Running with Scissors

Jenessa OrpillaSummer Assignment AP PsychologyMovies and Mental Disorders Running with Scissors is a film adaption of a memoir written by Augusten Burroughs. It takes place in the seventies where young Augusten lives with a dysfunctional family an alcoholic father and a delusional poet. After his parents divorce, his mother, Deidre Burroughs goes to see a psychiatrist named Dr. Finch. Incapable of raising Augusten, Deidre gives custody of her news to Dr. Finch, where he deals with an even more dysfunctional family. Deidre Burroughs is a poet who believes that she is meant to become a famous writer/poet.She enters many of her poems to some(prenominal) magazines and newsletters, except to be rejected for each one time. Each rejection letter she receives, she still believes that she is a talented writer. Nearing the end of her marriage with Norman Burroughs, she believed that he was going to kill her and her son. Dr. Finch was the one who recommended them to divorce and gave Deidre her first medications. This was the set about of her drug abuse. Later on in the movie, she would mix pills together. He also advised her to give him custody of Augusten so that she could focus on her writing career.She got into several births with other women including a local ministers wife and a patient from Dr. Finch. According to the DSM-IV-TR, Deidre is diagnosed with Narcissistic character Disorder. A person with Narcissistic Personality Disorder is described as a person who demands and expects to be admired and praised by others and is limited in their capacity to appreciate others perspectives. (DSM-TR-IV, 1995-2012) One of the signs of NPR is one that has a grandiose sense of self-importance. (Zimbardo Gerrig, 1999, pg. 662) Two years after her divorce with her keep up, she sees him at a restaurant with his new fiancee.She was very proud of the fact that her poem was publish in little-known magazine and that her hobby was quite lucrative, even though that was her se cond published writing. Another sign is that one is preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance, beauty, or type love. Deirdre often dreams and has delusions about her on a big stage, receiving awards for her works throughout the film. She also holds many poetry workshops where she helps people form their creative conscious. This workshop is an apologise for the admiration of other people, which is another sign of NPR.After her relationship with the local ministers wife, Dr. Finch introduces her to one of his patients and says that she needs someone who worships her and is willing to feed her talent. The moment that relationship ended, she was quick to accept Augusten back into her arms, but she has a manic episode where the police had to stabilize her. Probably one of the reasons of her divorce was due to the fact that her husband did not really care about her writing hobby. One more example of a person with NPR is that he/she lacks empathy is unwilling t o recognize or direct with the feelings and needs of others. (DSM-TR-IV, 1995-2012) From the beginning of the film, she has shown that characteristic. For example, when she gave away Augusten to Dr. Finch, she didnt even tell him about the adoption papers until much later. She never considered his feelings and only thought about herself. The only time she truly cared for him was when she needed him. It is unknown what could have contributed to Deirdres amazement of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. However, it is known that Narcissistic personality disorder might develop as the result of neglect or abuse and trauma inflicted by parents or other authority figures during childhood.The disorder usually is evident by betimes adulthood. (Cleveland Clinic, 2011) It was briefly mentioned in the film that Deirdre was oppressed by her family and her husband. Other than that, the amount of rejection letters and Dr. Finch led her into a worse state. Dr. Finch basically was the cause of he r to be move out from everyone, including her own son. By prescribing her mysterious medications, she always seemed to be delirious and depressed. When she started to mix pills, thats where she would go into manic states. Its no wonder why Dr.Finch got his medical checkup practice license stripped off of him. References BehaveNet Inc. (1995). Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Retrieved 2012, from http//behavenet. com/narcissistic-personality-disorder Cleveland Clinic. (1995). Diseases and Conditions. Retrieved 2011, from http//my. clevelandclinic. org/disorders/personality_disorders/ hic_narcissistic_personality_disorder. aspx Zimbardo, P. G. , Gerrig, R. J. (1999). Psychological Disorders. In P. G. Zimbardo R. J. Gerrig (Authors),Psychology and Life(15th ed. , pp. 664-665). Longman.