The misrepresentation of psychiatrists in cinema

[B-Rad]

As a senior psychology student who will be graduating in a couple of weeks, and then entering a Ph.D program in psychology, while simultaneously entering the same University's school of medicine to study psychiatry, I must vent my discontent over the representation of us psychiatrists in movies.

We're not all pretentious pencil pushers who take your money while going "um mhhmmmm... yes, oh yes, the type of bib you wore as a child would have a great influence over your attitude today" or other inane nonsense. We're members of a real, dignified profession, damnit!

I mean really, firetrucks may put out fires but do cop cars HAVE to put out your manchild?

[X-Nightcrawler]

As a senior psychology student who will be graduating in a couple of weeks, and then entering a Ph.D program in psychology, while simultaneously entering the same University's school of medicine to study psychiatry, I must vent my discontent over the representation of us psychiatrists in movies. Someone give this man a medal stat.

Don't worry, though, some movies treat psychologists with respect. Who didn't love Billy Crystal in "Analyze This", seriously?

[outsyder]

I've watched enough Frasier to know what you guys are really like.

[Lindsey]

I always got a kick out of Richard Jenkins's small role as the shrink in There's Something About Mary.

[The Postmaster General]

I want to see a movie where the psychiatrist just comes in and asks if the character is having side-effects, then says, "Oh good, well just keep everything the same. Gladys will have your prescriptions waiting at the front desk. I'll see you in 6 months."

[Tweek]

I do agree that there are movies that don't get it about psychiatrists... But there are a lot that misrepresent the mentally ill in general as well. Schizophrenia doesn't equal Multiple Personality Disorder... Bipolar Disorder doesn't equal Schizophrenia... And mental illness isn't equal being quick to violence.


:mad:





I always got a kick out of Richard Jenkins's small role as the shrink in There's Something About Mary.

Ha! Yes! But the man is just awesome.

[The Postmaster General]

While not cinema, I think Monk's therapist does a good job.

Damn, I just remembered that the actor passed. :(

[Scarfather]

Maybe the most inconsequential rant ever.

[B-Rad]

Maybe the most inconsequential rant ever.


Unfounded superlative statements, coupled with general abrasiveness and near universal hyperbolic contributions to meaningful discussion (from what I've seen, anyway)... all point to a startlingly large inferiority complex, and a possible premature fear of death? Of course, I can't analyze you perfectly well over an internet forum, but I've been told by more than one expert that I have a knack for psychological analysis, and your contributions are just such textbook symptoms of the problems I've described.

May want to see a shrink... they're not as bad as in the movies, honest.

Maybe you could be a patient in my internship this summer, if you're by chance in the California Bay Area? It'll be free. :)

[Shinigami]

I can't tell if you're being satirical with that post b-rad (did you know that intelligence and douchebagery are actually pretty interchangeable on the internet?), but otherwise you just took irony to the cleaners. Don't feed the hollywood stereotype in a thread complaining about the hollywood stereotype. That's just totally counter-productive.

Edit: staying on topic, psychiatrists don't have the public opinion of cops and doctors right now, so you guys are stuck being villains for awhile. But you will be the pop culture fad one day, god willing. Then you'll get your House and zany Scrubs comedy.

[The Postmaster General]

Well, we've had Bob Newhart and Frasier Crane.

[solidstealth]

i think one of the better representations of psychology is b.d. wong's character on law and order svu...

tweek is correct too... the mentally ill do not get a fair shake as well

[Shinigami]

I psh' all over that. Crane is a balding, wealthy, elitist square. I want to see some sexy, dashing Grey's Anatomy psychiatrist helping poor orphans get in touch with their abandonment issues. I want to see a hip television show about an empowered Ally McBeal shrink, okay. All the guys are trying to get with her, but because she is so in touch with the human psyche, she can see right through their smooth moves and insinuating advances. And her constant rejection actually starts causing legitimate complexes in these guys, so she decides to help them out! It will be a little off the wall, maybe, but with genuine heart. We'll call it Empowered Allc McBeal Shrink.

[The Postmaster General]

Now I got what you're saying. You know what though, that got me to thinking and there have been a fair share of competent, dedicated and totally smokin' psychiatrists. Kidman in Batman Forever, The Departed, Twelve Monkeys, The Cell, Prince of Tides... kidding there. Okay, well I can only think of a few.

Some other good examples of psychiatry/therapy in films would be Good Will Hunting, and Don Juan Demarco,

[Skittle_boy15]

Dr. Melphi in the Sopranos does a decent job with Tony, as hard as it can be dealing with him and his attempts at finding his feelings. However, when Melphi visits her own psychiatrist it gets to be a bit much...kinda like when you put two mirrors across from each other or put the microphone up to the speaker.

[X-Nightcrawler]

Unfounded superlative statements, coupled with general abrasiveness and near universal hyperbolic contributions to meaningful discussion (from what I've seen, anyway)... all point to a startlingly large inferiority complex, and a possible premature fear of death? Of course, I can't analyze you perfectly well over an internet forum, but I've been told by more than one expert that I have a knack for psychological analysis, and your contributions are just such textbook symptoms of the problems I've described.


http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/1/C/clinton_laughing.jpg

[Preston_79]

This rant was designed to stroke your own ego. That's my analysis.

[Scarfather]

Unfounded superlative statements, coupled with general abrasiveness and near universal hyperbolic contributions to meaningful discussion (from what I've seen, anyway)... all point to a startlingly large inferiority complex, and a possible premature fear of death? Of course, I can't analyze you perfectly well over an internet forum, but I've been told by more than one expert that I have a knack for psychological analysis, and your contributions are just such textbook symptoms of the problems I've described.

May want to see a shrink... they're not as bad as in the movies, honest.

Maybe you could be a patient in my internship this summer, if you're by chance in the California Bay Area? It'll be free. :)

Someone's got a thesaurus! Good for you.

[Lindsey]

Awwww! Come on now guys! This is the Rant section after all!

[X-Nightcrawler]

Yep. Everything said here is inconsequential.

Same as the Celeb forum.
*looks at Lindsey*
. . . I mean, like everything except the Celeb forum.

[bigred760]

Maybe if you provided some examples of movies that piss you off.

I thought the shrinks in T2: Judgment Day, Psycho and Die Hard with A Vengeance were pretty good.

[Skittle_boy15]

Yeah seriously, are you watching some crappy Lifetime movie or what? If you want a profession that really gets raped in movie realism try anything with computers. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO fake when you know anything about how a computer works. For instance, Hackers, die hard 4, anything where they don't use a regular Operating System and instead use some amazingly graphical fake POS that will probably never exist. And of course almost anyone in a movie who knows anything about a computer is a nerd stereotype of some sort and is wearing a LARP costume while doing it.

[yorrick brown]

i liked thomas janes character from dreamcatcher.

when hes talking to the fat guy and then what thomas jane does afterwards

[Brendan M.]

The psychiatrist in Infernal Affairs was pretty hot.

[Lindsey]

You can't forget about Dr. Melfi now!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v67/Bikini_Babe06/melfi.jpg

[The Postmaster General]

http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/1/C/clinton_laughing.jpg

Former President William Jefferson Clinton watching "2 Girls 1 Cup".

[Criminal Rock]

My landlady vomited after I showed her that video...

[yorrick brown]

http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii320/roxygrl19/LMM/Dr_Katz_logo.png

[poopontheshoes7]

Unfounded superlative statements, coupled with general abrasiveness and near universal hyperbolic contributions to meaningful discussion (from what I've seen, anyway)... all point to a startlingly large inferiority complex, and a possible premature fear of death? Of course, I can't analyze you perfectly well over an internet forum, but I've been told by more than one expert that I have a knack for psychological analysis, and your contributions are just such textbook symptoms of the problems I've described.

May want to see a shrink... they're not as bad as in the movies, honest.


That made me laugh my ass off.:D

[Juliet Bravo]

never mind

[Preston_79]

I like the shrink in Grosse Point Blank. Who was that Alan Arkin? Fucking great scenes. Would be sweet to see him in War Inc.

[Lindsey]

never mind

Damn I hate when people edit their posts! :p

I'd love to know what peoples first thought was, before that edit button kicked in!

[Juliet Bravo]

Damn I hate when people edit their posts! :p

I'd love to know what peoples first thought was, before that edit button kicked in!
I'd be more than happy to tell you via PM. :D

[Lindsey]

I'd be more than happy to tell you via PM. :D

Alrighty Bravo, I'm all ears!

I'll be looking forward to that PM. Hehehe...

[Juliet Bravo]

Alrighty Bravo, I'm all ears!

I'll be looking forward to that PM. Hehehe...
Aw, honey. I just tried to PM but apparently your *box* is already full.;) Let me know when you cleared it up. I saved your note.:)

[B-Rad]

Someone's got a thesaurus! Good for you.

If you think any of the words I used in my post would necessitate a thesaurus... then perhaps it's your intellectual ability (or lack thereof) that's the source of your problems.

[Tweek]

I think we should all take some deep breaths... Imagine all of the thoughts that go through your head are puffy clouds floating by... What shapes would they make? Think about it. :rolleyes: (Obligatory apology to Lindsey.)

[The Postmaster General]

If you think any of the words I used in my post would necessitate a thesaurus... then perhaps it's your intellectual ability (or lack thereof) that's the source of your problems.

I think he was referring more to how that post compared to your initial post.

[bigred760]

I think we should all take some deep breaths... Imagine all of the thoughts that go through your head are puffy clouds floating by... What shapes would they make? Think about it. :rolleyes: (Obligatory apology to Lindsey.)

Well now I'm thinking of Lindsey shaped clouds.

[The Postmaster General]

Well now I'm thinking of Lindsey shaped clouds.

They must be cumulus.

[Tweek]

Getting back on topic somewhat...


I think a lot of mental health professionals have a romanticized version of what it's going to be like to be able to help people and make a difference. But they become disillusioned by the clinical training they'll have to spend working in a facility (length varies) and other bumps along the road. And I hear about psychiatrists prescribing medications to people who don't need them, or the wrong medications to people who are in need because of the money they receive on the side. That sort of thing can ruin the profession's credibility.

The point-of-view a lot of people seem to have is the uncaring, patronizing therapist who will tell you what you want to hear or chalk it up to mere daddy issues while waiting out the clock. And as you do know, that's what has been shown in movies and TV a bit. Kinda sucks, but I'm more sick of the violent nut job character.

[Juliet Bravo]

Violent nut job character as in Hannibal Lecter? He was a rather interesting character, although of course in real life no psycho would ever fall in love. I guess we just have to "check reality at the door" and have fun watching the films. The Silence of the Lambs is one of my all-time favorites, even if Hannibal was quite misrepresented as a psychiatrist/psychopath.:)

About professionals and receiving money to prescribe medications: Yes! While that is true, some of them actually also are only trying to help. Most of them read journals and follow so-called guidelines which are tainted somewhat with bias (think about who funds the drug trials), and unwittingly make things worse for their patients. The very ones they're only trying to help as the Hippocratic oath they swore in to dictates them to do. It's kind of harsh to use the word sheep, but some of them are really sheep-like. And so true about the romanticized version. Plus most of them love to walk around with their stethoscopes looking all hotshot-y and shit.:D:D

[The Postmaster General]

Sometimes they just have a lot of samples to give out.

[Scarfather]

I think he was referring more to how that post compared to your initial post.

The most telling thing here is that when presented with a detracting opinion about his "rant" Mr. Premier Psychologist apparently thought that the best way to deal with the situation was to make a hilarious ass out of himself.

I've never known anyone who claims to be apt at applied psychology, nor anything, and then seemingly gos out of their way to prove otherwise.

*ducks and covers in wake of Lindsey's wrath, run away run away*

[Badbird]

Well, movies always get amnesia wrong.

Losing your memory of a brief moment of time: Amnesia.

Losing your identity and forgetting your entire life: not Amnesia.

I believe that type of phenomenon is called Fugue (rhymes with "cube"), but it's never as severe as Jason Borne type conditions, I don't believe.

[Preston_79]

Psycho babbling strangers without the proper credentials gives psych majors a bad name. Maybe that's why there are so many negative stereotypes?

[Tweek]

Violent nut job character as in Hannibal Lecter? He was a rather interesting character, although of course in real life no psycho would ever fall in love. I guess we just have to "check reality at the door" and have fun watching the films. The Silence of the Lambs is one of my all-time favorites, even if Hannibal was quite misrepresented as a psychiatrist/psychopath.:)



When I said "violent nut job character" I wasn't referring to simply the likes of Hannibal Lector... Not a psychiartist/psychopath sort. Sorry if I wasn't clear.

[Preston_79]

I like the scene in Austin Powers when Carrie Fisher asks Dr. Evil about himself.

[Tweek]

I like the scene in Austin Powers when Carrie Fisher asks Dr. Evil about himself.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=I2qLa51KPtg


and later:


SCOTT: We were doing so good in group
DR. EVIL: I had the group liquidated you little shit. They were insolent.



Yeah I like that scene.;)

[yorrick brown]

This is funny,

as a psychiatrist,you`ll be dealing with all types off peoples problems,cutting themselves and all types of mental illness etc etc and your getting pissed off that they psychiatrist are been misprepesent in movies?.

who gives a fuck,you don`t see police officers pissing and moaning about the way they are presented in films.

ok mr psychiatrist i`ve got a question for you.just to make sure you are what you say you are.

two abilify in the morning and 4 efexor 150mg as well and at night two anafranil.

who would you give that to and why?.

[X-Nightcrawler]

two abilify in the morning and 4 efexor 150mg as well and at night two anafranil.

who would you give that to and why?.

A crazy person.

You don't need to be a psychiatrist to know that.

Now, while you all laugh at that, I'll try to figure out what the hell yorrick brown just posted.

[yorrick brown]

oh of course x-nightcrawler with a joke,as always :rolleyes:.

[X-Nightcrawler]

Dammit, did I miss the memo again?

Oh, wait. Wait! Here we go:

:rolleyes:

Bam! My post has been officially spiced up with attitude! *majestic exit*

[yorrick brown]

dude, you need a new gimmick :p.

[X-Nightcrawler]

And you need your PMS to go away, why the hell are you being thus snippy?

. . . :p;)

[Bitchy Bob]

And you need your PMS to go away, why the hell are you being thus snippy?

. . . :p;)

she just wants to know why the doctor is making her take that much lol.

Anyway getting this train back on the tracks.B-rad ,i wouldn`t lose sleep over it.All jobs are mispresented in the movies .

[The Postmaster General]

All except filmmakers.

[jolanar]

Yeah seriously, are you watching some crappy Lifetime movie or what? If you want a profession that really gets raped in movie realism try anything with computers. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO fake when you know anything about how a computer works. For instance, Hackers, die hard 4, anything where they don't use a regular Operating System and instead use some amazingly graphical fake POS that will probably never exist. And of course almost anyone in a movie who knows anything about a computer is a nerd stereotype of some sort and is wearing a LARP costume while doing it.


Hahaha yah. I love it when some nerdy teenager walks up to a computer types on the keyboard for about 15 seconds and then says "I'm In!" and all of sudden has access to every top secret government files. Always find that hilarious.

[X-Nightcrawler]

Hahaha yah. I love it when some nerdy teenager walks up to a computer types on the keyboard for about 15 seconds and then says "I'm In!" and all of sudden has access to every top secret government files. Always find that hilarious.

And there's always a legend:

"ACCESS GRANTED"

But not before a couple of mandatory "ACCESS DENIED"

[RicochetShaw]

Unfounded superlative statements, coupled with general abrasiveness and near universal hyperbolic contributions to meaningful discussion (from what I've seen, anyway)... all point to a startlingly large inferiority complex, and a possible premature fear of death? Of course, I can't analyze you perfectly well over an internet forum, but I've been told by more than one expert that I have a knack for psychological analysis, and your contributions are just such textbook symptoms of the problems I've described.

May want to see a shrink... they're not as bad as in the movies, honest.

Maybe you could be a patient in my internship this summer, if you're by chance in the California Bay Area? It'll be free. :)

Someone's got a thesaurus! Good for you.

If you think any of the words I used in my post would necessitate a thesaurus... then perhaps it's your intellectual ability (or lack thereof) that's the source of your problems.








Daaaaaaaamn.

Game, Set, and Match.

[The Postmaster General]

And there's always a legend:

"ACCESS GRANTED"

But not before a couple of mandatory "ACCESS DENIED"

Not to mention that eventual right password is always painfully obvious...

"Wait... try the name of his son whose death drove him to criminal madness and to build this supercomputer that's controlling the doomsday weapon....... It works! I'm in!"

[Juliet Bravo]

This is funny,

as a psychiatrist,you`ll be dealing with all types off peoples problems,cutting themselves and all types of mental illness etc etc and your getting pissed off that they psychiatrist are been misprepesent in movies?.

who gives a fuck,you don`t see police officers pissing and moaning about the way they are presented in films.

ok mr psychiatrist i`ve got a question for you.just to make sure you are what you say you are.

two abilify in the morning and 4 efexor 150mg as well and at night two anafranil.

who would you give that to and why?.
He's a psychologist. He has to wait around 7-8 more years before he can prescribe those drugs. By that time, Abilify, Effexor and Anafranil would've probably all gone obsolete.:D

[Juliet Bravo]

When I said "violent nut job character" I wasn't referring to simply the likes of Hannibal Lector... Not a psychiartist/psychopath sort. Sorry if I wasn't clear.
Ah, my bad. Anywho, violent nut job types are always freaky.;)

[Skittle_boy15]

He's a psychologist. He has to wait around 7-8 more years before he can prescribe those drugs. By that time, Abilify, Effexor and Anafranil would've probably all gone obsolete.:D

Lets not get ahead of ourselves...he's a undergrad psych student who doesn't even have his bachelor's degree yet. Not only should he not know what doses of meds would be prescribed, he also should probably dial-down the psychobabble a bit in a forum about movies.