Recently we came across a web series called Shrink which is set in London and explores both the mental and physical symptoms of depression. It tackles the fact that depression affects people of all walks of life and highlights that people are affected differently.
The main character in this really interesting web series is cognitive behaviour therapist Natasha Charlton who, as well as having to support her patients, has to deal with her own secret mental health issue.
Episodes are 8-17 minutes long and in each episode we’re introduced to a new patient of Natasha’s. Through their stories we learn how experiences like childhood abuse, university life, parent expectations, unemployment, workplace bullying, work stress and body image can all have a significant impact on our mental health. Shrink also tackles the stigma associated with mental ill-health, the lengths that people will go to to hide their condition, the destructive ways that people may deal with mental health issues and the discrimination that exists.
So far there has been one series of Shrink and season two will be starting soon with the creators stating that they will be touching on topical issues like Brexit and the Black Lives Matter movement.
In the UK, 1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem each year and despite the fact that mental health issues are very common those affected still feel very isolated with there being an unease to discuss mental health.
When we look at the black community, statistics suggest that the African-Caribbean community are more likely to be diagnosed with severe mental illness and are 3-5 times more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia. Looking specifically at depression, a condition that features highly in Shrink, we know that 2.6% of the UK’s population are affected by depression.
Depression is described as a mood disorder where those affected feel persistently sad and lose interest in day-to-day activities and hobbies. It’s not the kind of sadness that people can just “get over” but needs some form of strategy to overcome. There are different types of depression such as major depression, bipolar disorder, persistent depressive disorder, seasonal defective disorder and postnatal depression, just to name a few. If you or anyone you know may be experiencing depression, please to reach out to your GP or a charity like Mind for some support, do not suffer in silence.
We applaud the makers of Shrink for using drama to raise awareness of depression and other mental health issues. Drama is a powerful way to highlight health issues and another organisation, Know My Mind, has used drama, with their play ‘So You Think I am Crazy’, to tackle the challenges black people face in the UK mental health system.
We found Shrink to be very interesting and look forward to watching the second series. You can watch the first season of Shrink here
