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Netflix series Spinning Out has shone a light upon bipolar disorder by allowing it to be named, claimed, and humanised, taking out the taboo.
Trigger Warning: This article discusses mental health and may be triggering for survivors.
Trigger Warning for the series Spinning Out: self-harm, extreme mania, mental illness, and references to sexual abuse.
Netflix’s Spinning Out kills two birds with one stone by emphasising on the ruthless yet meticulous world of figure skating, and the hardships involved in living with a mental illness. And in this series, both the protagonist, Katarina Baker and her mother, Carol suffer from bipolar disorder.
Bipolar disorder (known earlier as manic depression), is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings that include mania (emotional highs), hypomania (less severe than mania) and depression.
While the ice skating drama’s name is a reference to ‘spins’, it acquires yet another definition: a metonym for the loss of control experienced by bipolar individuals when they’re going through a manic episode. The exact cause of bipolar disorder is unknown, but several factors may be involved, such as biological changes (Kat’s traumatic brain injury) and Genetics, as showcased in the series.
That being said, everything’s not sequins and pearls in this series as it takes atypical risks in tackling a verboten (taboo) topic that truly deserves a telling and perhaps, this is exactly why I absolutely admire and recommend the series. This enthralling series will leave you at the edge of your seat by its incredibly pragmatic portrayal of bipolar disorder.
It not only unmasks the fear of stigma diagnosed individuals experience as they try to navigate their disorder covertly, but also the poignant consequences of living alongside a parent diagnosed with bipolar disorder through the plotline of Serena Baker ( Kat’s sister) who struggles to have a normal adolescence.
Although, there’s no denying that we still have a long way to traverse in terms of breaking the stigma associated with mental health and its representation on television and all streaming platforms, Spinning Out has surely made a difference and bestowed upon a new ray of light by allowing bipolar disorder to be named, claimed, and humanised. And this my friends, is nothing short of a serious step forward!
Published here first.
Saachi Shetty is an unapologetically bold and outspoken young woman pursuing medicine in Karnataka, India. Additionally, she is a freelance writer and performative poet, fueled by her immense passion for writing. You can find her read more...
This post has published with none or minimal editorial intervention. Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
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Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Women today don’t want to be in a partnership that complicates their lives further. They need an equal partner with whom they can figure out life as a team, playing by each other’s strengths.
We all are familiar with that one annoying aunty who is more interested in our marital status than in the dessert counter at a wedding. But these aunties have somehow become obsolete now. Now they are replaced by men we have in our lives. Friends, family, and even work colleagues. It’s the men who are worried about why we are not saying yes to one among their clans. What is wrong with us? Aren’t we scared of dying alone? Like them?
A recent interaction with a guy friend of mine turned sour when he lectured me about how I would regret not getting married at the right time. He lectured that every event in our lives needs to be completed within a certain timeframe set by society else we are doomed. I wasn’t angry. I was just disappointed to realize that annoying aunties are rapidly doubling in our society. And they don’t just appear at weddings or family functions anymore. They are everywhere. They are the real pandemic.
Let’s examine this a little closer.
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