MovieChat Forums > Crazy/Beautiful (2001) Discussion > Diagnosis of Nicole...not just a rich br...

Diagnosis of Nicole...not just a rich brat

posted 15 years ago by InfiniteMoments
5 replies | jump to latest

Okay, so let's review the facts;

Nicole's mother committed suicide; result of depression
Nicole saw this; trauma, possible PTSD?
Nicole is impulsive; possible ADHD?
Nicole has severe mood swings; possible mood disorder
Nicole abuses substances; potentially self-medicating? Or possibly just normal teenage rebellion, of course.
Nicole doesn't need much sleep; possible manic state
Nicole doesn't need much food; another manic sign
Nicole experiences extreme depression; possible major depressive disorder

However...combine all of these and you get a classic case of Bipolar disorder! If you consider all of these things and take her actions into account...it is a classic film depiction of bipolar disorder with both manic and depressive episodes. Additionally, 10-15% of all people who have a bipolar mood disorder succeed in committing suicide during their depressed episode(Nicole's Mom).

This breakdown clearly shows that she was NOT just a spoiled, annoying, little brat who got everything she wanted. And her daddy didn't cause it by being absent or letting her get away with things or any of that. With treatment (medication and psychotherapy) her episodes could become less intense or even manageable. They tried several times to get her help, and if she had let them it might have gotten much better for her.

There was a VERY similar film made in the early 90's with Drew Barrymore and Chris O'Donnell, Mad Love. Another great watch to explore bipolar symptoms and activities. Mr. Jones, with Richard Gere, is another great watch on bipolar disorder, but he is not a teen in the film.

[–] abortive 15 years ago

bipolar labels are handed out like *beep* pamphlets on the street these days.

it takes at least a decade to fully diagnose anyone with a disorder. let alone a severe one like bipolar.

everyone goes through experiences like hers at some time in their life be it no environmental stressors or ways to cope through self-development.

do some real introspection and get back to us. until then lay off the wikipedia. k?

http://pillsaregood.ytmnd.com/

[–] kataclysmic1 15 years ago

I don't know what cracker jack box you gathered your knowledge from, but it does not take a decade to diagnose someone.

[–] headset001 14 years ago

You're making money selling this *beep*?

[–] johnston.scot 11 years ago

Well: she's fictional, so (i) she doesn't necessarily conform to any real pathology and (ii) we can diagnose her without being irresponsible, because she doesn't really exist anyway.

I'll go with:
Posttraumatic Strees Disorder
Bipolar II
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Polysubstance Dependence
Parent-Child Relational Problem
Borderline Personality Disorder

Somewhat weird thing about the movie: given that her father is well-off, well-educated and sophisticated, why isn't she being treated already? Maybe she is and I just missed that. It seems odd to jump directly to a residential treatment center without any prior treatment at all, but maybe that can just be attributed to the evil stepmother.

[–] llll2000 9 years ago

The stepmother was pushing the facility. She clearly wanted her gone and the father loved her but didn't know how to deal with her. She was definitely screwed up, not just a rich kid rebelling.