Netflix is known for pushing the limits with its show and the most recent spotlight on mental illness comes in the form of Spinning Out, a drama that premiered on January 1st of this year. The basis of the first season is rooted in the realities of Bipolar disorder as it afflicts both mother and daughter, both of whom were once champion figure skaters.
As the daughter on the show, Kat, attempts to achieve the dreams she once had for herself, she grapples with a disorder that threatens to destroy all that she has - and almost succeeds. As for her mother, Carol, her character hits the ground running, and not in a good way. Making it clear early on how both manic episodes and chemical instability can affect every aspect of one's life - including motherhood - there are many things this show nails and some that it could have made expanded on to paint a clear picture of what it's like to both have, and live with, Bipolar disorder.
Very Real: Psychosis Is Part Of Bipolar Disorder
Both Carol and Kat experience psychosis as part of their bipolar disorder, and the show draws clear lines between the buildup and the mania. Carol's mania is clearly marked by her gradual sense of losing her grip on reality, combined with anger and repetitive motions.
We see this clearly when she forces Serena, her youngest daughter, to complete an unrealistic set of pushups, to the point where she actually injures her wrist. We see it again when she begins cleaning the floors midway through the season, claiming Kat 'won't come home' if the house is dirty. Kat's psychosis begins spiraling with increased hyperactivity, frenzied and nonsensical dialogue, and ends with drug use, a party full of violent strangers, misdirected anger, and a completely spacial mental state.
Could Have Been Better: A Happy Ending Isn't Always The Case
While the show's creator, Samantha Stratton, said that she 'didn't want to write a show that was going to be about mental illness that was depressing', the reality is that bipolar disorder often is a 'depressing' illness. For many who suffer, relief comes only in the form of correct medication dosages, therapy, and, sometimes, in-patient care.
The cycle lasts far beyond what's seen in the show and while Kat and Carol seemingly found their grounding, this doesn't happen for many who live with bipolar. The symptoms are long-term and occur even with medication, and psychosis or manic episodes can last several hours to days, even months or years.
Very Real: Psychomotor Agitation: Skin-Picking And Biting
One thing the show touches on and briefly explains is the physical symptoms of bipolar disorder. Just like any other psychological imbalance, i.e. anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, etc., the effects can manifest physically as well as mentally. More than once, Kat is seen biting her arms and seemingly calms down after several seconds.
Alternately, Carol picks at her fingers to the point where they bleed, and this happens at the height of her manic episode. It's both a warning sign and a result, and the show does an excellent job of proving how debilitating the disorder can be on all levels, not just as far as moods go.
Could Have Been Better: Self-Medicating Could Have Been Explained More
Drinking is a heavy theme of the show, as Kat's best friend, Jenn, seems to come into the bar looking for one in almost every episode. Additionally, Kat's skating partner and boyfriend, Justin, uses a similar coping mechanism. While the occasionally drink after a tough day can be harmless for a balanced person, someone with bipolar disorder will always need to be wary of using it to self-medicate.
Rather than dealing with the fogginess and fatigue that can accompany Lithium, those living with bipolar can easily turn to alcohol to replace medication and allow them to feel weightless or invincible. Both Kat and Carol are seen indulging at the bar, yet little attention is drawn to how quickly this can spiral.
Very Real: Memory Loss And Extreme Behavior
When someone goes through a manic episode or experiences psychosis, memory loss is a common result after they've been back on their medication. They may not remember what they did or said, and the span of time will have been nothing but a blank slate for them.
Carol's rage is a terrifying reality for many, as is Kat's partying and inability to control herself, her decisions, or realize the dangers of anything she does. This only echoes the reality that many with bipolar are unaware of the ramifications of what they do, and during psychosis, they may even hallucinate or have altered delusions of their reality.
Could Have Been Better: Kat's Bipolar Cause Is Implied, Not Specified
At one point during the show, Kat references her fall on the ice as one of the reasons for her disorder and how she was fine prior to it. All we know is that she cracked her skull during the fall, but not whether her disorder was a result of it.
A traumatic brain injury can lead to similar symptoms, especially with a family history, and, furthermore, someone can be diagnosed with type I or type II bipolar disorder - something we can't expect a TV drama to go into fully, but still accounts for the accuracy of someone under the same circumstances, such as Kat.
Very Real: Lithium As A Treatment And The Effects Of Going Off It
Bipolar disorder is considered one of the most severe of mental disorders, and Lithium has been a go-to treatment for over 60 years. It helps to treat symptoms while also preventing acute manic episodes but, as we saw in Spinning Out, will not cure or rid a person of their bipolar symptoms completely.
With that being said, it's often wildly effective when used correctly. However, when a person takes themselves off Lithium, the results can be catastrophic as their chemical imbalances will fluctuate and throw them right back into an up-and-down cycle.
Could Have Been Better: The Stigma Surrounding Mental Illness
A criticism of the show has been that it only convolutes the stigma surrounding mental illness, turning it into one that's more 'shameful' than common. Throughout 90% of the show - spoiler alert - up until the very last episodes, both Kat and Carol are horribly ashamed of their disorders.
They're so embarrassed by it that they don't even tell those closest to them, and Carol even forces Serena to keep a very serious secret about hers, throwing their family dynamic into even more chaos. The season's nearly-happy ending just isn't enough to reverse the fact that shame is the main theme throughout much of the show.
Very Real: Repetitive Speech And Clang Associations
Both Carol and Kat go through this at least once in the show. Carol's repetition implies that of her being a bad mother, while Kat's is more cryptic, one sentence repeated over and over while she rocks herself post-mania.
Rambling speech, as well as random words strung together, are both implicative of a manic episode, often called 'motor mouth'. When this happens, it can be tough or even altogether impossible to disrupt someone's thought or speech patterns.
Could Have Been Better: Unaware Of Consequences, Both Kat And Carol Deserved More
Both Kat and Carol refused to give any indication that they both suffered from bipolar disorder. Carol even goes out of her way to lie about Kat's episode, telling people it was a bad case of pneumonia. Kat is the one who eventually breaks the silence with an email detailing the disorder, as well as a video of her accident.
This doesn't happen until the finale, however, and the person to ultimately discover Kat's disorder is a girl she doesn't even know who recognizes the signs. Carol's disorder is divulged unceremoniously by Serena, who intentionally lets it slip in front of Carol's boyfriend (also Serena's skating coach). In reality, the disorder can spark embarrassment, shame, and depression - and both of these things could have dire consequences for someone living with bipolar. They deserved respect and understanding, not anger and resentment for keeping a secret that few understand.