Homeland's depiction of mental illness has been a step forward for TV

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/may/07/homeland-mental-illness-bipolar-tv

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While there is a lively debate about precisely how well Homeland handled the subject of bipolar disorder, for me, the simple fact that the leading character had a mental illness at all represents a real step forward. Overall the portrayal of the illness is a vast improvement on much of what's gone before, although, let's face it, up until now the bar has been set pretty low.

While the representation of other marginalised and misunderstood groups in popular culture has improved greatly, the picture of people with mental health problems is still lagging far behind.

More often than not, you'll find the character with a serious mental illness on the fringes of the drama. They're the sinister baddie waiting in the shadows, the "crazy" homeless man shouting on the street or the loser friend whose life is a mess. Set against this backdrop, the writers of Homeland didn't have to do a whole lot to do to improve things; the mere fact that Danes' character Carrie is attractive, highly intelligent and holds down an incredibly demanding job, is refreshing.

Until the final episodes, in which a trauma triggers a manic episode, she does what thousands of people in the UK with a mental illness do every day. She manages her condition, she goes to work and she generally gets on with her life. Her illness is part of who she is, but it does not define her.

Carrie is a sympathetic character; the audience are on her side, seeing things from her perspective, which is crucial. She is never shown as threatening, which sadly is exceptional. Despite the fact that violence is not a symptom of mental illness, scriptwriters often can't seem to resist taking the opportunity to throw a bit of violence into any storyline involving it.

Which is not to say everything is perfect. As a drama, it is by definition a heightened version of reality. And this artistic license is stretched almost to breaking point when Carrie, who had previously been shown to respond well to medication, is inexplicably given electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in the final episode. In reality, ECT is only used when all other treatments have failed. She is however, very much framed as being in control of her own treatment, which can only be a good thing.

The show also comes close to reinforcing the stereotype of the "mad genius". Her illness appears at some points almost like a super power, as if her leftfield view of reality gives her greater insight than all those around her. This is a tricky one. Some people do indeed say their mania can help fuel creativity – but it's important we don't use this to romanticise what can be a terrifying illness. It's worth bearing in mind that for many people, mania is nothing but a distressing experience for them and those who care about them.

A fundamental problem for scriptwriters in terms of getting mental illness right, is its varying nature. Aspects of Carrie's character and behaviour – such as the inference that she struggles to maintain lasting relationships with men and uses casual sex as an escape – will be completely alien to many who have bipolar, but for others, it will strike a chord.

Similarly, the scene in hospital in which Carrie becomes obsessed with the idea that she must have a green pen to write down her ideas will ring true for some, but not for others. Everyone's experience of mental illness is unique, making it impossible for any single character to encapsulate.

It's a shame that the Carrie isn't shown receiving any kind of psychological therapy for her illness. It's very much presented as something which is controlled with medication and ECT alone. Many people find talking therapies and coping techniques like cognitive behavioural therapy really useful. Sadly, Carrie's treatment does reflect the reality for many people in the UK, who are fobbed off with drugs alone, due to the lack of availability of talking therapies.

It's not easy for scriptwriters to get it right, which is why Time to Change, the campaign my organisation Rethink Mental Illness runs in partnership with mental health charity Mind, works behind the scenes with both journalists and scriptwriters to help them ensure people with mental illness are represented as fairly and accurately as possible.

While Homeland is by no means a perfect portrayal of bipolar disorder, the power of what the show has done, simply by creating a central character who is not defined by her illness, should not be underestimated.

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