themselves in it (at least I did).
The show also advocates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as the most effective treatment for anxiety disorders, which is unusual in a world of Valium, Xanax, Ativan, Klonopin, etc. The doctors explain things fairly well, though of course judging by the first episode, the show is pretty much like OCD: Extreme Makeover. But based only on the first episode, I believe that it will ultimately help the public understand the secret shame and fear many people suffer in silence with.
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