Psychological Disorders and Movies
Jesse Flores
University of Central Oklahoma

Psychological Disorders and Movies
In the comedy-drama film “28 days”, by Betty Thomas, the story line is focus with Gwen Cummings a newspaper columnist obligated to enter a rehabilitation center for alcoholism or face prison. At the weeding of her sister (Lily Cummings), Gwen’s pursuit of being the life of the party contributes into her getting drunk, which leads to her driving under the influence and ended up crashing into a house. After choosing the rehab center, Gwen is kept away from the things that once led her down a path of self-destruction. Furthermore, Gwen alcoholism cause her to develop a physical dependence on alcohol to maintain normal function and to cope with the challenges of daily life.
In the beginning Gwen was reluctant into taking part in any of the treatment programs such as discussion chants or sing-a-longs. In addition of being in denial, while in the rehab facility she experience withdraw symptoms such as nausea, sweating, shakiness, and anxiety due to the reduction of alcohol consumption after a prolonged period of heavy drinking. According to (Feist & Rosenberg 2012), “Withdraw symptoms are the adverse effects people with physical dependence experience if they stop using the drug. The drugs that lead to physical dependence create most severe withdraw symptoms”. Nevertheless, the portrayal of the disorder was incredibly realistic due to the fact that the signs and symptoms are common within alcoholism. Since, alcoholism is the most severe form of problem drinking. Alcoholism involves a wide variety of symptoms including craving, loss of control, physical dependence and refusing to admit that you have a drinking problem.
By getting to know some of the other patients, Gwen’s attitude begins to change in which she realizes that she does, in fact, have a