Category: Entertainment

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Character Analysis TV

Analysis of the portrayal of BPD-related themes in Bin Roye Character Saba Shafiq (played by Mahira Khan)

Analysis of the portrayal of BPD-related themes in Bin Roye

Part1: Analyze the portrayal of BPD-related themes in the drama, focusing on the character of Saba Shafiq (played by Mahira Khan)

Intense and unstable relationships

People with BPD often have difficulty maintaining stable and healthy relationships. They may experience intense and sudden shifts in their feelings towards others, leading to idealization and devaluation of the same person. In the case of Saba, she sometimes has extreme emotions of love towards Irtaza but also gets angry when things don’t go her way. She also idealizes Irtaza by comparing him to the moon. In a scene when Irtaza is coming to their house, she keeps saying that I can see the moon. It was also seen when finally she got married to Irtaza, in the start she did not feel love for him, although that is what she always wanted.

Fear of abandonment

Individuals with BPD may have an intense fear of being abandoned or rejected by loved ones. When Irtaza decided to go to the USA, Saba’s reaction was very extreme and in front of everyone she said that he cannot go to the US and will stay with her forever. She also tries to manipulate him by asking him to stay in Pakistan.

Unstable self-image

People with BPD may struggle with a distorted or unstable sense of self. They may have difficulty understanding who they are, what they want, and what their values and beliefs are. Saba also shows this, when she is not sure, if she wants her sister to be happy with irtaza or not. One time she is content with the marriage of her sister and Irtaza but then she lashes out at the time of the wedding. So she is not sure what she wants.

Hallucinations

After her sister dies, she blames herself for the death of her sister. When she goes to her husband’s house she starts seeing Saman in the mirror, because she feels she has robbed her of this. So she starts experiencing some minor hallucinations that can occur in BPD according to DSM.

From Associated features:

Undermining Self

It is stated in DSM that individuals with borderline personality disorder may have a pattern of undermining themselves at the moment the goal is about to be realized. This associated feature is evident in Saba’s behavior where you can see that after the death of Saman she gets a chance to marry Irtaza, who is the love of her life. But she disagrees and now she wants to marry someone else. 

Ideas of reference

Individuals with borderline personality disorder can also develop ideas of reference. Like when Saba is talking to a lady and she is saying that if you will wish the thing your heart wants it will come before you and then she ask her to close her eyes and Fuff on a rose pattel and when she opens her eyes, Irtaza is standing there by accident. But with Saba’s facial expression she looks happy that her wish came true. So she associates events to be related solely to her.

In conclusion overall the depiction of borderline personality disorder are presented well enough in the series but it still lacks some presentation.

  • The severity and frequency of symptoms is not what it should be in BPD.
  • She also gets Borderline Episode suddenly and then stays normal for a while. This does not happen in BPD.

Part 2: Discuss the role of therapy and support systems in the drama:

Saba did not receive any therapy or intervention for her mental health issue. They did not take her to any psychologist or psychiatrist. This is close to reality because personality disorders are rarely reported, or people rarely go to therapy for personality disorders until and unless they are in very severe condition.

If we talk about how her family played a role in the severity of her symptoms. We can see that she was very close with Irtaza but still her family allowed them to be together and do what they were doing. Although their behavior with each other was opposite to social norms but family still allowed it.

One detrimental thing was that after finding out that she had feelings for Irtaza they still did not let them get married or resolved this issue, which made her situation even worse.

Her grandmother was supportive of her and she used to confide in her grandmother so she was an important support figure for her. Also after the death of Saman, Saba’s family did understand how much impact it had on Saba and they consoled her and gave her space. They also helped with getting her out of the toxic marriage she had with Aamir. Also when they married her to Irtaza they let her go to the US and that made them rebuild their relationship.

Irtaza was also very supportive and appeared as a strong protective factor as he was tolerant of Saba’s behavior and emotions when she was not letting him stay with her in one room and when he was getting avoided by her. He supported her in that period and also shared his love with her and made her understand that she was not the cause of Saman’s death.

Part 3: Management For Borderline Personality Disorder

DBT typically combines various elements, including group skills training, individual psychotherapy, and phone coaching, although there can be variations. Throughout DBT therapy, patients are encouraged to monitor their symptoms and utilize the skills they’ve learned on a daily basis, with their progress being tracked (May et al., 2016).

There are four primary categories of skills covered in DBT skills training:

Mindfulness Meditation Skills:

Mindfulness meditation skills focus on being fully present in the current moment. These skills involve observing, describing, and participating in all experiences, including thoughts, sensations, emotions, and external events, without passing judgment on them. These core skills are essential for effectively applying other DBT skills.

For instance, Saba in this example showed extreme emotions at the event of the wedding when Irtaza and Saman were getting married, she even cursed Saman. Mindfulness Meditation skills could have helped Saba stay in the moment and observe her feelings and act effectively on them. She did love Saman, so if she would have thought about what she wanted to do she would have stopped herself from cursing her.

Interpersonal Effectiveness Skills:

This skill module emphasizes the ability to assert one’s needs successfully and manage conflicts in relationships.

Saba had conflicts in her relationship with both Saman and Irtaza. Improving her interpersonal skills would help her deal best with the conflicts that she has in different relationships in her life.

Distress Tolerance Skills:

The distress tolerance skills module focuses on learning how to accept and tolerate distress without engaging in behaviors that may worsen the situation in the long run, such as self-harm. Like when Saba was feeling distressed that she wished Saman to be dead and now she was dead and Irtaza and her family wanted her to marry Irtaza but she blamed herself for the death of Saman and married someone who was worse for her. Distress tolerance would have stopped Saba from making these rash decisions.

Emotion Regulation Skills:

In this module, patients learn to identify and manage their emotional reactions. Emotion regulation involves enhancing or reducing emotions to respond effectively and achieve personal goals. This would have helped Saba to be emotionally stable and react with calm in situations where she was feeling overwhelmed and reacting to her emotions.

References:

May JM, Richardi TM, Barth KS. Dialectical behavior therapy as treatment for borderline personality disorder. Ment Health Clin. 2016;6(2):62–67. doi:10.9740/mhc.2016.03.62

Disclaimer: This is opinion based article and does not include medical advise. Contact professionals if you are dealing with any psychological issues.

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Entertainment Character Analysis

Understanding the Origins of Walter White from Breaking Bad

Clinical Psychologist

M Abdullah Qureshi

Walter White – or Heisenberg – is the main protagonist of the American series Breaking Bad.

Played by Bryan Cranston (a great actor), White is a chemistry teacher at J. P. Wynne High School. Safe to say, he has a middle class life, involving all the perks and pits of ‘mediocrity’.

At the start of the series, White discovers that he has lung cancer. This makes him challenge not just the utility of getting a very expensive treatment but also of his own life. But, catering to his family’s wishes and understanding that they need him, he decides to choose to live.

Walter White is a dynamic character. In this essay, I will attempt to analyze him based on his

  • Circumstances
  • Motives

If you wish to check out Walt’s personality profile, you can do so by clicking this. So, without further ado, let’s take a deep dive into Heisenberg’s world.

Circumstances of Walter White

It is impossible to understand White without knowing where he comes from. Walter White turns 50 at the start of the series.

With relevance to the story and Walt’s situation, his circumstances can be divided along three major axes.

Work

He is a chemistry teacher at a high school. But he had not pictured himself as being in this position. He had contributed to Nobel-worthy research and he was a partner at Gray Matter Technologies, along with his best friend at the time, Elliot Schwartz.

But Walt sold his share of the company, and the company later grew into a multi-billion dollar enterprise.

Instead of having been in an active lab at a resourceful facility, being financially independent at 50, Walt was stuck teaching to classes of disinterested students and enjoying a meager pay.

So, when the news of his lung cancer is out, Walt does not feel as if he has much to live for.

Except for one major reason.

Family.

Family

Walt is married to Skyler White, with a young boy, Walter White Junior, in middle school and a daughter on the way.

However, it is not like Walt is a perfect father or husband. Rather, he struggles with himself about the fact that he hasn’t provided enough for his family. He appears to be more tired in life but he softens in the pillow therapy scene in the show, for his pregnant wife and son.

Social Circle

It is also important to note that Walt holds some of his relations in high regard. He opened up in the pillow therapy scene partly thanks to his sister-in-law, Marie Schrader, and her husband, Hank Schrader.

Other than his immediate family and his wife’s sister, Walt’s social circle extends only to associates at work and his past friends. However, he is not very happy about his friendship with Gretchen, his former lab assistant and ex-fiance, and Elliott who Gretchen married.

He is tired, dejected, broke. However, he also has a loving family, a stable job, living in a middle-class neighborhood.

The main point of contention here is not feeling unfulfilled. Rather, Walt appears to hate mediocrity.

So, it is this context that sets the stage for the rest of Walt’s life.

Motives

We have looked at Walt’s circumstances at the beginning of the story. Now, we will see what drives him.

For the purposes of simplifying White’s motives, I have divided them into two different categories.

Getting Paid and Treated Adequately

Throughout the show, a running theme is Walt being compensated with what he deserves. The central goal is not just money. After all, if he had wanted only money, he would have tried to negotiate a higher price for his services as a meth chef for Gustavo Fring. Indeed, Jesse Pinkman was furious that he had agreed to cook meth for such a small price.

Moreover, I assert here that this central belief of “I should be treated how I deserve to be treated,” runs also in Walter’s work relationship with Tuco, Pinkman, Mike and Fring. When he feels that the other person is not treating as he deserves to be treated, he tries to neutralize the threat.

While sharing finances with Mike and Pinkman, he splits the money in equal proportions. He gives others what he thinks they deserve as aligned with the general logical conception of fairness. When he does all the work, he expects the other person to not take away the outcomes of the work he does.

However, these beliefs about what someone deserves is purely based on who does the work. For example, he claims that there is no other half for Pinkman, as he thought that he was doing all the work himself.

He fights with Mike, arguing against paying off other people when he operates with Mike and Pinkman after Fring.

However, there is another core belief that has often clashed with his belief of getting what one deserves. Let’s look into Walt’s motives regarding his family.

“All I do is For the Benefit of the Family”

This seems to be among the chief rationales for Walter’s sudden move towards selling meth. He understood that this has the potential of paying off his chemo treatment. Moreover, he wants to save and leave enough money for his wife and children to live the rest of their lives in relative affluence. He buys his son a Mustang. Moreover, he discloses his secret to Skyler and then takes her counsel over conducting his business more safely.

Having said that, there are many actions of his that are not justified by the two beliefs mentioned above.

With that, let’s take a dip into Walt’s ego trip. This is where I will refer to Walt as Heisenberg.

I’m Good At It; It Makes Life Worth Living

Based on Walter’s circumstances, one could conclude that he did not really only want to teach. Rather, the way that he teaches his lectures is disinteresting to his students. While he initially tries to pursue it passionately, as seen in the pilot episode, he apparently begins to lose his own interest as well.

His entire resume right until he sells his shares in Gray Matter Technologies, speaks of work that is lab-based and interesting. So, led by his desire to earn far more money than he was earning at the time, Heisenberg constructed his own lab in an RV. Later on, this lab is greatly expanded under Gustavo Fring and when he finally began operating independently of Fring. He appears to be driven while he is working in the lab.

There are two reasons for this:

  • Increase in self-efficacy
  • Increase in interest in life

For Heisenberg, there is ambition involved in making meth. When Pinkman talks about quitting, Heisenberg argues against this, showing his ambitions for expanding his business.

Another example is when he ends up earning such a significant amount that Skyler loses count of the money – which is not normal for Skyler, who is managing an entire car wash facility. She asks Heisenberg with exasperation about how long he would continue his drug business, because if it was only for the family, then they have enough money to last lifetimes.

Conclusion

Walter White aka Heisenberg is a well-written character who grows as the series progresses. This does not mean that White did not commit many mistakes.

But, don’t we all?

To understand a character or even a living person, it is important to take their circumstances into consideration. Once you do that, you will find that it becomes much easier to trace their motives by how they act in different situations.

Even if the character is a drug-emperor!

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Entertainment Character Analysis

The Personality of Walter White from Breaking Bad

Clinical Psychologist

M Abdullah Qureshi

Walter White is the main protagonist of the acclaimed show Breaking Bad. In this short analysis, I will go through the personality traits that Walter White seemed to possess.

I am using the five factor model of personality to assess Walt’s character. Below, I’ve written it down in very brief points. If you wish to understand Walter White more deeply, check out this character analysis.

Let’s begin!

Openness to Experience: Moderately High

Walt is intelligent.

He is also open to other value systems. He can justify crime but, on the other hand, he also shows some understanding of how his drug business does not conform to societal standards of clean living. Moreover, he is also creative; this is shown in how he deals with Tuco, manipulating him effectively and creatively.

It should be said, however, that he could make better aesthetic choices. While the hat on Heisenberg is certainly stylish – the outfit is put together haphazardly. A more aesthetic individual would probably put his outfit together close to someone like Hannibal or Dexter.

Concientiousness: High

Throughout the runtime of Breaking Bad, Walt is shown to be a workaholic, often coming home late.

There are also clear pieces of evidence of his ambitions; such as when he discloses to Pinkman about his plans to expand upon their business, with Gustavo Fring gone. He also organizes his attempts to get rid of threats were carefully.

Extraversion: Moderately Low

Walt does not have a very big social circle.

In fact, the people he confides in are limited to just his immediate domestic and work circle. In the beginning of the show, Walter is visibly inhibited while interacting with the many people who had come to his birthday party.

Other than this, Walt is shown to be outgoing only in situations where he has some other ulterior motive. For example, when he agrees to join Hank Schwader on a drug bust, he only seems to have the intention of seeing how the drug business is run from a house. Otherwise, he had refused Hank previously to go to such operations.

Agreeableness: Low

It will be wrong to say that Walter is not empathic. He certainly understands how Jesse Pinkman feels, when the latter’s girlfriend died early on in the show.

Having said that, Walt stands his ground over points that he disagrees with.

He firmly refuses Gustavo Fring’s offer to work for him early on, until one of his own motives was fulfilled. Furthermore, in an argument with Mike, he chose to work independently of Mike when faced with the choice of giving his money to people who he thought did not deserve it. He is also compliant only when his own interests are involved. When his interests are not met, he seemingly is discarding of others’ worth – as was the case in his paranoia towards Gustavo Fring.

Neuroticism: Moderately Low

Walter appears to handle the news of his death fairly well.

Rather, he is accepting of it.

While there certainly is a factor of being bored and disinterested in his life at the beginning, he does not display enough dysfunction to qualify for depression, anxiety or a fixation on negative emotions.

Even after ‘having lost everything’, Walter does all the tasks that he sets for himself at the end of the show.

There are, however, indications of anger issues. Some of his thoughts seem to be off base. For example, he believes that his former friend Elliott and former fiancé mistreated him, reaping the benefits of his work. However, it was he who impulsively sold his share of Gray Matter Technologies.

Summary

Walter exhibits signs of having a creative, industrious and meticulous personality. He likes to work long hours on his craft to the point where the money that he earns is almost irrelevant. However, he also considers himself to be a dutiful family member, and this justification is often used for his workaholism and continued meth-cooking. He can bear social gatherings, but he would rather spend the time with a few people who are within his closer social circles.

Furthermore, Walt retaliates quickly when he senses danger near to his close social circles, indicating a secure attachment style. Due to his intellectual capacity to formulate complex plans, he is able to stay aloof of both his competitors and the law enforcement.

In some ways, his thoughts and actions seems to align somewhat close to a high-intelligence subclinical antisocial personality.

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Film

7 Movies You Should Watch to Understand Panic Attacks

Are you looking for movies on panic attacks to understand what they look like? If that is the case, you are at the right place! The following is the list of 7 movies you must watch to understand panic attacks:

Girl, Interrupted (1999)

In the film, Winona Ryder plays the role of a young lady who, following an unsuccessful attempt at suicide, is sent to a psychiatric institution for a period of eighteen months between the years 1967 and 1968. In light of the fact that anxiety problems are the root cause of her nervous breakdown, she makes use of a wide range of coping techniques. At the end of the day, she discovers a way to achieve wellness by avoiding escapism and engaging with her creative side.

Safe (1995)

Safe is a challenging film about an extreme kind of anxiety disorder. Julianne Moore shines in the role of the protagonist in this psychological horror film. An unidentified sickness does, in fact, cause a lady from a suburban area to assume that she is developing an allergy to everything that is present in contemporary life. It demonstrates how anxiety can lead to further anxiety.

The Aviator (2004)

Who would have thought that a film about Howard Hughes would be considered one of the top 10 movies on anxiety disorder? On the other hand, success and money do not provide protection against mental disease. Because of his anxiety problem and the various phobias he suffers from, Hughes chooses to spend the latter years of his life in seclusion.

The Black Swan (2010)

In the ballet Swan Lake, Natalie Portman plays the role of a ballet dancer who is competing for the role of the White Swan. As a result, the narrative illustrates how anxiousness may be caused by imaginative expectations. In point of fact, she engages in combat with the dark dancer, Mila Kunis, who is an excellent performance for the role of the Black Swan. On the other hand, is the dark dancer a genuine person, or is she only a representation of the White Swan’s dread and fear?

The Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story (2023)

Following an especially trying day, Miles suffers a panic attack, which compels him to confront the symptoms of his worry and teaches him that calling out for assistance may be just as courageous an act as defending his city from impending danger.

Stutz (2022)

As Hill and his therapist investigate his mental health and the constantly worsening anxiety attacks induced by movie marketing, which have turned his perfect profession into a nightmare, you will be able to follow their journey.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

Depression and suicide are important issues that are dealt with in this movie. For example, Charlie is released from a mental hospital after being depressed for a long time after his friend’s death. Charlie meets brothers; Patrick (Ezra Miller) and Sam (Emma Watson), who also feel like “outsiders” at school. As they become friends, these three kids win over viewers’ hearts. Based on the famous book of the same name, The Perks of Being a Wallflower does a good job of showing how hard it is to deal with mental illness, make friends, fit in, and deal with trauma. Many people can connect to this. In the end, it’s a beautiful story about trying to fit in and make friends, and it shows exactly how kids deal with the ups and downs of being a teenager.

So these are the 7 movies you must add to your watch list to understand panic attacks better! If you have seen these movies, do let us know your reviews about them!

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Film Entertainment

10 Movies and Series on Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder You Should Watch

Written by Najwa Bashir

Are you looking for movies or series on attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to enhance your learning about the disorder or any other purpose? Well, if that is the case, look no more! This blog mentions the best movies and series on ADHD. Read through it and make notes!

Finding Nemo

Who hasn’t watched Finding Nemo? But, did you know there is a character with ADHD in this movie? It is no other than Dory, an enjoyable fish with anterograde amnesia who goes on a brave adventure with her friends Nemo and Marlin. Her friends have to deal with the challenges of the ocean, and Dory’s ADHD makes the adventure more interesting and gives them new views.

Dory is one of the most beloved and well-known characters from Pixar, and she does a good job of showing how someone with ADHD feels and acts. It’s easy for Dory to forget things, have trouble paying attention, and have crazy thoughts sometimes. A lot of people who have been identified with ADHD have found Dory to be a character that they can relate to because she has some of the same signs they do.

Charlie Bartlett

Charlie Bartlett, a kid who has trouble getting into high school, is the main character of this movie. Charlie has ADHD, which shows in his problems in school, making friends, and controlling his mood swings that affect his daily life. Bartlett makes himself the school’s house therapist after being officially diagnosed with ADHD. This makes him one of the most popular kids at school.

The Disruptors

The Disruptors, featuring David Anderson, Dale Archer, and Tim Armstrong is an in-depth documentary film that looks into the world of ADHD, including the experiences of people with ADHD, their families, and the myths that surround this common neurological disorder. It sheds light on the difficulties, successes, and harmful beliefs that come with living with ADHD.

The Auction

The Auction, featuring Annie Larkin, Emelia Marshall Lovsey, and Eleanor Pettet tells the tale of Ava’s sister going missing following a fight between them. With the aid of an old-school buddy, Ava must overcome her ADHD in order to locate her sister.

Mrs. Doubtfire

Daniel Hillard, Robin William’s “real” character in Mrs. Doubtfire, is shown as a loving father who is frequently too impetuous and unpredictable to be a stable role model for his kids.  Daniel poses as Mrs. Doubtfire, a nanny who looks after the kids while teaching them discipline and helping him become a better father when he has finally had enough of his ex-wife and is facing a custody dispute.

Julie & Julia

In this 2009 biographical film, Amy Adams plays Julie Powell, a young professional in New York City who launches a blog with the goal of preparing all 524 of the recipes from cookbook author and role model Julia Child in 365 days. Julie Powell’s memoir, Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously, served as the inspiration for the film. Julie, who was given an ADHD diagnosis, finds it difficult to manage everything in her life, from her boring work that she finds difficult to complete to her blog, which she used to be an obsession.

Percy Jackson

The protagonist of the science fiction Percy Jackson series, Percy Jackson, has been diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD. Greek mythology serves as the inspiration for the story, and Percy’s dyslexia enables him to read Ancient Greek while his ADHD helps him overcome the obstacles he encounters.

How to Train Your Dragon

Hiccup from How to Train Your Dragon feels different from the people who live in his town, and they can tell. His dad says, “He doesn’t pay attention.” His focus is short like a sparrow’s… When I take him fishing, he looks for trolls!” Hiccup spends years trying to fit in with his neurotypical family and neighbors. Eventually, he accepts how different he is and uses those differences to save his family and friends.

Teen Wolf

Teen Wolf is a TV show about a high school student who turns into a werewolf and watches out for mysterious threats in his town. Through the whole series, Stiles, the main character’s best friend, says that he has ADHD and takes medicine for it. Many of his problems with being hyperactive and not paying attention are typical of ADHD. He also says that he has anxiety and panic attacks. About half of people with ADHD also have worry. It is appreciable how the authors included this less well-known but common symptom of the illness. In the first season, Stiles’ guide and teacher said something that felt awfully the same. They said, all right, Stiles. Great kid. No ability to concentrate. Very smart. Don’t use his skills for anything.

Degrassi: The Next Generation

Spinner is one of the main characters on the Canadian teen television show Degrassi: The Next Generation who has been there the longest. In the 10 seasons he’s in, Spinner goes through a lot of changes and problems. His name, Spinner, comes from the fact that he is very active. He has ADHD and has problems with it throughout the series. Jimmy, Spinner’s best friend, tries to get him to share his Ritalin at the end of season one so that he can do better in the basketball game, but it doesn’t work out. Because of the bad reputation of ADHD drugs, this show talks about two important topics: how much Spinner’s drugs changed his life, and how they have the opposite effect on people who don’t have ADHD.

The above-mentioned movies and shows portray individuals with ADHD. These shows and movies will surely add to your knowledge about ADHD, the life experiences of individuals with ADHD, their struggles, their relationships as well as how they impact their surroundings and vice versa. Do watch them and share your reviews below in the comments sections! If you know of any other movies, series, or dramas on ADHD, feel free to share!

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Film Entertainment

9 Movies on Dyslexia You Should Add to Your Watch-List

Dyslexia is a form of learning disorder that is characterized by experiencing difficulty in reading and spelling fluently and accurately. It can be difficult to understand its symptoms and the lived experiences of individuals with dyslexia by just reading about it but not anymore!

Many movies and documentaries addressing psychiatric disorders have been made to raise awareness among people, thanks to the film industry and modern day technology for this!

This blog mentions 9 best movies on dyslexia that you should add in your watch-list to study in detail the manifestation of dyslexia, the struggles of individuals with dyslexia and the role played by the environment in either facilitating or troubling these individuals.

So, take your pen and paper and start making notes as the blog begins!

Hopeville: How to Win the Reading Wars

Harvey Hubbell V, the director of the movie Hopeville, had dyslexia as a child and had a hard time learning to read. His mind is clear that he is not by himself. He talks to scientists, teachers, and parents in this movie to find out what the evidence says. He finds out that we can make a huge difference in the way people learn to read and write in America if we use the right teaching methods. There’s a movement going on here, not just a movie.

Dislecksia

This movie is not only touching and educational, but it’s also a lot of fun. The director Harvey Hubbell V, who has won many awards, tells us about his life as a child with dyslexia, before the word became well known. With the unique way he makes films, we go from an MRI machine to the woods of Costa Rica and talk to students, families, famous people with dyslexia, and top researchers. This movie will help parents get their child the help they need and also help them find fun in the fact that their kid learns in a different way.

Kids might like how this video takes a lighter tone when talking about reading problems. It’s funny or silly sometimes. It still tells us a lot about dyslexia, though. Harvey Hubbell V doesn’t think the problem is a learning disability. He thinks it’s a learning difference. Hubbell talks about what it was like for him to grow up with dyslexia. He shows activists, experts, and students who are trying to make things better as well. He also films famous people who have trouble reading. You’ll hear from many famous people, such as actor Billy Bob Thornton and real estate mogul Barbara Corcoran.

The Big Picture: Rethinking Dyslexia

This 2012 Sundance Festival Selection tells the story of a high school student who is trying to get into college while also including interviews and stories from kids, experts, and stars in the field of dyslexia. This movie talks about popular misconceptions, the negative views people have of people with dyslexia, and some of the good things about having dyslexia. People with dyslexia who have done very well in life share their stories of how they overcame problems.

Embracing Dyslexia

This movie started as a very personal trip for the person who made it. He knew firsthand how hard it was to get a diagnosis and the right help for his son, who was labeled with dyslexia. He also saw how his son was constantly blamed for not trying hard enough.

This film came about because of this event. Parents, kids, teachers, and experts were all interviewed for this documentary. It is a useful and important tool for figuring out the problems that are stopping us from having an easy-to-use method for finding and helping people with this very common learning disability.

Inside Dyslexia

This documentary was made in 2005 by two directors who have dyslexia. It is one of the few close-up looks at the lives of teens who have trouble reading.

The movie is about three young kids. We learn how their parents found out that their kids were having trouble reading and writing. We see the kids at home and at school. The kids are also honest about what it’s like to deal with their problems and think about the future. This movie also talks about some other learning and thinking differences, such as having trouble writing or adding numbers.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Based on the series by Rick Riordan, the 2010 American movie Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is set in the 21st century and is about Greek legend.

The main character, Percy Jackson, has trouble reading and writing. For Demigods, it’s both a learning problem and a way to help them. It makes it hard for them to remember the words they need for school, but it also lets them understand old Greek because that’s how their brains are wired. Because he has divine blood, Percy has trouble reading because his brain is hardwired to only read Ancient Greek.

Don’t Call Me Stupid 

Kara Tointon may be known to British TV fans from her part on East Enders. They might not know that she has trouble reading and writing. To bring more attention to dyslexia, she made the BBC program Don’t Call Me Stupid. This piece of content is great for teens and adults who have trouble reading.

During the movie, she talks about some of the less well-known problems that come with dyslexia, like remembering things and staying organized. She also goes to a school that teaches kids who have trouble reading.

Focuses on Adult Dyslexics

This documentary is one of a kind because it talks about the issues adults with dyslexia face. Many people don’t know that dyslexia doesnot go away and that its effects last a person’s whole life. However, adding information about how much therapy costs or how to find good therapy for people would have raised its ranks even more.

Taare Zameen Par

A beautiful story with DarsheelSafary as a disabled boy and Aamir Khan as his art teacher shows how people have wrong ideas about dyslexia. An eight-year-old boy in this movie is thought to be lazy and shirker, but he actually has dyslexia. It’s important to note that this movie’s success made many behavioral problems more obvious on the big screen.

In this Indian movie, Ishaan, cannot stop thinking in school. People who teach him think he is lazy. His folks are sick of him getting into trouble.

Ishaan is sent to boarding school, where his art teacher sees more than just how creative he is.

That is how Ishaan learns he has trouble reading.

With help from tutors and changes made to the class, he starts to do a lot better. And finally, he can be sure of his art and school skills. This movie is fun for the whole family to watch because it has a positive message. However, be ready to witness a stream of emotions as Ishaan’s journey will bring tears in your eyes!

So these are some movies and documentaries on dyslexia that you can watch to learn more about this learning disability and the lived experiences of individuals having dyslexia.

If you know of any other movies on dyslexia, feel free to share below in the comments section!

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Entertainment Film

10 Movies & Shows on Autism You Should Watch

Written By Najwa Bashir

Whether you are a psychology student looking for movies and shows to understand the diagnostic features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or someone just interested in enhancing your knowledge about this psychiatric disorder, add the following 10 movies and shows on autism to your watch list! Each of these movies and shows showcases autism in its unique way and will surely serve the purpose you are planning to watch them for!

Hollywood Movies

Rain Man (1988)

Rain Man, with Tom Cruise as the autistic child, is an original and famous movie that changed the way movies hugely show autism. This thriller from 1988, directed by Barry Levinson, got great reviews. Tom Cruise plays Charlie Babbitt, and Dustin Hoffman plays Raymond Babbitt, Charlie’s older brother, who is presented as having autism. The movie is about Charlie, a young man who is self-centered and interested in material things. He finds out about his long-lost brother Raymond when their father dies and leaves Raymond a large income. Charlie goes on a road trip with Raymond at first because he wants to save money, but he ends up learning a lot about his brother’s illness and the amazing skills that come with it.

A Brilliant Young Mind (2014)

For people with autism, making new friends can be hard, especially when they are teenagers. This movie is good for the whole family because it shows how a smart young man who has trouble making friends makes friends with a girl when he makes it onto the British team for the International Mathematics Olympiad. The moving story shows that even though it can be hard, making new friends can be done if you have ASD. His family will cheer for both his team and his new friendship.

Fly Away (2011)

The story of Fly Away is about how hard it is for Jeanne to be with her autistic teenage daughter Mandy. Mandy does a lot of bad things that Jeanne has to deal with while she tries to run her own life. Mandy’s behavior gets so bad at one point that her mother has to care for her 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and loses her job as a result. Mandy’s father and Jeanne need to find out if domestic placement is a choice for her. This could give her a safe place to live and more freedom.

Hollywood Shows

Atypical (2017)

This show is about a young man with autism who is 18 years old and wants to find a girlfriend and won’t let the fact that his mother is watchful stop him. His search throws his family into a panic as they try to find their freedom and learn how hard it has been to care for someone with ASD. It’s a show that makes you feel good, breaks your heart, and makes you think.

The Good Doctor (2017)

In The Good Doctor, a young autistic surgeon and genius from a difficult past moves from Wyoming to busy San Jose, California, to work at a famous hospital. His amazing skills and gifts as a surgeon keep him going as he deals with relationships and other problems in a new place. This show is a great medical story that shows the beautiful, unique, and complicated conflicts of life with ASD.

Bollywood Movies

Barfi (2012)

Jhilmil is a young girl with autism who is played by Priyanka Chopra in the movie. Priyanka learned a lot about autistic kids and how they act to get ready for the part. This comedy-drama movie was one of the best-reviewed and most-bought movies of that year. It was also India’s official entry for the 85th Academy Award for “Best Foreign Language Film.” Jhilmil, played by Priyanka Chopra, is autistic and finds love with Barfi, played by Ranbir Kapoor, who is deaf and dumb. Through Jhilmil’s trip, the movie did a great job of showing a small part of the daily lives of autistic people and the different ways they feel. Chopra’s performance as the character was so complex and natural that The Forum for Autism (FFA) asked her to be the face of their campaign.

Yuuvraj (2008)

The role played by Anil Kapoor in the 2008 movie Yuuvraj is said to have autism. In the movie, he plays Gyanesh, a rock star musician. The movie is based on the Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman movie Rain Man. In that movie, Hoffman plays a genius with autism.

The main focus of everything is Gyanesh Yuvvraaj. However, since he is autistic and a genius, he has no idea what money is, so his huge fortune doesn’t affect him at all. He only wants love. Without it, he dies. He has a genius problem by some strange turn of events. He has been very good at all kinds of singing since he was a child. He walks into Deven’s world of music and instantly turns into the hero Deven always wanted to be.

Turkish Shows

Dönence

Gece is at the heart of the story in this drama. She had planned to go to college and spend the summer making music with her boyfriend Emir. But she had to change her plans because her disabled sister Gülce is having a hard time in Istanbul with all the noise and people. Gece finds herself in Foça with her family out of the blue because she doesn’t want to leave her lover and all her dreams in Istanbul. Right away, her whole world changes, then she meets Özgür, a teacher at the sailing club where her brother is a member. After his parents died in a fire, Özgür, a beautiful young man, has given his whole life to his brother Rüzgar, who has Asperger’s Syndrome. Gece learns how to look at life more maturely as she spends more time with Özgür, and Özgür learns from Gece that she shouldn’t put life off.

Mucize Doktor

This drama is about Ali, a young autistic genius who just graduated from medical school and had a hard childhood. He is very smart, but his situation makes it hard for him to talk to other people. He really wants to become a surgeon. Adil is Ali’s uncle and the head doctor at the Anka Private Hospital. When Ali gets a good score in TUS, he wants to hire him as an assistant doctor in the hospital where he is the top physician. The hospital, on the other hand, is very against Adil. Ali has to deal with a lot of problems in this new world. Because of how smart he is, he helps many people, gets through tough times, and saves lives. But because of his situation, he also makes mistakes along the way. On the other hand, he keeps fighting his handicap and tries to figure out how to talk to other people. He learns what it means to be a person and slowly starts to stand on his own. In that hospital, Ali learns more than just how to be a surgeon.

Pakistani Dramas

Pyar ke Sadke

Pyar ke Sadke, which was written by Zanjabeel Asim, screens the main characters, Bilal Abbas and Yumna Zaidi. Both of them have Autism Spectrum Disorder and are dealing with life’s problems in their unique ways. Even though they both think about what they want in life all the time, it is clear that they are willing to fight hard for it. It gets worse for both characters because they have to keep up with the rest of the world and even go ahead of it. After all, that’s what their gender roles and societal rules say they should do. The weight of hopes and disappointments is so great that constant pain is unavoidable. Pyar ke Sadkey shows the sad truths of life in the best way possible. The beautiful plot is made even better by the light humor and real feelings of someone with ASD. As the series goes on, we see more changes and unexpected events. We also get to see Yumna and Bilal find peace in each other because only they can understand the pain that their society causes them.

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Film Entertainment

Is Riley’s Anxiety Justified? – Analysis of the Movie “Inside Out 2”

Riley Anderson. All copyrights of images used in the film belong to Disney and Pixar.

Written by Najwa Bashir

Recently an animated movie named “Inside Out 2” came out and it is all over the internet. From Instagram posts and reels to google YouTube and Google, people are talking about it everywhere. The kids laughed at the intense scenes of the movie

But the adults are seen to be crying at the same scenes!

This is the case especially in the scene where Anxiety seems to have lost control over the situation and Riley gets a panic attack.

Many adults have shared how they could relate to Riley in different situations. However, many scenes in the movie makes us ponder if Riley’s anxiety was justifiable? This article therefore attempts to explain this question by analyzing the movie from the perspective of anxiety.

However, before that, let’s understand what anxiety is.

Anxiety

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), anxiety is a feeling that is marked by stress, worrying thoughts, and changes in the body like higher blood pressure.

Fear and anxiety are not the same thing, but people often use both terms interchangeably. People think of anxiety as a long-lasting, future-focused response to a vague threat, while fear is seen as a useful, present-focused, short-lived reaction to a clear and specific danger (American Psychological Association, 2024).

Feelings of danger, whether they are real or imagined, can cause anxiety. It can cause changes in how you think, feel, and act. When we are in or think we are in danger, our brains release adrenaline, a hormone and chemical messenger that sets off these fear reactions.

This is called the fight-or-flight response. This reaction might happen to some people in tough social situations or when they are thinking about big decisions or events (Felman & Browne,2018).

How Riley’s Anxiety Attempted to Protect Her

First off, anxiety makes Riley make a new friend as soon as she drops off at the college for hockey camp.

This was done in order to prevent the situation where Riley would be left lonely as her friends were going to a different high school. When Joy asked Anxiety why he did that, Anxiety explained; “the next three days could determine the next four years of our lives”. This is not just it, Anxiety also showed the possible worst case scenarios where Riley is sitting alone, eating alone and nobody knows her name except for her teachers, she does not fit in the group of other classmates and so on. This shows how Anxiety was trying to prevent uncomfortable circumstances by preparing for the future in advance.

Extent to Which Riley’s Anxiety Affected Her     

In order to prevent future adversities, Riley’s Anxiety made her leave her best friends on their own and go to make new friends in the high school.

Riley is seen hanging out with them, joining her new friends’ team and even getting her hair dyed like her new friends to fit in. Moreover, she broke her promise of staying together with her best friends, one of her core beliefs. This shows the extent to which anxiety can affect the individual.

Once Anxiety was done ensuring Riley makes new friends for her high school, he begins to analyze the situation of game. Anxiety wanted to make sure Riley is on the team and the coach has positive opinion about her.

However, he could not know about her coach’s opinion without accessing the diary in which the coach wrote everything.

This increased Riley’s anxiety and she started to experience intense symptoms. She felt restless, excessively worried, irritable, and could not sleep, all of which are the symptoms of anxiety (Felman& Browne, 2018).

Anxiety made Riley sneak into her coach’s office and steal her diary. She read what her coach wrote about her and Riley got quite uncomfortable after reading that which made her practice even more.

During the match, she could not concentrate and played so harshly that she hit one of her best friends. The lack of concentration is another symptoms of anxiety (Felman& Browne, 2018). Riley was so disturbed and started doubting her worth. She could remember all negative things about her. This is where Anxiety loses control and Riley gets a panic attack.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM) explains panic attack as a sudden, strong feeling of fear or discomfort that is over in minutes.

A panic attack is marked by four or more of a certain set of physical signs. Among these symptoms are palpitations (a racing or pounding heart), sweating, trembling, or shaking, shortness of breath or suffocating feelings, choking feelings, chest pain or discomfort, nausea or stomach problems, feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint, chills or heat sensations, derealization (a feeling of not being in reality) or depersonalization (a feeling of being separate from oneself), fear of losing control or “going crazy,” and fear of dying (Cackovic et al., 2023).

Riley is seen to experience majority of these symptoms. While everything blurs in front of Riley, Anxiety is seem to go crazy and out of control in the headquarters of her mind. He loses control and fails to find any way to get out of the unpleasant situation.

Finally Joy is successful in bringing Anxiety out of the situation and seeing Riley’s condition, which still did not get better, he apologizes.

Anxiety says, “I’m sorry I was just trying to protect her but you are right, we don’t get to choose who Riley is.” This makes her realize, it is not Anxiety’s fault alone, they were all trying to control Riley in one way or the other which way making Riley what she was not. Nevertheless, Riley only got better when all her emotions hugged her and she was allowed to feel each one of them equally.

Is Anxiety’s Behavior Justifiable?

As far as Anxiety’s behavior is concerned, he was just trying to protect her. However, in doing so, he disregarded the need of other emotions in Riley’s life and took the whole situation in his control which just made the situation worse and things began to get off his hands to the extent that Riley got a panic attack.

Anxiety makes Riley modify her feelings to elicit favorable responses from people and adheres to social norms, which exacerbates her anxiety. This is acceptable to a certain extent as Anxiety was trying to protect her from unpleasant future circumstances.

However, keeping Riley’s old emotions away from her was a wrong move. Anxiety must have not done that. Regardless of this, as he said, he was just trying to protect Riley. Despite everything, the other emotions including Joy understood Anxiety and made him understand that certain things are not in Riley’s control and she must not worry about them, rather she should worry and prepare about things that are in her control. This is one way anxiety can be dealt in a positive way. Joy was empathetic enough to understand Anxiety’s perspective and help him do his work but in a better way.

This empathetic behavior is not only exhibited by Joy and other emotions but also Riley’s best friends who forgave her after all she did with them once Riley told them the main reason for her to do that all (her friends were going to a different high school and she did not feel good about it), and Val, her new friend. When people genuinely feel and comprehend what another person is going through, they are more inclined to provide consolation, support, or help. Maintaining and fostering connections in both the personal and professional spheres requires this kind reaction. Riley experiences ups and downs, but everyone around her, including those she tries to impress, shows empathy for her. One such person is Val, who at the same time gives her comfort and causes concern.Val treats Riley gently, consoles her, praises her, and shows her affection despite her uncomfortable and eccentric conduct. All she wants is for Riley to be herself and not live up to the hidden and explicit expectations.

So, Anxiety’s behavior is justifiable although he took some extreme steps (like keeping Riley’s old emotions away from her and taking full control over everything) which he should not have, however, understanding Anxiety’s perspective is also important as he was just doing it to protect Riley.

Conclusion    

Similar to feelings of anger or embarrassment, anxiety is a natural emotional spectrum. Anxiety rarely lasts and usually goes away on its own in teens. However, for other youngsters, it either doesn’t go away or is so severe that it prevents them from going about their daily lives. It’s also critical to keep in mind that anxiety among teens isn’t inherently harmful. Teens who experience anxiety are more likely to think critically about their circumstances, which helps keep them safe. It may also inspire people to strive for excellence. Additionally, it can assist students in preparing for difficult circumstances like public speaking or athletic contests. Anxiety is not always bad, but one needs to be able to control it and prevent it from superseding everything before it is too late and things go out of hands.

Inside Out serves as a poignant and imaginative depiction of Riley’s inner thoughts, showing us that, despite the difficulties we face, a sense of safety and belonging can be fostered by acknowledging and accepting our feelings and placing a high value on wholesome connections.

References

  • American Psychological Association (2024). Anxiety. Available at: https://www.apa.org/topics/anxiety/
  • Cackovic, C., Nazir, S., Marwaha, R. (2023). Panic Disorder. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK430973/
  • Felman, A., & Browne, D. (2018). What to know about anxiety. Medical News Today. Available at: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323454#what-is-anxiety