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The University of Manchester Basking in Rare Sunshine
Special Educational Needs Reform: Integrated Working
Faith Jegede: What I’ve Learned from my Autistic Brothers
Being Proud of Having Autism
The Math Prodigy who is proud of his Autism:
More articles on Autism:
What Would You Do If You Witness An Autistic Person Being Insulted?
Never EVER say these things to people iwth Autism!
He flaps his hands and screams a lot but he doesn’t mean to annoy you
Optimum Outcomes for people with Autism
DSM 5 and its implications to ASD diagnosis
Diagnosing Autism: What you need to know
Vote for Miss Montana 2012, Alexis Wineman
Communication difficulties in Autism
Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon Cooper: Asperger’s Syndrome’s Poster Boy?
Still unsure if Sheldon has Asperger’s?
The Autistic Me: BBC Documentary
Temple Grandin: The world needs all kinds of minds
Autism in the classroom:
Guide to parents of students with ASD on coping with the first day back to school
Common signs of Autism in the classroom
First day back to school: Top tips for parents of children with Autism
Practical tips to make your classroom Autism-Friendly
Inspiring People with Autism:
Jessica-Jane Applegate (British Paralympian)
Satoshi Tajiri (Pokemon creator)
More on Savants:
Simon Baron-Cohen on Daniel Tammet
The Psychology of Savants: Memory Masters
The Einstein Effect: Is there a link between having Autism and being a genius?
Does Homeland address Mental Health Awareness responsibly?
Homeland is one of the most popular TV shows in America and is getting more and more popular around the world. In 2012, it has won 6 Emmys including best lead actor (Damien Lewis) and lead actress (Claire Danes) in a drama series, 2 Golden Globes and many more. Recently, it was awarded the best drama, best actor (Damien Lewis) and best actress (Claire Danes) at the 2013 Golden Globe awards.
If you have not watched it or at least heard about it (were you hiding in a hole somewhere?), Homeland is a drama series about Carrie, a CIA agent (Claire Danes) who believes that Nicholas Brody, an ex-prisoner of war (Damien Lewis), is a converted terrorist and is planning an attack on American soil. Despite Carrie’s brilliance, her colleagues do not always trust her decisions because of her unorthodox ways of working.
What is more interesting (for me, at least) is the fact that Carrie is suffering from bipolar disorder (Manic Depressive Disorder). In the first series, she tried to conceal her illness from her work colleagues because she is afraid that her colleagues will lose their trust on her, or worse, she could lose her job. She gets her medication from her sister, Maggie, who is a trained and practicing psychiatrist. Maggie issues Carrie pills ‘under-the-table’, and these pills seem to manage Carrie’s condition.
Many have weighed-in about Homeland’s portrayal of bipolar disorder, with some applauding it’s bold yet sensitive writing while some claim that the show’s representation is irresponsible. Negative points stem from the fact that Carrie is being treated secretly and unofficially, which could encourage the public to do the same. Additionally, some argue that Carrie’s high level of intelligence, confidence and success paint a wrong representation of people with bipolar disorder.
In my opinion, Homeland’s creators, writers and indeed, Claire Danes, are doing a magnificent job. Firstly, they have a person with psychiatric condition at the centre of the show and as a protagonist. Normally, characters with psychiatric conditions are portrayed as bad/evil (SEE MY ARTICLE ABOUT BATMAN: THE DARK KNIGHT). It is somewhat refreshing to see someone like Carrie being the centre of the plot. Secondly, the programme shows both the highs and the lows that a person with bipolar disorder might experience. Carrie is known to be a ‘genius’ in her own right in what she does. However, her behaviours are somewhat erratic and she has the tendency to break down if pushed too much.
It is important to note that Carrie’s case is an extreme one. Not everyone who has MDD is a genius like Carrie and not everyone’s situation can be managed by pills, just like Carrie. However, her situation is representative of what people with mental illnesses go through everyday. Over 60% of women employed in the United Kingdom are living with a mental illness. These people try their hardest to manage the stresses and strains of each working day, just like Carrie. However, they are all not CIA/MI5 agents like her. They are teachers, shop assistants, doctors, nurses and lawyers, trying to function well in this society. Nevertheless, we need to understand them and give them the right support to flourish.
Homeland also brings about the existing stigma about people with mental illnesses. As mentioned, Carrie did not conceal her illness to her work colleagues until the end of the first series, because she was afraid that she could lose her job (which she did in the end of the first series) and the trust of her colleagues. Unfortunately, this reflects much of what is going in the ‘real world’. A lot of workers hide their mental illness, and are scared to ask for help because of the stigma- which should not be the case. Workers are protected by the Equality Act 2010 which states that:
“…most employers have no right to ask for information about your health when recruiting. However, in an interview, they can ask whether you have the ability to do key elements of the job. There is also a specific exception in vetting applicants for work in national security such as intelligence services. If your mental illness has lasted 12 months or more you are likely to have rights as an employee under the Equality Act. Telling your boss, occupational health or human resources department will mean your employer is obliged to consider making ‘reasonable adjustments’ to your working life to help keep you well. You can ask them not to tell colleagues, but they may need to tell the human resources department.”
I feel that the inclusion of this issue in a well-known show like Homeland may increase people’s awareness of it. Hopefully, it will result in more people opening up to their significant others and it may also increase people’s understanding of mental health. One criticism that I have though, is that in the show, Carrie has not received any other psychological treatments apart from medication, although in the end of the first series, she underwent Electro-convulsive Therapy (ECT). Although ECT is still a controversial treatment, there are studies that have shown that it can be effective. Cognitive-behavioural therapies (CBT) coupled with the right medication has been shown to be the best treatment for people with bipolar.
Finally, the best thing about the show is that Carrie does not let her condition define her. She struggles with it at times, but she copes with it. She does not use it as an excuse forany bad things that happened to her.
The disturbing mind of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler is probably everybody’s definition of evil. What do psychologists say about him? Watch the video below to find out:
Falling off the Spectrum: Optimal Outcome for people with ASD
A research published only 3 days ago has found that it is possible for some people to ‘lose’ their Autism diagnosis. Deborah Fein and her colleagues compared a groups of 34 ‘Optimal Outcome’ individuals (i.e. those who were diagnosed with Autism at childhood but now exhibit no autistic symptoms) between the ages of 8-21, to a typically developing group (i.e. those who has not been diagnosed with Autism and do not exhibit any symptoms) and to a group of people with High Functioning form of Autism (HFA; ‘milder’ form of Autism), on various cognitive, social and communication abilities. The researchers also used the Autism Diagnosis Observation Schedule (ADOS; Lord et al., 2000) to see whether any of the participants meet the diagnostic criteria for Autism.
The results revealed that the Optimal Outcome group had average scores in the areas of Communication, Socialization, Adaptive Behaviours and Facial Recognition.It should be noted that they did not differ significantlly to those in the Typically Developing group, whilst those with High Functioning Autism scored lower across all the areas mentioned. It is also important to note that based on interviews with the participants’ parents, participants in the ‘Optimal Outcome’ group had relatively milder symptoms compared to those who were in the HFA group. Although, these reports are questionnable since they were based on parents’ memories and recent events may have clouded their responses.
POINTS TO CONSIDER:
- Although this could be a welcome sign for a lot of individuals with Autism and their family, we should all note that this study is relatively small-scale. In addition, as mentioned in the study, those who achieved Optimal Outcome initially had milder symptoms.
- The study reported here is only the beginning of a major project. They have only shown that there is a group of people who had a diagnosis of Autism in the past, who now do not qualify for a diagnosis. A lot is still not known…
- The research team is conducting a battery of tests to determine the levels of Cognitive Abilities, Language, Academics and Executive functions of those who achieved Optimal Outcomes in order to accurately determine whether they are of average range.
- Peer interactions and friendship/ relationship quality should also be reliably examined to fully understand whether these individuals have ‘lost’ their Autistic symptoms.
QUESTIONS THAT WERE NOT ANSWERED BY THE RESEARCH:
- When and how did these people lose their Autism symptoms?
- Is it necessary to have an intervention? If so, which intervention should be introduced to increase the chance of having Optimal Outcome?
- How many people with Autism can achieve Optimal Outcome?
- Do only those who have high I.Q. levels achieve Optimal Outcome?
- To what extent have their brain structures and functions normalized?
More on Autism:
Diagnosing Autism: What you need to know
Vote for Miss Montana 2012, Alexis Wineman
Communication difficulties in Autism
Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon Cooper: Asperger’s Syndrome’s Poster Boy?
Still unsure if Sheldon has Asperger’s?
The Autistic Me: BBC Documentary
Temple Grandin: The world needs all kinds of minds
Autism in the classroom:
Guide to parents of students with ASD on coping with the first day back to school
Common signs of Autism in the classroom
First day back to school: Top tips for parents of children with Autism
Practical tips to make your classroom Autism-Friendly
Inspiring People with Autism:
Jessica-Jane Applegate (British Paralympian)
Satoshi Tajiri (Pokemon creator)
More on Savants:
The Psychology of Savants: Memory Masters
The Einstein Effect: Is there a link between having Autism and being a genius?
An Eye-Opening Documentary About The Different Ways of Torturing Humans For Information
The documentary below exposes the many different ways in which interrogators tortured fellow human beings for information. It shows the history behind physical (electrocution, sex, etc.) and psychological ways of torture. What is interesting to me is how twisted the minds of the interrogators are. They really believed that what they were doing was right and should be done.
The Psychology behind Batman
What motivates a billionaire like Bruce Wayne to fight crimes and help civilians? Why are we so drawn to this fictional character? As this documentary explains, Batman is both a source of entertainment and a great example of how a man uses his fear as a motivator to help himself and others fight the evil that lurks around the world. As a result of the death of his parents when he was a kid, it is assumed that Bruce learned that everything is temporary including his relationships. He began to take matters into his own hands as soon as he realised that the security that others give him will not last.
The documentary below also discusses the following:
- The underlying reason for Bruce’s alter-ego, i.e. why Batman?
- Who is the real person, Batman or Bruce Wayne?
- Why is Batman the perfect union of the good and evil in all of us?
- Batman’s interpretation of the law.
- and more…
Enjoy the documentary:
Understanding and Embracing Diversity 