Mental Illnes in the Documentary Out of the Shadows, Questions and Answers

1. What constitutes a “normal person”?

A “normal person” can be considered many different things, depending on the viewpoint of the person. Often times one would consider a “normal person” to be a person without any sort of mental illness. A normal person is someone who adapts to the norms and standards of society.

In this documentary about Millie, her daughters grew up thinking that their mother was a “normal person,” and that how she made them feel was “normal.” They didn’t know any other type of relationship between a mother and her daughters, so they never thought to tell anyone about what went on in their household.

2. How does mental illness affect a family?

In this documentary, it was clear that Millie’s mental illness took a toll on her family’s dynamic. Millie was not diagnosed with a mental disorder until much later on in her life. At that point, her family was already destroyed. Millie and her husband went through a divorce. The two daughters were left to live with their mother. The girls did not know any other way of life, so they thought the lives they lived with their mother were just like lives other children had with their parents.

The older daughter knew that something was not right with their mother. Often times she was scared. She took over taking care of her younger sister. At around the age of 12, the older daughter built up the courage to leave her mother’s home and move in with her father. She thought her younger sister would be okay on her own. The younger daughter attempted suicide shortly thereafter. She felt as though her mother drove her to it, and still resents her mother for that to this day. The younger daughter thought as though it was “normal.” She thought that was how all mot...

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...as in a stable, long-term facility where Millie could really make progress and form an independent life. I think that this is such an important factor in the treatment and care of a person with a mental illness. If Millie was left alone to deal with her mental illness, she would not have survived. She did not even know that she was mentally ill, so there would have been no way for her to deal with it on her own. The fact that her family took care of her, and was persistent in getting the best treatment for her was the best thing for Millie’s care.

Works Cited

Fortinash, Katherine, Patricia Worret. Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, 5th Edition. Mosby, 2012. VitalBook file.

Smiley, S. (Producer & Director). (2006). Out of the shadow [Motion picture]. (Available from Vine Street Pictures, P.O. Box 662120, Los Angeles, CA 90066. http://www.outoftheshadow.com)