20 films to help you understand and accept your feelings
Watching movies that are thematically similar to what the viewer is experiencing is a new tool in psychotherapy. Studies show that people often react to what happens in movies just as they do in real life. This can be used to make sense of oneself. But it is important not to passively watch, but to analyze thoughts and emotions after the movie. Here is a selection of pictures that American psychotherapists recommend.
Sadness and Anxiety.
Short-term bouts of bad mood and moderate anxiety can be helped by laughter. Comedies and children’s favorite cartoons can increase endorphins. One of the functions of these substances is to stabilize the inner state and to control stress.
Up
The ever-disgruntled old man goes on a balloon flight with the dog and the fat kid
Male striptease
A company of former office workers try to strip in front of others for a living.
Where to watch: Wink, Ivi.
Another year.
A tender and funny portrait of an under-aged couple, Jerry and Tom, from the British countryside. They experience both sorrows and joys together
Juno
Pregnant schoolgirl enters into a touching but ambiguous relationship with the young couple who are to become the adoptive parents of her child
Depression.
Depression can’t be cured by movies, but movies in which characters face the disease help them suspect it in themselves and motivate them to see a doctor sooner.
Frida
The biography of the brilliant Mexican artist who spent her life battling her inner problems
It’s a very funny story.
A teenager ends up in a mental institution and finds true friends there
A day in the life of three women connected by a book by Virginia Woolf, who committed suicide in the early 1940s
Negative body image.
Dissatisfaction with the way you look often stems from unrealistic standards of beauty. Movies in which characters with nonconforming appearances achieve happiness and success can help you get rid of imposed stereotypes and accept yourself.
Real women are always in the body.
A young Mexican woman tries to find a compromise between her desires and family traditions
My big Greek wedding.
A girl who considers herself unattractive dreams of separating herself from her noisy family and finding happiness in life
Where to watch: Kion, Premier, Wink
Loss of motivation.
Lack of desire to do anything can be a symptom of burnout or frustration with yourself. One way to combat these conditions is through life-affirming movies in which people do incredible things. Even if their characters fail to succeed, their stubbornness and self-confidence are uplifting.
Erin Brockovich.
A single mother confronts a ruthless corporation that is ruining the health of ordinary people
Apollo 13
Based on true events, a disaster movie about the accident on a spacecraft flying to the moon
Three Billboards on the Edge of Ebbing, Missouri.
Outback American woman forces police to get serious about finding her daughter’s killer
☠️ Midlife Crisis
This is what psychologists call the state of depression that overwhelms many people in their 40s and 50s. It is associated with the feeling that all the good things in life have already happened, and the future is the inevitable old age and melancholy. Films about how this condition is experienced by others allow one to better understand it and do things that help one get out of it: stop burying oneself in advance.
American Beauty
An unremarkable American man of 42 years decides to make a crazy change in his life after falling in love with his teenage daughter’s girlfriend
Birdman
A washed-up actor stages a play on Broadway, trying to recapture his former glory. But he is hampered by those around him – and by the ever-present voice of the superhero Birdman in his head.
Melancholy
Sisters Claire and Justine prepare for the inevitable end of the world by taking turns being depressed and supporting each other
Workaholism.
It destroys health and ruins life. That’s why the balance between work and the rest of your life is extremely important. Films that talk about the devastating effects of obsessing over your work will motivate you to create that balance as soon as possible.
Aguirre, The Wrath of God
A Spanish conquistador and his small band, suffering from starvation and disease, desperately search for the legendary El Dorado
Where to see: Mail.ru Movies
Obsession
A stern drum teacher drives a talented student to madness with his perfectionism
Personal life troubles.
A movie about relationship problems gives you a new perspective on what’s going on in your personal life. And it trains empathy – the ability to literally get into the other person’s feelings. It makes any relationship deeper and more stable.
Kramer vs.
Ex-spouses lose their humanity as they fight for custody of their son
Before Midnight.
A husband and wife try to save their marriage by having endless – and absolutely outstanding – conversations at a Greek resort
Fanatic
A 35-year-old record store owner tries to figure out why he’s unable to build a normal relationship with girls
All about the brain
Twice-monthly emails to those who want to be less stressed and not fall for cognitive distortions
Therapy at the movies: 5 honest movies about depression
We tell you about inspiring movies in which characters experience depression in different ways and find a way out of it.
Interrupted Life
Based on the autobiography of the same name by the writer Suzanne Kaysen, this film tells the story of a difficult period in the life of a girl who is being treated in a psychiatric hospital.
The main character’s depression begins suddenly. For 18-year-old Susannah (Winona Ryder), in one moment, everything loses its meaning, she tries to leave the life, but the doctors manage to save her. The heroine says she “can’t control time,” she doesn’t know how she feels, looks lost and exhausted. That she needs professional help, Susanna denies and believes that she is just tired. The refusal to admit her depression is explained by the fact that the girl is afraid to end up in a psychiatric hospital because of her prejudices. But as a result, after hospitalization Susanna gradually gets better, she works out her condition with doctors and shares her worries in her diary. Surrounded by girls with different mental disorders, the heroine ceases to seem crazy, finds support and understanding. The film is a reminder that it is not a shame to seek professional help if you feel bad, but a necessity.
King of Staten Island
Scott, 24, lives with his mother in New York City’s Staten Island neighborhood and doesn’t know what he wants to do, but a change is about to happen in his life. The film is based on the biography of Pete Davidson, who played himself.
The cause of the main character’s depressive disorder was the death of his firefighter father, who died in the line of duty when Scott was seven. The loss has severely traumatized the boy, and to forget the pain and bad thoughts for a while, he plays video games and watches cartoons 24/7. Scott remains infantile and totally indifferent to everything else so he doesn’t get into the problems of the adult world-it’s safer that way. But depression still eats away at him from the inside. Despite the fact that Scott’s vocation is to become a tattoo artist, he only beats acquaintances with ridiculous pictures. For more he is not enough because of apathy and attention deficit disorder. The hero will be able to cope with depression thanks to his mother’s boyfriend, also a firefighter, who will actually replace his father. The boy will find a full-fledged family and find his destiny. The film explains that traumatic experiences are important to work through in order to move on.
Cake
Claire survives a terrible accident and tries to find the strength to move on with her life.
The main character’s story seems utterly hopeless at first. Having survived a car accident that left numerous scars, Claire (Jennifer Aniston) is on edge – she suffers from chronic pain syndrome and faces severe depression. The heroine goes to a psychological support group and takes tranquilizers in packs to stop feeling anything, but she is not getting any better – a woman wishes every day that she had not died, and if it were not for her assistant, it would have happened. But the suicide of an acquaintance from the group forces Claire to pull herself together and start from scratch. The heroine dedicates herself to supporting the dead girl’s husband and overcomes her depression step by step, and the ending is quite reassuring. The film debunks the myth that depressive disorder is easy to cure. It can take years, as each person’s situation is different.
Difficulties of translation
TV actor Bob and a young woman, Charlotte, meet by chance in a bar in Tokyo. This acquaintance will change their relationship to life.
The film, full of melancholy lyrics, slowly plunges the viewer into the characters’ budding depression. One gets the feeling that they are both stuck in a time loop in another country – sleepless nights, nothing is enjoyable – no walks in the city, no meetings with interesting people, food has no taste, and alcohol causes homesickness and desolation. The successful actor Bob (Bill Murray) is going through a mid-life crisis, he is about to go into circulation, and his life seems to be falling apart. Young Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) experiences fear of an uncertain future and loneliness despite her marriage. A fateful meeting between the characters helps them to get a taste for life and to come out of their depressive state – they can have a heart-to-heart talk and feel the ground beneath their feet, which is exactly what they need. Sofia Coppola’s film is a graceful parable about how one needs someone who understands. Especially if you’re depressed.
Twilight. New Moon Saga.
Bella Swan is having a hard time breaking up with vampire Edward Cullen and tries to forget her friendship with Jacob, but she has no idea who he really is.
The second part of Twilight is a poignant story of devastating depression after a breakup. Bella (Kristen Stewart) hasn’t left her room for four months after Edward (Robert Pattinson) leaves. She loses interest in life, staring blankly into the void, listening to Lykke Li Possibility on repeat. The seasons change outside the window, but the heroine doesn’t notice anything – it seems to her that the day Edward left, she died. Depression drives the girl to nervous and physical exhaustion. Bella is saved by her friendship with Jacob. He helps her switch from worry to action (they fix motorcycles together), as in occupational therapy, which also treats depression. The heroine is still in love with Edward, but her regular contact with Jacob becomes a support for her and helps her come to her senses. The movie clearly shows how to behave if your friend is depressed.
