A Neat Weekend!

I had a most unusual weekend.  On Saturday, I saw the movie Silver Lining Playbook with my daughter and on Sunday saw Quartet with my friend.   You may wonder how these two movies connect.   The connection may be tenuous, but to me, they are both part of what’s important to me today. 

Silver Lining Playbook is a wonderful movie about a person with bi-polar illness.  The movie displays superbly the nature of bi-polar illness and its effect on patient, family, and community.  The stress of the illness can be overwhelming to say the least.  The movie was funny, sad, and finally showed that treatment in many different forms can be effective and that there can be a happy ending!

There is a lot of focus on mental health/illness these days with the tragedy in Newtown, CT and the subsequent issue of guns and the mentally ill.  I am called upon by my practice to note that the stigma towards mental illness – while lessened to some degree – is still active and pervasive.   What many may not realize is that if there is violence from a mentally ill person, it is much more likely for it to be an act of violence towards the self; in self-harm and suicide.  I’d like to emphasize that with treatment, people can and do get well!

Now, how does Quartet connect?   This is just a delightfully sweet movie!  It is about musicians who join a retirement community for professional musicians.  Music remains a central part of their lives and movie goers get to escape into the pleasures of music.  

Much of my practice time is spent teaching patients how to relax and manage stress, thereby enhancing their health.  Music can transport a person out of themselves, allowing a short vacation from their stresses and strains.  I know that music and movies work for me...  they can work for you too!

-Posted by Camille Grosso, PhD, APRN, BC