[lazyjane]

I'd delete this post but I can't

[Kat1966]

Ruth in Doctors has a excellent long running storyline about her BPD.

Also in Doctors, Jimmi has OCD.

Both storylines are ongoing and have been/are handled sensitively, but as Doctors is not one of the "big three"soaps, it is barely noticed.

[Deschanel]

Originally Posted by SheepSheepBa

Hello!
Do you think soaps offer a realistic representation or not? I'm trying to find one soap that does and one that doesn't. I'm probably going to say that Eastenders does and Neighbours doesn't, would you agree with this?

No, I do not agree.

Both soaps have handled mental health in good and bad ways. A positive for both shows have been the representation of bipolar - Eastenders' Stacey & Neighbours' Sam. You also have to factor in outside issues, like classification, as Neighbours is a 'G' rated show in Oz, meaning they have very strict guidelines to follow. During Ringo's anorexia storyline, they couldn't show the psychical affects to his skin, so the focus was on the non-eating/excessive exercise. The same for when Carmella got burnt, and all they could show was the mark to her cheek, instead of half her face, which is what it should have been.

[jodiemg :)]

Claire in Coronation Street
She had Postnatal Depression
That would count as a mental illness would it not?

[StarryNight]

Speaking as someone who has a close family member with severe schizophrenia, i've found most representations of it on soap operas extremely poor and inaccurate, often I find the story's are counter productive, reinforcing the myth that schizophrenics have split personalitys and are violent, rather than educating the audience to a truer representation.

A prime example of this would be Newt in HO, while it is true that the scripts have stated many times Eli (who is Newt's imaginary friend) is not a split personality, some of HO's unique choice of storytelling may have lead many people to believe he is. Also there was a scene a few weeks ago, where he did indeed seem to turn into Eli, they even had the actor who plays him - playing Newt. If that is not going to lead some people to believe him to be a split personality then I dont know what is.

Soaps and their actors often lend themselves to over dramatics and sensationalism. I often find when watching someone portray a mentally ill person they are doing it with a mad and deranged glint in their eye as if they are acting crazy, when most of the time the ill person believes themself to be completely sane, they are sincere in their beliefs.

Having said that there have been many fine perfomances by actors and of course it is true that people get a bit crazy now and then and drama comences.

Some great examples have been. Jake in Hollyoaks and Hannah's anorexia. Stacey Slater and Joe Wicks in eastenders.

[Scarno]

Joe Wickes in EastEnders was suffering from mental illness and made a tin foil hat for protection. was ages ago, but it sticks in my mind.

[TwirlGirl]

Lisa Hunter, Hollyoaks- self harm

[Mandy_Rosie]

Claire on Corrie had post-natal depression.

Lisa on Hollyoaks self-harmed, and then as soon as she stopped her scars magically disappeared

[Loz_Fraggle]

Originally Posted by StarryNight

Speaking as someone who has a close family member with severe schizophrenia, i've found most representations of it on soap operas extremely poor and inaccurate, often I find the story's are counter productive, reinforcing the myth that schizophrenics have split personalitys and are violent, rather than educating the audience to a truer representation.

A prime example of this would be Newt in HO, while it is true that the scripts have stated many times Eli (who is Newt's imaginary friend) is not a split personality, some of HO's unique choice of storytelling may have lead many people to believe he is. Also there was a scene a few weeks ago, where he did indeed seem to turn into Eli, they even had the actor who plays him - playing Newt. If that is not going to lead some people to believe him to be a split personality then I dont know what is.

Soaps and their actors often lend themselves to over dramatics and sensationalism. I often find when watching someone portray a mentally ill person they are doing it with a mad and deranged glint in their eye as if they are acting crazy, when most of the time the ill person believes themself to be completely sane, they are sincere in their beliefs.

Having said that there have been many fine perfomances by actors and of course it is true that people get a bit crazy now and then and drama comences.

Some great examples have been. Jake in Hollyoaks and Hannah's anorexia. Stacey Slater and Joe Wicks in eastenders.

I agree, the distinction between Eli being a visual hallucination (which I believe is supposed to be) and not some part of Newt's personality hasn't been made really clear enough, I think even an interview on DS, he was referred to something else other than an hallucination. Which I think adds to the confusion about schizophrenia.

[UltraViolet]

Zeke in Neighbours (OCD)

Use this as an example for a rubbish way a soap dealt with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, if they were going for OCD it was rubbish the way they treated it and magically Zeke is more or less fine now...

[misspeg]

Originally Posted by UltraViolet

Use this as an example for a rubbish way a soap dealt with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, if they were going for OCD it was rubbish the way they treated it and magically Zeke is more or less fine now...

To be honest I don't think it was OCD, more post traumatic stress that came out as obsessive behaviour. Going back to the river, facing what was keeping him from moving on with his life benefited him.

[SheepSheepBa]

Originally Posted by Kat1966

Ruth in Doctors has a excellent long running storyline about her BPD.

Also in Doctors, Jimmi has OCD.

Both storylines are ongoing and have been/are handled sensitively, but as Doctors is not one of the "big three"soaps, it is barely noticed.

How could I have forgotten to mention that? I love those storylines! Ruth's BPD storyline is excellent, one of the best in soap this year.

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone, I'm glad that there's so many options for my project.

[essexpete]

sindi in neighbours

[ABCZYX]

Home and Away has had several.

Ailsa Stewart had a few. She had post-natal depression after giving birth to Duncan and nearly smothered him with a pillow.
Also, after a burglary at the diner, she had a mental breakdown and memorably saw Bobby come out of the fridge.

Shannon Reed had anorexia.

Matilda Hunter had bulimia as well as depression.

Joey Rainbow had schizophrenia.

Marilyn Fisher had post-natal depression.

Not sure if this counts, but when Irene had that poisoning storyline a few years ago, she saw Chloe in her house who had died a couple of months earlier.

[ValLambert]

Ruth in River City too.

[UltraViolet]

To be honest I don't think it was OCD, more post traumatic stress that came out as obsessive behaviour. Going back to the river, facing what was keeping him from moving on with his life benefited him.

Yeah, I said 'if they were going for OCD', but unfortunately I think most would automatically think it is indeed OCD, I really wish they would say what someone's condition is in Neighbours(all Karl said was some anxiety disorder), they usually don't use the actual name for some reason.