Throughout the topic of mental health in United States history, there is a consensus that people with mental health disorders either feel like they do not fit in with society, society does not accept them, or both. Even in the 21st-century, people still see the topic of mental health as unspeakable. According to Dr. Alexander Salerno of Salerno Medical Associations, “There’s clearly a shortage — not just in primary care — but mental health in our country when it comes to physicians and providers. Depending on the cultures, it’s a bit of a taboo topic to talk about mental health.”1 This topic of “taboo” is represented in a variety of media from books, movies, and TV shows. One TV show that discussed the issues of having a mental health problem in modern times is Spinning Out.
Spinning Out (2019) is a Netflix TV show that focuses on the cutthroat sport of professional figure skating. The show follows Kat Baker, a figure skater who hopes to make it to the Olympics one day. However, her Bipolar Disorder prevents her from achieving her dreams. She tries to keep the secret of her condition in order to compete, which leads to disastrous results. Throughout the show, the audience watches Kat as she attempts to keep close ties with her family and friends while also struggling with the complications of her condition.
From the very first episode, the audience sees the severity of Kat’s condition. During From the very first episode, the audience sees the severity of Kat’s condition. During practice, a skater suffers an injury on the ice and leaves for the hospital. Seeing the injury causes Kat to flashback to when she fell on the ice and injured her head during competition. She starts breathing heavily and looks worried. She heads to the locker room, where she ends up biting her arm until it bleeds.
The NIMH says that the symptoms of Bipolar Disorder can include: “racing thoughts” and making unhealthy choices.4 Throughout the series, Kat continues to bite herself whenever she has a panic attack.
Later on in the series, Kat decides to stop taking her lithium as a way of competing better. Her rationale for stopping her medication stems from the side effects of lithium. Drugs.com states, “Avoid becoming overheated or dehydrated during exercise and in hot weather.”5 Kat, practicing, is making her symptoms worse by heavily exercising, so she decides to stop taking it. However, she reveals her secret when she goes through a manic episode. She buys a variety of items from a pawn shop and invites strangers to an impromptu party. She becomes distracted and violent as her friends discover her condition.
After her secret was out, many people she was close to started distancing themselves from her. Her partner ends their relationship, she loses her best friends’ trust, and her partner’s dad describes her as “crazy.” She sends apologies to her friends but slowly gains their trust. One of her friends would not even trust her when she said that a doctor was abusing her sister.
Spinning Out shows that mental illness is a complicated and sometimes taboo topic. Kat struggles with keeping her condition a secret while also trying to understand herself and her medication. While she can get back on her medication, she loses her friends. Even in modern times, people living with mental health problems struggle to fit into a society that does not want them to fit in.
Works Cited
Biting Kaya Scodelario GIF – Biting Kaya Scodelario Kat Baker – Discover & Share GIFs. Accessed November 7, 2021. https://c.tenor.com/5UV2-1O9m8QAAAAd/biting-kaya-scodelario.gif.
“Lithium | Drugs.com.” Accessed November 7, 2021. https://www.drugs.com/lithium.html.
“NIMH » Bipolar Disorder.” Accessed November 7, 2021. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder#part_2262.
Spinning out – Kat’s Episode [1×08]. Accessed November 7, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlXJM6Z9Y18.
Spinning Out (1×10) – Kat Finds Serena’s Secret Lover. Accessed November 7, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OR5QmfK7dM.
Spinning Out | Official Trailer | Netflix. Accessed November 7, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmdnhR1Ie7g.
StaffNov 06, News 12, 2021, 2:32amUpdated on: Nov 06, 2021, and 3:58pm. “New Jersey Doctor Wants to Bridge Gap between Mental Health & Primary Care.” News 12 – The Bronx. Accessed November 7, 2021. https://bronx.news12.com/new-jersey-doctor-wants-to-bridge-gap-between-mental-health-and-primary-care.
- StaffNov 06, News 12, 2021, 2:32amUpdated on: Nov 06, 2021, and 3:58pm, “New Jersey Doctor Wants to Bridge Gap between Mental Health & Primary Care,” News 12 – The Bronx, accessed November 7, 2021, https://bronx.news12.com/new-jersey-doctor-wants-to-bridge-gap-between-mental-health-and-primary-care.
- Spinning Out | Official Trailer | Netflix, accessed November 7, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmdnhR1Ie7g.
- Biting Kaya Scodelario GIF – Biting Kaya Scodelario Kat Baker – Discover & Share GIFs, accessed November 7, 2021, https://c.tenor.com/5UV2-1O9m8QAAAAd/biting-kaya-scodelario.gif.
- “NIMH » Bipolar Disorder,” accessed November 7, 2021, https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder#part_2262.
- “Lithium | Drugs.com,” accessed November 7, 2021, https://www.drugs.com/lithium.html.
- Spinning out – Kat’s Episode [1×08], accessed November 7, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mlXJM6Z9Y18.
- Spinning Out (1×10) – Kat Finds Serena’s Secret Lover, accessed November 7, 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OR5QmfK7dM.
