This document discusses psychological conditions portrayed in the TV show Shameless through various characters. It describes alcoholism through Frank Gallagher's character, noting his choice of substances over family. It describes agoraphobia in Sheila Jackson's character, showing her panic attacks outside her home. It describes bipolar disorder in Ian Gallagher's character, highlighting his mood changes and manic episode. It also discusses Monica Gallagher's struggles with drug abuse and bipolar disorder and how it impacted her children. In the end, it expresses how shows like Shameless can help educate people on psychological disorders.

1. BLOCKBUSTER PROJECT:
SHAMELESS
BY : J AYA A L L E N

2. PSYCHOLOGICAL
BASIS

3. ALCOHOLISM
• Description: A pattern of alcohol use that involved
problems controlling your drinking, being
preoccupied with alcohol, continuing to use alcohol
even when it causes problems, and having
withdrawal symptoms when you rapidly decrease or
stop consuming alcohol.
• Symptoms: Unable to limit the limit amount of
alcohol you drink, wanting to cut down how much
you drink, but aren't successful, spending a lot of
time drinking and spending more money than
usually on alcohol.
• Causes: Genes, environment, psychology, such as
being impulsive or having low self-esteem.

4. AGORAPHOBIA
• Description: Fear of places and situations that
might cause panic, helplessness, or
embarrassment.
• Symptoms: Fear and avoidance of places and
situations that might cause feelings of panic,
entrapment, helplessness, or embarrassment.
• Psychological: Fear, depression, or severe anxiety
• Mood: Apprehension or panic attack
• Treatment: Talk therapy and medication.
• Medications: Antidepressants, Certain
antidepressants called selective serotonin
reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), such as fluoxetine
(Prozac) and sertraline (Zoloft) can help decrease
panic attacks but may not take away completely.

5. BIPOLAR DISORDER
• Description: A disorder associated with episodes of mood
swings ranging from depressive lows to manic highs.
• Mood: Mood swings, sadness, elevated mood, anger, and
anxiety.
• Behavioral: Irritability, risk taking behaviors, disorganized
behavior, aggression, agitation, crying, and excess desire for
sex.
• Cognitive: Unwanted thoughts, delusion, lack of
concentration, racing thoughts, slowness in activity, or false
belief of superiority.
• Psychological: depression, manic episode, agitated
depression, or paranoia.

6. DRUG ABUSE
• Description: The habitual taking of addictive or illegal
drugs.
• Symptoms: Bloodshot or glazed eyes, dilated or
constricted pupils, abrupt weight changes, bruises,
infections, or other physical signs at the drug’s entrance
site on the body.
• Treatments: behavioral counseling, medication, medical
devices and applications used to treat withdrawal
symptoms or deliver skills training, evaluation and
treatment for co-occurring mental health issues such as
depression and anxiety, and long-term follow-up to
prevent relapse.

7. MEDIA AND
CONNECTIONS

8. ALCOHOLISM: FRANK
GALLAGHER
https://youtu.be/g5dXCHTFct0
Frank Gallagher is one of the main characters in the
hit tv show, Shameless. In the video link above, it
shows you that frank suffers from severe alcoholism
and drug abuse. Throughout the series, frank
undergoes challenges in life, when he has to choice
between his family, or drugs and alcohol. Every time
has made the choice, he always choices the alcohol
and drugs.

9. AGORAPHOBIA: SHEILA
JACKSON
• https://youtu.be/7VByc6iAxDI
Sheila Jackson in Shameless that is a character that
changes a great amount throughout the series. Sheila
suffers from agoraphobia, which causes her to have
many panic attacks about going outside or in places
she not similar with. While watching the series you can
see that Sheila barely opens the door when answering
for guests, will not go grocery shopping for her family,
doesn’t work, and it takes an incredible toll on the
relationship between her and her husband, as well as
her and her daughter.

10. BIPOLAR
DISORDER:
IAN
GALLAGHER
• https://youtu.be/m2Aa6wkSgyw
Ian Gallagher is Frank Gallagher's son. Ian struggles with
bipolar disorder. In the first few season of the series, his
bipolar was very mild, as if you weren’t even able to tell he has
this disorder. As the series progressed, Ian’s mood had
changes tremendously. There is an episode in the series when
Ian’s bipolar had gotten the best of him. Ian had stolen his
boyfriends baby. Ian thought nothing was wrong with what he
had done. Ian ended up in a phycological facility with many
other teens and young adults to cure and monitor his illness.

11. DRUG ABUSE & BIPOLAR:
MONICA GALLAGHER
• https://youtu.be/fs9bJ4hfpHs
Monica Gallagher is the mother of Fiona, Ian, Lip and
Debbie, and Liam. Monica has been in and out of all
of the children's lives. Fiona has raised all of the
children since they were babies because Monica was
so hard into drugs and alcohol. Monica suffers from
bipolar as well. Ian had the gene for bipolar disorder
from his mother. Ian blames his struggles on his
mother and will never forgive her, as much and
Monica wanted to be in their lives. Later in the series,
Monica cuts her wrists and dies in the hospital.

12. MY THOUGHTS
• I think that Shameless is a television show that gives
great examples of psychological conditions and
behaviors. Having more shows like this one can help
educate people on certain disorders and ways to
help a person that is suffering or needing help.
Creating connections between real life and tv shows
with characters that suffer from certain
psychological conditions is a great way to become
more knowledgeable about the effects they have on
a person and others around that person.

13. WORKS CITED
• “Agoraphobia.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 18
Nov. 2017, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/agoraphobia/symptoms-
causes/syc-20355987.
• “Alcoholism and Alcohol Abuse.” MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 23
Apr. 2018, medlineplus.gov/alcoholismandalcoholabuse.html.
• “Bipolar Disorder.” National Institute of Mental Health, U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services, www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder/index.shtml.
• National Institute on Drug Abuse. “National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).” NIDA,
www.drugabuse.gov/.