Mental Health in Ozark

How Mental Health is Portrayed In Ozark

This blog contains spoilers about the show Ozark. If you haven’t finished watching the series, go watch and then come back to read this blog!

Raise your hand if you’ve watched Ozark! This popular tv show is thrilling and entertaining, but as a therapist, there were definitely some moments I had trouble watching. Much of the show is centered around violence, power, drugs and money laundering, but what troubled me most while watching was the antiquated view of mental health that was frequently portrayed throughout the series.

A conversation between myself and Stefanie, one of our other therapists, says it best:

Me: “Why do we still have tv shows and movies that reflect such a stigmatized view of mental health?!” 

Stefanie: “Because unfortunately glorifying mental illness is what’s entertaining and what sells.”

Ugh, she’s right. 

We know that Hollywood's job is to create content that people are going to consume, and so much of the time that means content that evokes some strong emotion - content that is  controversial. 

But with that being said, my job as a therapist is to help destigmatize therapy and offer support, help, and care to those who are struggling. And I think we can all agree that the number of people struggling has wildly increased over the past few years. 

While I think we still have a ways to go, I am comforted by the fact that more people are reaching out for help than ever before. That therapy and mental health resources are much more widespread and accepted than they have been in the past. So it pains me to then see tv shows and movies reiterating old stereotypes and messages about the mental health field.

Now look, I know this isn’t just happening to therapists. Hollywood likes to play up tons of stereotypes - we see brawny personal trainers who are just liked for their looks, or “nerdy” scientists who can’t find a relationship.  But when therapists are portrayed as being untrustworthy and unethical, and when mental health symptoms are highlighted in their most extreme, glorified sense, we end up back where we started - with individuals fearful and hesitant to seek out help. 

Let’s look at what I think Ozark does right when it comes to showcasing mental health and therapy:

1. Many of the characters accurately depict what it’s like to navigate and manage living in an unhealthy family system. For instance, as Charlotte grows up and becomes more enmeshed in the world of money laundering with her parents, we see her become more and more parentified (Parentified means that even though you’re the child, you end up being more like the parent). Charlotte keeps a calendar for her parents, she makes sure they go to therapy, she emotionally supports and takes care of Marty. Kids tend to become parentified when parents are absent, inconsistent, or emotionally immature, as Marty and Wendy often are. Another example of characters accurately depicting psychological responses to family trauma is Wendy. Wendy grew up in an abusive home, and has a serious need for control. Children of abusive parents do not often have control, and as a result, they can rely heavily on finding control in other ways. For Wendy, that means micromanaging her brother Ben and his mental illness, as well as controlling and managing her family, no matter the cost. Throughout the series we see her use of gaslighting, gatekeeping, dramatizing, and lying to family as a way to ensure complete control. 

2. Several of the characters do show acute trauma symptoms in response to the many traumatic events that occur throughout the series. For instance, we see Ruth experience flashbacks and avoid water after she’s tortured. Furthermore, Marty experiences a dissociative episode after he first murders another person (Dissociation is when you shut down, or freeze. You might know where you are and what’s going on, but you’re emotionally and mentally removed from the situation). 

3. Lastly, one of the main characters, Ben, shows us what it can often be like to live with bipolar disorder, especially without medication and treatment. Ben progressively becomes more and more impulsive and distressed, the longer he goes without proper treatment. In many ways, I think the character accurately portrays what it can be like to live with a serious mental illness, as well as what it can be like for their loved ones to look after them. This makes a lot of sense when you learn that the actor who plays Ben, Tom Pelphry, is diagnosed with bipolar disorder himself. 

Now that we’ve explored what went well throughout the series, let’s look at what I don’t think was portrayed well:

1. While I already discussed that some of the characters exhibited acute trauma responses, I have to believe that if an otherwise “normal” family began experiencing consistent traumas like the Byrdes did, there would be a lot more mental illness in response. Now, keep in mind that not everyone who experiences a traumatic situation will end up with trauma or mental illness, but the Byrde family essentially had their lives flipped upside down overnight, and the family, especially the kids, did shockingly well with just moving on. It all seemed a little unbelievable to me. 

2. Overall, mental health was discussed fairly infrequently throughout the show. When commentary on mental health did occur, it often felt like the language and response to it, or therapy, was antiquated. The overall messaging was that if you struggle with mental illness then you’re “weak” or “problematic,” an idea that I just fundamentally don’t agree with as a therapist who has spoken with tons of people who work hard to improve their mental health and overall well-being.  

3. Last but definitely not least, can we talk about how unethical the therapist is?? Marty and Wendy begin couples therapy, and we as viewers quickly discover that Marty is paying the therapist to agree with him… and she does it! Then, we see Wendy take the same approach. Now props to the therapist for eventually calling them out on their behavior, but come on! Of course, in real life there are therapists who might act unethically. We hope this happens less often rather than more often. But to see a therapist who so blatantly and knowingly acts unethically was so painful for me to watch. 

There is so much stigma around mental health which prevents so many people from coming to therapy - let’s stop portraying therapists as untrustworthy and start showing how helpful and secure a good therapist can be for people who need and want help! With that being said, I have written a list of movies and shows below that we at Health in Tandem believe highlight therapy and mental health in an accurate and ethical way:

1. This Is Us

2. Parks and Recreation

3. Never Have I Ever

4. Insecure

5. Good Will Hunting

Thinking of starting therapy yourself? Don’t take any messages on therapy away from Ozark! Send us an inquiry and we’d be happy to set up an initial phone consultation to further discuss how we view therapy, what we can do to help, and more.