My Mad Fat Diary
Sharmila Dass
My Mad Fat Diary, a British teen TV drama centers on Rae Earl, a humorous, overweight, music and boy crazy 16-year-old girl who has just been released from psychiatric ward after attempted suicide.
Read MoreObsessive Compulsive Disorder
Patients with Severe OCD Can Receive Social Security Benefits
Sharmila Dass
Did you know if your OCD has become so severe to the point that it is extremely interfering with your performance at work or your personal life, you are eligible for Social Security Disability benefits?
Read MoreAdrian Monk in Pop Culture
Sharmila Dass
Typically, the media isn’t the best platform to showcase mental illnesses and the diagnosis, symptoms, and treatment that come along with them. If anything, the media is highly insensitive towards individuals that are diagnosed with these illnesses and have to constantly battle with on a daily basis.
Read MoreHoarding is Real and Serious
Sharmila Dass
Compulsive hoarding is prevalently shown in the media especially in television shows such as Hoarders, which was televised on Lifetime. The episodes showcased the stigma related with OCD by discussing the reasons as to why their mental illness came about (A&E Premieres, 2009).
Read MoreThe Stigma Behind Mental Illnesses
Sharmila Dass
Mental illnesses are viewed as sicknesses that can be treated easily, without the assistance of medications or even therapy. Yet, when there is a physical form of an illness, like a burn or cut on one’s body, it is seen as a sign that an individual must get help immediately.
Read MoreTrial and Error: Diagnosing and Treating OCD
Sharmila Dass
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder affects about 2 to 3% percent of the world’s population and usually begins in individuals ranging from 22 to 36 years old (Jenike, 2005). Individuals that suffer from OCD have feelings that something bad will occur if he or she does not perform a specific ritual. This phenomenon can lead to anxiety and an unexplainable feeling of incompleteness (Jenike, 2005). In other words, individuals cannot continue, or even, start their day without making sure that they have completed all steps in their ritualistic activity.
Read MoreWhat the Media Really Thinks About Celebrities with OCD
Sharmila Dass
Have you ever heard of OCD? Also known as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, it is extremely prevalent in society today and has been displayed multiple times on television, through celebrities, and even in movies. Not only has it been displayed in the media, actual celebrities have been diagnosed with OCD, and this has raised awareness for the illness quite extensively. It is often portrayed as a ritualistic and obscure illness that makes you appear to be a perfectionist, when in reality, you can’t control your actions.
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