Mental illness in soap operas - Soaps

SheepSheepBa · 04-11-2009, 21:29

Hello!

I'm doing a project in school about the representations of mental health in soap operas and I was wondering if you knew of any other case studies I could consider?

So far I've thought of:

Stacey Slater in Eastenders (bipolar)
Zeke in Neighbours (OCD)
Joe Wicks (I think!) in Eastenders (schizophrenia)
Hannah in Hollyoaks (anorexia)
There's someone in Neighbours who had bipolar but I can't remember her name.

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?

Thank you!

AlpineRidge · 04-11-2009, 21:31

Newt in Hollyoaks had a big storyline only a week or two ago with his schizophrenia, where he fell in love with a figment of his imagination and she convinced him to attempt to kill himself.

samj_namesake · 04-11-2009, 21:40

Debbie Martin (Neighbours) suffered from Bulimia

This was back when I watched it in the mid 90's

SheepSheepBa · 04-11-2009, 22:04

Thanks! I'd never heard of those. I don't watch Hollyoaks and I can't remember Neighbours from the 90s, so they're new to me

Thank you!

Smeddlesboy · 04-11-2009, 22:04

Cameron in Hollyoaks had OCD

Kym in EastEnders had sudden-onset-sudden-dsiappear bulimia in the mid to late 90s and so did some long-forgotten teenage girl in Emmerdale whose name I can't remember

Smeddlesboy · 04-11-2009, 22:06

And whilst you mention Stacey as bipolar, I think Jean Slater also deserves an explicit mention too for bipolar!

Reo · 04-11-2009, 22:43

Zeke also has a anxiety problem, it was shown by his fear of a man claiming to be Donna's father finding her and hurting her, Zeke imagining losing control of the pram with India in it (twice), his over reaction to Sunny and the high heels and his fear that she could fall and hurt himself.

Flamethrower100 · 04-11-2009, 22:44

Jake in Hollyoaks. Apperently he has a mental dissorder. Although I couldn't name it. I guess it was control freak dissorder.

Sorry, but what was it that was supposed to be wrong with him?

If people get special treatment, for doing crazy things, then all people who have done wrong would be on medication, not in prison.

He tryed to rape someone and then went on to try and kill a baby.

He was under severe pressure and he snapped. That goes for all drug users, but still they go to jail.

SheepSheepBa · 04-11-2009, 23:00

I completely forgot about Jean in Eastenders! I didn't watch her storyline so I sort of forget that she's meant to be bipolar.

Thanks for all your suggestions, I never realised there were so many options for my project! This is good news.

LaineyT · 04-11-2009, 23:05

Emily in Coronation Street had a bout of depression a long time ago think it was when Percy Sugden lived with her. She took to wandering off.

And some where in the back of my mind I seem to remember Emily taking somebody baby...this is going back a long long time ago

LaineyT

Just looked her up on Wiki no mention of the baby but here what it says about her breakdown.

n 1992, Emily had a mental breakdown. She couldn't remember appointments, would become confused and her appearance suffered. Lodger Percy Sugden, protecting her good name, would cover up for these very unusual actions. He became increasingly concerned about her behaviour and alerted Emily's friends and neighbours. One day, Emily disappeared from home without a word. When friends and neighbours ignored Percy's call for assistance, he raised the alarm and went to the police who found Emily wandering aimlessly, clearly having suffered a medical depressive breakdown. When Emily had recovered enough to come home from hospital, she told Percy that he was a good friend, and thanked him for all he had done.

avon942 · 04-11-2009, 23:10

did zoe tate from emmerdale not have a mental illness too????

Old Man 43 · 04-11-2009, 23:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flamethrower100

Jake in Hollyoaks. Apperently he has a mental dissorder. Although I couldn't name it. I guess it was control freak dissorder.

Sorry, but what was it that was supposed to be wrong with him?

If people get special treatment, for doing crazy things, then all people who have done wrong would be on medication, not in prison.

He tryed to rape someone and then went on to try and kill a baby.

He was under severe pressure and he snapped. That goes for all drug users, but still they go to jail.

Not necessarily. People who do things while suffering a Mental Breakdown often do not get prosecuted. You cannot hold someone responsible for their actions if they are suffering from a recognised mental problem at the time.

This is only in the case of people who cannot control their actions through no fault of their own.

Drug addicts are different because they chose to take drugs in the first place. Jake did not choose to have a Mental Breakdown.

Also schizophrenics who commit crime after stopping taking their medication will usually get prosecuted. This is because the schizophrenic is considered to have made a conscious decision to stop taking the drugs.

However an undiagnosed schizophrenic who was never given the medication He/She needed will usually not get prosecuted if they commit a crime.

Flamethrower100 · 04-11-2009, 23:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old Man 43

Not necessarily. People who do things while suffering a Mental Breakdown often do not get prosecuted. You cannot hold someone responsible for their actions if they are suffering from a recognised mental problem at the time.

This is only in the case of people who cannot control their actions through no fault of their own.

Drug addicts are different because they chose to take drugs in the first place. Jake did not choose to have a Mental Breakdown.

Also schizophrenics who commit crime after stopping taking their medication will usually get prosecuted. This is because the schizophrenic is considered to have made a conscious decision to stop taking the drugs.

However an undiagnosed schizophrenic who was never given the medication He/She needed will usually not get prosecuted if they commit a crime.

Yeh, ok. But do you honestly believe that people who suffer from mental break downs can't control their actions at all.

Just like peodophiles can't control their actions. They still get locked up, even though they have mental problems.

I don't understand. If he had murdered someone after sufering a mental breakdown, he wouldn't have been given the same treatment.

enero778 · 04-11-2009, 23:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by avon942

did zoe tate from emmerdale not have a mental illness too????

Yes, she had Schizophrenia I think

Old Man 43 · 04-11-2009, 23:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flamethrower100

Yeh, ok. But do you honestly believe that people who suffer from mental break downs can't control their actions at all.

Just like peodophiles can't control their actions. They still get locked up, even though they have mental problems.

I don't understand. If he had murdered someone after sufering a mental breakdown, he wouldn't have been given the same treatment.

A Mental Breakdown is not like paedophilia. Paedophiles know exactly what they are doing but have a compulsion to do what they do. This maybe a form of mental illness but they still have a lot of control over their actions. After all they could go and get help for this compulsion before the act on it.

People who have a Mental Breakdown have completely lost control and are not capable of stopping themselves. Whether they become violent depends on the nature of the breakdown.

Jake has always had a bit of a temper and so this manifested itself as part of his breakdown.

I could easily imagine that Mandy from Hollyoaks could have gone down the violent route as well (She came close when she was lashing out at Tony).

If Zoe (Hollyoaks) does have a Mental Breakdown it is less likely to be violent because she does not strike me as the kind of person who has that kind of temperament.

Remember the Brain controls everything we do. So if it becomes unbalanced then is it any surprise that people do unbalanced things.

mr. mustard · 04-11-2009, 23:51

Jimmy Corkhill had a nervous breakdown in Brookside, it was portrayed very well.

SteveOwen · 04-11-2009, 23:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by mr. mustard

Jimmy Corkhill had a nervous breakdown in Brookside, it was portrayed very well.

Yep, I was just about to add his name to the list but you beat me to it.

misspeg · 05-11-2009, 00:18

Sam had bipolar in Neighbours. Sam Fitzgerald, ex-wife of Dan.

quirkyquirky · 05-11-2009, 00:33

Spencer from Hollyoaks and Brendan from home and away, don't know what exactly but it isn't something temporary they seem to have really young mental ages.

Flamethrower100 · 05-11-2009, 00:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by quirkyquirky

Spencer from Hollyoaks and Brendan from home and away, don't know what exactly but it isn't something temporary they seem to have really young mental ages.

Not really a mental illness, in the sense of the words. I would say a condition from birth. Autism, maybe.

Flamethrower100 · 05-11-2009, 00:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by avon942

did zoe tate from emmerdale not have a mental illness too????

Yes. She had Schizophrenia.

paddysu · 05-11-2009, 00:54

I think Jean Slater has shown more about bi-polar over the couple of years shes been in the soap than stacey has. Jeans one shown what its like to live with long term and I think they've done that story well.

lazyjane · 05-11-2009, 01:06

Ruth in Doctors Has BPD http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borderl...ality_disorder

Flamethrower100 · 05-11-2009, 01:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by lazyjane

Ruth in Doctors Has BPD http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borderl...ality_disorder

I don't believe this to be a real condition at all. It's just a word, for a lot of problems that people have becuase of things that have happened to them throughout their lives.

They have to characterise everything. And this is just a useless diognosis. Borderline personality disorder

You look at anyone. And they have a dissorder about them.

lazyjane · 05-11-2009, 01:20

Is Ruth was a raving nutcase better?! Cause she totally was.

04-11-2009, 21:29	#1
SheepSheepBa Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: UK? :) Posts: 428	Mental illness in soap operas Hello! I'm doing a project in school about the representations of mental health in soap operas and I was wondering if you knew of any other case studies I could consider? So far I've thought of: Stacey Slater in Eastenders (bipolar) Zeke in Neighbours (OCD) Joe Wicks (I think!) in Eastenders (schizophrenia) Hannah in Hollyoaks (anorexia) There's someone in Neighbours who had bipolar but I can't remember her name. 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? Thank you!

04-11-2009, 21:31	#2
AlpineRidge Forum Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 729	Newt in Hollyoaks had a big storyline only a week or two ago with his schizophrenia, where he fell in love with a figment of his imagination and she convinced him to attempt to kill himself.

04-11-2009, 21:40	#3
samj_namesake Forum Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 3,769	Debbie Martin (Neighbours) suffered from Bulimia This was back when I watched it in the mid 90's

04-11-2009, 22:04	#4
SheepSheepBa Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: UK? :) Posts: 428	Thanks! I'd never heard of those. I don't watch Hollyoaks and I can't remember Neighbours from the 90s, so they're new to me Thank you!

04-11-2009, 22:04	#5
Smeddlesboy Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 267	Cameron in Hollyoaks had OCD Kym in EastEnders had sudden-onset-sudden-dsiappear bulimia in the mid to late 90s and so did some long-forgotten teenage girl in Emmerdale whose name I can't remember

04-11-2009, 22:06	#6
Smeddlesboy Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 267	And whilst you mention Stacey as bipolar, I think Jean Slater also deserves an explicit mention too for bipolar!

04-11-2009, 22:43	#7
Reo Forum Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 252	Zeke also has a anxiety problem, it was shown by his fear of a man claiming to be Donna's father finding her and hurting her, Zeke imagining losing control of the pram with India in it (twice), his over reaction to Sunny and the high heels and his fear that she could fall and hurt himself.

04-11-2009, 22:44	#8
Flamethrower100 Forum Member Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 4,589	Jake in Hollyoaks. Apperently he has a mental dissorder. Although I couldn't name it. I guess it was control freak dissorder. Sorry, but what was it that was supposed to be wrong with him? If people get special treatment, for doing crazy things, then all people who have done wrong would be on medication, not in prison. He tryed to rape someone and then went on to try and kill a baby. He was under severe pressure and he snapped. That goes for all drug users, but still they go to jail.

04-11-2009, 23:00	#9
SheepSheepBa Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: UK? :) Posts: 428	I completely forgot about Jean in Eastenders! I didn't watch her storyline so I sort of forget that she's meant to be bipolar. Thanks for all your suggestions, I never realised there were so many options for my project! This is good news.

04-11-2009, 23:05	#10
LaineyT Forum Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Liverpool Services: Sky....AOL..... Posts: 476	Emily in Coronation Street had a bout of depression a long time ago think it was when Percy Sugden lived with her. She took to wandering off. And some where in the back of my mind I seem to remember Emily taking somebody baby...this is going back a long long time ago LaineyT Just looked her up on Wiki no mention of the baby but here what it says about her breakdown. n 1992, Emily had a mental breakdown. She couldn't remember appointments, would become confused and her appearance suffered. Lodger Percy Sugden, protecting her good name, would cover up for these very unusual actions. He became increasingly concerned about her behaviour and alerted Emily's friends and neighbours. One day, Emily disappeared from home without a word. When friends and neighbours ignored Percy's call for assistance, he raised the alarm and went to the police who found Emily wandering aimlessly, clearly having suffered a medical depressive breakdown. When Emily had recovered enough to come home from hospital, she told Percy that he was a good friend, and thanked him for all he had done.

04-11-2009, 23:10	#11
avon942 Forum Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Jamaica Services: Maria Connor and Corrie Fan! Posts: 4,942	did zoe tate from emmerdale not have a mental illness too????

04-11-2009, 23:51	#16
mr. mustard Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Pools of sorrow, waves of joy Services: With The Beatles Posts: 25,900	Jimmy Corkhill had a nervous breakdown in Brookside, it was portrayed very well.

05-11-2009, 00:18	#18
misspeg Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Bolton Posts: 1,214	Sam had bipolar in Neighbours. Sam Fitzgerald, ex-wife of Dan.

05-11-2009, 00:33	#19
quirkyquirky Forum Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 12	Spencer from Hollyoaks and Brendan from home and away, don't know what exactly but it isn't something temporary they seem to have really young mental ages.

05-11-2009, 00:54	#22
paddysu Forum Member Join Date: May 2004 Location: Brighton Services: Freeview Posts: 4,796 Blog Entries: 57	I think Jean Slater has shown more about bi-polar over the couple of years shes been in the soap than stacey has. Jeans one shown what its like to live with long term and I think they've done that story well.

05-11-2009, 01:06	#23
lazyjane Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Sunny Bolton Services: Zen, Sky+, Birds Eye Fish Fingers Posts: 855	Ruth in Doctors Has BPD http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borderl...ality_disorder

05-11-2009, 01:20	#25
lazyjane Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Sunny Bolton Services: Zen, Sky+, Birds Eye Fish Fingers Posts: 855	Is Ruth was a raving nutcase better?! Cause she totally was.