Part A.
In Fatal Attraction (1987), the character Alex Forrest suffers from borderline personality disorder. She has a one night stand with Dan Gallagher who is a married man and then goes ahead and stalks, threaten and torments him. Borderline personality disorder is a mental illness which results to unstable behavior, moods and relationships. This condition begins in adulthood or adolescence. The symptoms of borderline personality disorder are unstable relationships, problems controlling thoughts and emotions and reckless and impulsive behavior (Dziegielewski, 2014). An individual suffering from this disorder fears abandonment and gets anxious and erratic behavior on the idea that they are being left. This results to unstable relationships, impulsive behavior and anger among other behavior. There are various treatments for this condition which vary from talk therapy, medication and self-care.
According to the DSM-IV, borderline personality disorder is characterized by persistent pattern in unstable interpersonal relationships, self image and mood as well as impulsive behavior (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). The individual makes frantic efforts to prevent abandonment, unstable interpersonal relationships, identity disturbance, suicidal behavior, impulsive behavior, mood swings, feelings of emptiness, anger and paranoid ideas or dissociative symptoms. An individual is characterized as having borderline personality disorder if they have more than five out of the nine criteria and if the behavior is recurring (Dziegielewski, 2014).
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The basic plot starts when Alex and Dan are having an affair while his wife is out of town. When he leaves her house after the weekend, the signs of the personality disorder can be seen. Alex who is full of rage kicks Dan out then goes back to the doorway after having cut her wrists while she seems calm. This freaks out Dan as he looks for a way to stop the bleeding. This is a symptom of borderline personality disorder as cutting her writs shows she has a problem regulating her thoughts and emotions. Having the weekend affair with Dan can also be characterized as a reckless and impulsive behavior. If she knew it would affect her psychologically, she should not have done it as she has fear of abandonment. Due to the fear of abandonment, people with borderline personality disorder will make desperate attempts to keep a relationship even if it is doomed (Linehan, 1993). In the movie, Alex attempts to commit suicide so that Dan does not leave her. She manages to keep Dan for another night by doing this.
Another symptom of borderline personality disorder that can be seen from the movie is reckless and impulsive behavior (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). When a situation is out of their control, the sufferer acts in a destructive manner. Alex slits her wrists because Dan wants to leave and go back home. Unstable emotions can be seen from the movie character. At one moment, she is in complete euphoria which quickly turns to rage. This is seen when Dan had to leave.
Alex develops stalker behavior after Dan leaves her. She stalks him and calls him at work at home at all hours. When she finds out that she is pregnant and Dan does not want any part of it, she starts becoming violent. Violence is not a symptom that rarely occurs to individuals suffering from Borderline personality disorder. She is seen to be violent as she kills the Gallagher’s pet rabbit and boils it in their kitchen. Later on in the movie, she tries to kill Dan’s wife.
For patients suffering from borderline personality disorder, talk therapy is important (Linehan, 1993). This involves the patient talking to someone. In this personality disorder, therapy is usually the first option before medication is introduced. This involves the sufferer going to a health counselor twice a week. For this to be effective, the individual should trust and feel comfortable with the therapist. Cognitive behavior therapy is a treatment which can be useful in treating borderline personality disorder. This can help to identify and change beliefs and actions of the patient that reflect negative opinions. Doing this can assist an individual in seeing things more clearly. It can also help them look for better ways of dealing with a situation. Cognitive behavior therapy can help an individual as it lessens symptoms of anxiety as well as self harm (American Psychiatric Association, 2000).
Self –care is another treatment that can be used for Borderline personality disorder (Linehan, 1993). This involves good sleeping habits, regular exercise, and good diet plan, following the treatment plan if it involves therapy or medication and management of stress. Self-care helps in reducing symptoms of borderline personality disorder like mood swings, irritability and impulsive behavior.
In conclusion, Alex from the movie suffers from Borderline personality disorder. Thanks to the movie, we can understand the condition and how it affects the sufferer and the people around them. Despite the fact that it is a common disorder in the society today, it is misunderstood and less known. It is a sickness and people suffering from it are not villains. Treatment is important in dealing with this disorder and its symptoms. Education is therefore important so as to understand how to deal with people with this disorder. Better health resources should be available to deal with this and other personality disorders.
Part B.
One factor that prevented good guards from objecting or countermanding the orders from tough or bad guards is the fact that the prisoners were rioting. To deal with this, the guards were expected to work as a team and maintain the system. The prisoners also worked together in the beginning to assert their independence. Therefore, the guards working together would help assert their authority.
One reason why prisoners try to work within the arbitrary prison system to affect a change in it is it is easier and a less aggressive approach. When the prisoners in the experiment tried to rebel, the guards had to use force to regain control and harassed the prisoners. Therefore, coming up with a committee is a better approach as it allows room for communication.
One factor that would lead prisoners to attribute guard brutality to the guards’ disposition or character rather than to the situation is their role. In a prison setting, the guard is in charge and is in control. Therefore, they are the ones who decide on how to treat the prisoners since they are in a position of power. Another factor is confinement. The guards have the freedom while the prisoners are confined. Therefore, the prisoners are in a position where they can be oppressed by the guards.
Conducting the study on the prisoners was not ethical. One of the reason for this is it can affect an individual’s psychological health. This is because the study hinders individual’s freedoms by locking them up and subjecting them to punishments. Another reason why this is not ethical is because the individuals were not fully prepared for the prison experience. They were not prepared for the role they would play and what it would entail. There were also no rules set on punishment and the guards could harass the prisoners.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR) 4th Edition . American Psychiatric Association
Dziegielewski, S.(2014). DSM-IV-TR in Action: Includes DSM-5 Update Chapter 2nd Edition . Wiley
Fatal Attraction. (1987). Movie.
Linehan, M. (1993). Skills Training Manual for Treating Borderline Personality Disorder 1st Edition. The Guilford Press
