Comforts during Quarantine

Comforts during quarantine & mental 

Finding comforts in quarantine has become challenging. In the beginning of quarantine there was a lot of adjustment to be done and the routines went from consistent to irregular.During the first phase of quarantine, the public approached the pandemic with steadfast caution. As everyone seemed to get cabin fever, the lockdowns began to ease up and everything seemed to reopen. This premature opening led to a massive spill in cases of infections and new cases of deaths. I remember in the beginning of quarantine everyone was staying at home making banana bread as the weather was rainy and gloomy throughout march. Then, once the spring and summer weather came in and daylight savings ended, a majority became eager to revisit the normal routines of meeting up in large groups, dining in regularly, and returning back to work. However, there has been more cases of people developing anxiety disorders in returning to work and new cases of PTSD from the lockdown in April. This led people who’ve experienced PTSD and/or anxiety a chance to share their coping methods and help guide those who have unfortunately developed new symptoms of stress-induced anxiety. 

Some of my comforts came from revisiting the piano, self-reflection and journaling day-to-day thoughts, my morning ritual of making a pour over or latte, hiking, meditating and praying during yoga, and playing video games like god of war, animal crossing, Skyrim, the last of us, Star Wars, and now Ghost of Tsushima! 

As much of a homebody i am, it was challenging trying to adapt being around my parents so much when ive spent a majority of the past year traveling the country, touring, and being home for a few hours at a time. This period in quarantine has given me ample time to prioritize my tasks and reconnect with my parents and friends in ways I wouldn’t of had if i were to continue touring and driving across the country. Although this period is brutal for the extroverts out there who belong to the streets, i believe there can be inner-work done in meditation and self-reflection. There are chances to practice breathing exercises as we channel our inner desires. We can plan a better future for our community and reflect on our roles in society. This time can be used to see how our existence fits in the greater schemes of the Black Lives Matter movement. We can finally clear out our living space and use this time to think about the golden age we’d want to flourish in. This is the time to go from what we want changed to HOW we will incite that change for the future. This pandemic and all the movements that have resurfaced should be axiomatic to the growth of a new society; a radical society far from the “norm” we fell complacent in.


Movies depicting Mental Illness

Last night I watched “The Taken of Deborah Loran” which is about a group of researchers documenting the stages of Alzheimer’s. The 2014 horror was shot in a documentary-style found footage narrative depicts a gruesome tale of what was once thought to be dementia to what was later found to be connections to a dark entity that is summoned from the further. 

However, the true masterpiece I’m here to talk about is Martin Scorsese’s 2010 Neo-Noir and Psychological thriller “Shutter Island”. The movie features A-list, award winning actors

 Leonardo DiCaprio as Edward “Teddy” Daniels

Mark Ruffalo as Chuck Aule

Ben Kingsley as Dr. John Cawley

Max von Sydow as Dr. Jeremiah Naehring

Michelle Williams as Dolores Chanal

Emily Mortimer as Rachel Solando 1

Patricia Clarkson as Rachel Solando 2


The movie is about an investigative detective named “Teddy”, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, working a case on a remote island off the Boston Harbor called “Shutter Island”. This island is home to Ashecliffe Hospital for the criminally insane where Teddy and his partner Chuck, played by Mark Ruffalo, investigate the disappearance of patient Rachel Solando. Throughout the movie, Teddy finds vague clues as to where Rachel might be running to next or hiding. As he interacts with the confrontational staff and guards, he begins to conspire against the Warden and lead psychiatrist. Teddy’s visions during the liberation of Dachau eludes to the possibility of him returning with PTSD as a WWII Army veteran. These disturbing visions begin to blur together with visions of his late wife, Dolores Chantal, who was killed in a fire set by stoniest Andrew Laeddis. The witch hunt for Rachel Solando comes to an abrupt when she appears back in her room seemingly unscathed by the traitorous storm that engulfed the island the evening Teddy had arrived. Rather than leaving the island once Rachel is “found”, Teddy instead follows a hunch from a vision he had of his wife claiming Andrew Laeddis is on the island in the restricted Ward C. Teddy encounters George Noyce, a patient in solitary confinement, who claims that the doctors are experimenting on patients, some of whom are taken to the lighthouse to be lobotomized. Noyce warns that everyone else on the island, including chick, is playing an elaborate game designed for Teddy.

Teddy experiences hallucinations encountering the “Real Rachel Solando” inside a cliff-side cave who seeks to confirm his speculations of the psychiatrists experiments with psychotropic medications and trans-orbital lobotomy in an attempt to develop mind control techniques. Teddy makes the climb down to the lighthouse where he believes Chuck is being held captive only to find Cawley, the lead psychiatrist, waiting for him. Cawley explains that Teddy is actually Andrew Laeddis, their “most dangerous patient”, incarcerated in Ward C for murdering his manic depressive wife, Dolores, after she drowned their children. Edward Daniels and Rachel Solando are anagrams of Andrew Laeddis and Dolores Chantal, and the little girl from Laeddis’s recurring dreams is his daughter, Rachel. Cawley explains the that the events of the past several days have been designed to break Andrew’s conspiracy=laden insanity by allowing him to play out the role of Teddy Daniels. The hospital staff were part of the test, including Lester Sheehan posing as Chuck and the nurse posing as Rachel Solando. Andrew’s recurring migraines were withdrawal symptoms from his medication, as were his hallucinations of the “real Rachel Solando”. 


Other Suggested viewings: 

A Cure for Wellness

Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Soloist

What’s eating Gilbert Grape

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Joker

Girl, Interrupted

Aviator

It’s Kind of a Funny Story

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

The number 23

Black Swan

Punch Drunk Love

50 first dates

Rain Man

The Skeleton Twins

A Beautiful Mind

Inside Out


Shows:

Atypical

This Is Us

BoJack Horseman (unintentionally accurate depiction of unknowingly living with depression and anxiety)

Jessica’s Jones with PTSD

Maniac 

Euphoria 

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Stendhal Syndrome