Five Movies with Mental Illness Representation

Even though many people just view them as a source of entertainment, films about mental health can also shed light on a very significant topic that influences a very large part of the overall population.

The public’s perception as well as acceptance of mental health problems has essentially come a very long in the past few decades. We are saying this because several people in the United States fight with some kind of mental illness every year.

Yes, advances in diligently treating several conditions have greatly helped individuals seek treatment, Hollywood’s huge role in making films regarding mental illness has also assisted in raising awareness. It has been reported that about one in five adults in the US struggle with a mental health problem every year, and sadly suicide is the second major cause of death particularly among individuals aged 15 to 35.

For people living with these kinds of health problems, watching movies about mental health problems can actually show them that they are not alone in this battle and that their problems can be fixed. In this article, we have enlisted the five best movies with mental health representation. Watching these films will make you feel better and bring some hope into your life.

Just for your information, you can simply stream these films online, but make sure you have access to a solid internet connection to watch these movies in HD. For this, we recommend attaining a subscription to Cox Internet plans as they enhance your overall streaming experience with panoramic Wi-Fi. If this intrigues you, then you can simply contact Cox en español and sign up for the internet deal that meets your requirements. Now that you are well-prepared to watch all these movies, you can go ahead and explore them in detail.  So grab a mug of coffee and start reading.

1. Silver Linings Playbook

This movie stars everyone’s favorite Bradley Cooper and the very talented Jennifer Lawrence. Cooper plays the role of a mental health patient named Pat Solitano Jr. who was recently discharged from a mental hospital where he was being treated for a mental illness called bipolar disorder.

His precious family delighted to have him back home, becomes highly concerned when Pat begins a deep relationship with Lawrence’s character Tiffany Maxwell, who also has had a strong history of mental health problems. This heart-touching film about bipolar disorder provides a peep into the variety of emotions that are experienced by those living with this illness.

2. Leaving Las Vegas

Leaving Las Vegas is a movie based on a semi-autobiographical book by the famous John O’Brien. The film stars the super talented Nicholas Cage who plays the role of Ben Sanderson. Ben actually is a screenwriter by profession, he decides to shift to Las Vegas and end his life by drinking 24/7. He makes this extremely heartbreaking decision after losing his precious family and getting removed from his favorite workplace.

However, as time passes, Ben falls in love with a prostitute named Sera. The movie shows a very deep connection between drinking and mental illness. You’ll be sad to know that the novelist (O’Brien) eventually killed himself after selling all the rights to this story.

3. The Skeleton Twins

Following several years of hostility, twins Milo and Maggie have a much-unforeseen reunion, especially after a set of sad events. The unexpected situation compels them to question how their lives became so miserable.

For poor Maggie, it implies inspecting why she is so heartbroken in a marriage to a caring husband. For Milo, it essentially means reconnecting with his first love to observe their romance can be rekindled. In time, they learn that living wholeheartedly and accepting one another is the only right way to move forward in life.

4. Little Miss Sunshine

While this movie is about a family who decides to go on a road trip to Southern California so that their young daughter named Olive can participate in a beauty contest, it becomes very evident that the whole family is struggling with mental health problems.

Frank has just attempted to kill himself, Duane has become completely silent, Olive’s grandfather Alan struggles with substance abuse, and in short, the entire family is going through one thing or the other. The storyline of the movie does an amazing job of displaying the diverse problems that a single family actually faces when it comes to mental health.

5. It’s Kind of a Funny Story

This movie revolves around a teenager named Craig who feels that his mental health is not intact so checks himself into a mental hospital. His long battle with clinical depression as well as anxiety forces him to take this decision.

However, as soon as he heads there, he finds out that the youth wing of the hospital is actually under repair and the sixteen-year-old Craig ends up in the adult ward. This movie does an amazing job of representing the mental health ward as a safe haven where individuals are working hard to attain help and are using a sense of humor as a way to lighten their mood.

Wrapping Up

Mental health issues are real. If you feel like your mental health isn’t alright, then talking to a therapist is the best solution. However, if you want to take things slow, then watching movies that represent mental illness is also a great idea. We hope the movies that we have mentioned above will make you realize that you are not alone in this battle.