How HBO’s Euphoria Addresses Substance Use Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, & Other Mental Health Issues

With this month being minority mental health month, I’ve decided to dedicate my Watch-N-Playlist blog posts to mental health related topics within TV, Film, and music, specifically those involving minorities. As a minority who used to want to be a psychiatrist (but decided medical school was a no go) I still have interests in the topics of mental health, psychology, and sociology. And, since I did grow up with a negative stigma around seeking mental health help & received inaccurate portrayals of mental health disorders from TV & Film, I think it is important to shed light on mental health issues and how they are displayed in the media, in an effort to help eliminate stigmas and get rid of misinformation.

Euphoria is one of my favorite shows that involves some of my favorite people, actress, Zendaya, rapper and producer of the show, Drake, and music supervisor, Jen Malone.

If you’re not familiar with the show you can read a full synopsis here.

I read an article entitled Why Rue’s Bipolar Disorder In ‘Euphoria’ Is So Unlike Depictions We Usually See On TV and below are my *highlights/key takeaways regarding Bipolar Disorder:

• The way Rue’s bipolar disorder is depicted in Euphoria is not necessarily new; though there have been many sensationalized portrayals of the disorder on TV and in movies, there have also been a handful of thoughtful and accurate ones — the extreme depictions still far outnumber the authentic ones, and Euphoria is helping to push back against lingering stereotypes previously enforced by pop culture.
• Bipolar disorder causes people to experience extreme mood changes that can last anywhere from days to a year. The happy or “up” phases are called manic episodes, while the sad or “down” phases are called depressive episodes.
• Rue shows all the symptoms of going through manic and depressive states, but because bipolar disorder is so misunderstood — and its effects are sometimes subtle — her friends and family simply think she’s having a rough time.
• Depressive episodes are very similar to depression, so spotting manic periods is key to a bipolar diagnosis. However, media often portrays aggression and wild outbursts as an integral part of the diagnosis, which can lead to widespread misconceptions. Lucious’ mother in Empire, Pat in Silver Linings Playbook, and Dani’s sister in Midsommar are all examples of characters who are violent as a result of their bipolar disorder.
• “It is really important for people not to think of [people living with bipolar disorder] as walking time-bombs that will destroy other people,” Dr. Ruth C. White told VH1 in 2016.This is why Euphoria’s portrayal of bipolar disorder is so necessary and refreshing. Rue’s manic state isn’t violent.
• It’s an undramatic, realistic look at what it means to be bipolar, and how difficult that can make day-to-day life and even basic bodily functions.

I also read an article/review entitled HBO’s ‘Euphoria’ Tackles Substance Use Disorder and Mental Illness in a Realistic Way and below are my *highlights/key takeaways regarding Substance Use Disorder:

• The show portrays how truly difficult it is to navigate the world when you struggle with mental illness and use substances to cope.
• Euphoria provides a frighteningly realistic glimpse into what it is like to struggle with mental illness and how using substances to cope can quickly grow into abusing those same substances.
• The show could have taken the usual route that most media does, portraying the person with mental illness and substance abuse as a malevolent individual who is a danger to everyone around them. In reality, mental illness and SUD often look far more mundane.
• The show’s protagonist, Rue Bennet, played by Zendaya, has an experience that many people who battle substance use disorder (SUD) can relate to; she has suffered emotional turmoil for as long as she can remember and began using substances to cope at a young age. According to the National Institute of Mental Health estimates that roughly 7.9 million adults have SUD and a co-occurring mental illness and vice versa.
• Rue has a long history of mental illness including OCD, anxiety, and possibly even bipolar disorder, and is prescribed a cocktail of medications from a young age to help her manage her symptoms
• The convergence of the two creates the perfect storm in her life resulting in drug misuse, overdose, and rehab.
• Anyone who has used substances as a coping mechanism for mental illness understands this desire, to make the discomfort stop, at any cost — it’s often the tipping point that causes casual substance misuse to become a substance use disorder.
• The show also frighteningly depicts the lengths that many with SUD will go to in order to get high, risking their safety and even their lives in doing so.
• At some point, it isn’t about recreation anymore, it’s about survival. As much resolve as one has to quit using, it can all crumble in seconds with the right trigger.
• In addition to Rue, another person’s substance use is highlighted in the show. Rue’s illicit drug use juxtaposed against the very legal and even mundane scene of a suburban housewife numbing herself with wine at dinner is unsettling, to say the least.
• Rue makes what seems like a genuine attempt at staying clean, after her best friend, Jules, threatened to end their friendship if she didn’t stop using drugs. She doesn’t want to use, but she is compelled to and doesn’t know how to cope with life’s struggles and her own mental illness without chemical assistance. This portrayal of craving and eventual relapse is shockingly accurate.
• I have seen people who struggle with SUD lie to themselves and others about their substance use, believing that if they can just convince everyone that it’s not a problem, then it won’t be.

*These are just my highlights from the article read the full articles by clicking the links below:

HBO's 'Euphoria' Tackles Substance Use Disorder and Mental Illness in a Realistic Way | The Temper

Why Rue's Bipolar Disorder In 'Euphoria' Is So Unlike Depictions We Usually See On TV

If you or someone you know is seeking help for mental health concerns, visit the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) website, or call 1–800–950-NAMI(6264). For confidential treatment referrals, visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) website, or call the National Helpline at 1–800–662-HELP(4357). In an emergency, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1–800–273-TALK(8255) or call 911.

If you or someone you know is seeking help for substance use, call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1–800–662-HELP(4357).