Title: One Day at a Time - Hello, Penelope
Series Identifier: Season 2, episode 9
Format: TV/Video
Genre:
- Comedy
Conversation Topic:
- Cultural representation
- Family
- Honesty/Lies
- Mental Health Services
- Strong female role models
Relatable Experience:
- Clarity/Understanding
- Depression
- Making Others Worry
- Medication/Treatment
- Single parent
Insights:
- Penelope stops going to therapy and taking her anti-depressants when she feels like she can handle it on her own.
- Her experience of depression, irritability and not being able to get out of bed are examples of what can happen when abruptly stopping medication.
- Schneider explains to Penelope that taking anti-depressants is like any other medical treatment.
- Schneider asks “You wanna go for a drive?” after he takes off his glasses, to normalize medication.
- Penelope’s mother, who doesn’t believe in talk therapy or depression sees a change in her daughter and worries.
- Provides example of a therapeutic intervention of recording yourself and listening to it at a later time.
Anecdotes:
- As someone who has gone off of medication abruptly, this episode really resonated with me. I felt seen. The mood swings, the refusal to get out of bed, and the pushing away of those around me that cared were all things I experienced. My hope is that it helps those on medications understand what can happen when you don’t stop medications responsibly, and families to understand what to look for and that it’s more than just being grumpy or difficult.
Link to Content: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7314960/