Lassen Community College M4MH September 2018

1. Movies for
Mental Health
Lassen Community College
Wednesday, September 18, 2018
@artwithimpact
#Movies4MentalHealth

2. Here’s the Plan
• Quick Introduction
• Setting the scene together
• Mental Health
• Stigma
• Watch and discuss films
• Panel of students and resources
#Movies4MentalHealth

3. Brought to you by…
• Monthly short film competition
• Campus workshops
• Global community
• Mental Health Services Act (2004)
• 1% tax on people earning >$1m/year
• 25% to prevention and early intervention
#Movies4MentalHealth

4. Where were you right before
coming to the workshop?
#Movies4MentalHealth

5. Heads Up
• Mental health is personal – YOU are the expert on
your own experience
• Public space – no confidentiality
• It’s okay to feel!
• Films and conversations might be triggering
• Please take care of yourself however you need,
including asking for help
#Movies4MentalHealth

6. Mental Health
#Movies4MentalHealth

7. Mental Health
• Mental illness
• Mental wellness
#Movies4MentalHealth

8. Some movies and tv shows that
show mental illness…
House
Monk
One Flew Over the cuckoos nest
Lie to Me
Cybil
Silver Linings Playbook
Black Box
Winnie the Pooh/Eeyore
Criminal Minds
13 Reasons Why
The Muppets
Psycho
A Beautiful Mind #Movies4MentalHealth

9. Characters with mental illness
are portrayed as…
“Crazy”
Functioning Neurotics
Eccentric
Weirdo
Out of Control
Happy
Humorous
Dysfunctional
Sociopath
Outwardly Depressed
Psychopathic
Dangerous
#Movies4MentalHealth

10. Stigma vs.
Stereotype
#Movies4MentalHealth

11. Stigma
•A judgment or stereotype that is:
• Always negative
• Always untrue
• Can be internalized
#Movies4MentalHealth

12. How does stigma feel?
Negative
Stigma’s been used and exploited
Depressing
Demeaning
Painful
Invisible
Inhibiting
Dehumanizing
Isolating
Pissed off!
Ashamed
Stressed
Clouded #Movies4MentalHealth

13. Blue
By Samuel León
AWI Winner, September 2018
#Movies4MentalHealth

14. Discuss in groups of three…
• What did you think?
• What did you feel?
#Movies4MentalHealth

15. What did you think? What did you feel?
Thoughts
Its hard to handle quitting
because people feel like they
need it
Wanted to see the painting/the
future – wanting a resolution
Beautiful to see the road to
recovery – addiction turned
into a masterpiece
Feelings
Confused – wanted to know
what she was flashing back
from and what triggered her
Sad that she was going through
Haunted by Addiction
Hopeful about changing/healing
pain through creative outlets
Loneliness – she’s alone and
surrounded by hard things
#Movies4MentalHealth

16. How did the filmmaking
techniques help tell the story?
Just her in the hall – showed the isolation
The motions showed her feelings
Presented as chaotic – flashing
Thought this could lead to suicide
Hallucinations showed her fears
Showed power of addiction and how it controls
Use of setting – taking place only in apartment
Dramatic
#Movies4MentalHealth

17. Gladys
By Jessica Jones
AWI Winner, November 2013
#Movies4MentalHealth

18. Discuss in groups of three…
• What did you think?
• What did you feel?
#Movies4MentalHealth

19. What did you think? What did you feel?
Thoughts
Noticed she was questioning
herself
Blurriness reflected how she
felt in hre day to day life
But it came into focus when
she got help
She was wearing black when
she was sad – wore purple
when getting help (symbol of
power)
Investing in yourself is an
investment in community
What was impossible became
a reality
Good that she had friends to
encourage her
Showed how powerful cultural
Feelings
Felt horrible for her –
depression
Overwhelming exhaustion
Felt proud that she took
accountability for her health
and for her child – didn’t let
depression take over
The story was very sad – her
going through it by herself
Some people give up – she
didn’t give up
#Movies4MentalHealth

20. Why don’t people get help?
Fear
Fear of judgement
Too prideful
Lonely
Feel like they can’t be helped
Feel discriminated against
Access/Language
How people are raised/culture
Taboo
What’s wrong with me/Accepting that help is
possible
Fear that things can’t change
I should be able to handle it#Movies4MentalHealth

21. The Gift
By Steve Bastoni
AWI Winner, August 2016
#Movies4MentalHealth

22. What did you think? What did you feel?
Thoughts
We’ve all been there and had
struggles—important to pay it
forward
The importance of acts of
kindness
Kindness went both ways
Found hope!
Sounds less discordant after
hug
In color at the end
Pen saved him!
He seemed shock/relieved
when he was hugged
Struggle connects us – builds
community!
Feelings
Cried
Related – same experience
Endearing – to see someone
help someone help that they
don’t know
#Movies4MentalHealth

23. What can we do?
Reach out
Think positive – believe in yourself
Random acts of kindness
Courage
Self – care : not blaming self/being hard on self,
do things you enjoy so you can have more to
give back
Exercise
Help someone else
Meditation x 2
Yoga
Pray
Volunteer
#Movies4MentalHealth

24. Panel
#Movies4MentalHealth

25. • Samantha McGinley – Lassen Student
• Ronnie Gilbert – Operations Manager,
Sunrays of Hope
• Emily Carrion – Peer Support Specialist,
Aurora Network
• Susan Hawkins – Mental Health Services
Coordinator, Lassen Community College
• Miriam Kapphahn – Behavioral Health
Meet the Panel
#Movies4MentalHealth

26. Stay in touch!
Don’t forget to leave your name
and email on the sign-up sheet!
@artwithimpact
info@artwithimpact.org
#Movies4MentalHealth