ABC Studios's Perception Film Analysis

In 2012, ABC Studios premiered the television series Perception, which ran until 2015. The series centers around Dr. Daniel Pierce (played by Eric McCormack), a neuropsychiatrist and college professor who has schizophrenia. He assists a friend at the FBI and uses his symptoms from schizophrenia to solve cases. While this television series is a step in the right direction towards the inclusivity of mental illnesses, it is not perfect and overlooks some of the major effects of living with a psychotic disorder. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) by the American Psychiatric Association specifies the criteria for schizophrenia. One must display two or more of the following symptoms for a significant portion of a
They feel abnormal while attempting to transition to “normal(er)” lifestyle. We can see this effect on Dr. Pierce during the few times he attempts to get on medications. He doesn’t want to lose his connection with Natalie and believes she is more important to him in his life than him getting better. As Dr. Pierce meets the criteria for having schizophrenia, there are some treatment options that would help him with living with a mental illness. Based on the effective results Dr. Pierce had while he was on medication, it seems that medication is a useful treatment for his schizophrenia. However, his avoidance of using medication is problematic, so therapy would also be needed to keep him on track and aware of the benefits. A treatment plan of medication and therapy often go hand-in-hand when regarding a mental illness, such as schizophrenia. In these situations, support (both from a professional and loved ones) is an important part in accepting the positive changes the medication could bring. Dr. Pierce has close loved ones that are supportive of him, which would help with the treatment of his schizophrenia. Overall, we can conclude Dr. Pierce does have schizophrenia and should seek treatment in order to handle the side effects that come with the disorder. While the symptom of hallucinations seems
Doing so could have damaging results, making real people affected by the disorder feel inadequate because they do not experience these “positive” symptoms. Mental illness deserves the same exposure, research, and compassion as any other disease (e.g. cancer, diabetes, etc.) This series is a step in the right direction for breaking down stigmas surrounding mental illness, showing that mental illness is not something to be scared of or remain silent about; but, it still has room for improvement. While not portrayed completely realistically, Dr. Daniel Pierce does show signs of schizophrenia in hallucinations and grossly disorganized behavior, when he is not monitored by Lewicki and not on medication. Hallucinations are a major indicator of schizophrenia, but Dr. Pierce’s hallucinations are portrayed in a “positive” manner that isn’t exactly realistic. For the most part of what we see in this television series, these symptoms are not impairing to Dr. Pierce’s life, except during the conspiracy in which intense stress is added to the situation and therefore has an impact on his average lifestyle. However, it is still behavior that deviates from normal and therefore concludes the diagnosis of Dr. Pierce’s