Why I watched Words on Bathroom Walls

I have struggled immensely with mental illness since I was a teenager. I have had many diagnoses thrown at me from bipolar disorder to eating disorders, autism and others. I have never found a movie which accurately depicted the experience of mental illness without placing massive stigma on the behaviour and that also accurately depicted the treatment process and identified the helpful treatments from the unhelpful. This movie exemplified that compassion and showing love to those suffering mental illness is so important and in fact is the cornerstone in someones recovery and management of symptoms.

This movie follows a teenager in his final year of high school, he had recently been diagnosed with schizophrenia and the movie takes you through life from his perspective. The movie identifies and combats many issues faced by people with a mental illness, including:

• Stigma and bullying by peers when people do show symptoms of their mental illness.

• The toxic labels of being unwell and the impact it has on an individual’s recovery.

• The feeling that their illness is intrinsic to who they are, and it is impossible to separate their own personality from their illness.

• That people with mental illness cannot be loved and are afraid of what seems like inevitable abandonment.

This movie combats those beliefs and reaffirms the notion that those with mental illness are valuable, loveable and important members of society who are capable of achieving their goals, and, that compassionate family, friends and support networks are vital in their recovery.

There is so much stigma and misconceptions about what mental illness is, how we treat it and how loved ones and family members can help those who are suffering. I have never, and I mean never, come across a movie in mainstream media which has accurately depicted mental illness, reduced the stigma of mental illness, and brought hope to those experiencing these symptoms than I have seen in this movie.

I don’t understand why this movie isn’t more popular and that it was only $2.99 to rent on iTunes when others are much more than that. This movie depicts so well what mental illness is and the best treatment modality for all mental illness – compassion and showing love. This movie affirms the belief that we should not be afraid of those who struggle with mental health but rather hold out a hand, show our support and don’t give up on us. Show empathy and compassion for the things we struggle with, as Eleanor Longden, a famous psychologist who has battled schizophrenia before once said, “even some of the most terrifying and menacing voices [or behaviours] are the ones who need to be shown the most compassion and care”.

This movie highlights the importance of psychiatric treatment but really exemplifies the need for loved ones and care givers to show compassion and love even in the most difficult of times, for this compassion is truly what is needed to recover.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental illness, I highly recommend watching this movie and focus on the ending and on the way particularly the school and family/loved ones respond to Adam’s symptoms and distress.

This is how you cure mental illness. Not with medication or hospitalisation. With love and compassion, understanding and a resetting of expectations to make the goals of people suffering mental illness more achievable.

Thank you, Words on Bathroom Walls. Thank you for producing such an accurate and beautiful depiction of how to both manage mental illness from a sufferers perspective and from a loved ones perspective.