New Era University

No. 9 Central Avenue, New Era, Quezon City

AB Psych Output 1

Arianne Kristine S. Ferrer Dr. Rod Tomas

3 Psych 5 November 24, 2022

Reflection Paper: Voices Within:The Lives of Truddi Chase (1990)

Voices Within: The Lives of Truddi

Chase, a 1990 film directed by

Lamont Johnson, was written by

Truddi Chase and E. Jack Neuman.

The film is based on a terrible and

unsettling recollection that Truddi

had since she was a young girl. This

narrative is being told by Truddi

Chase. The film shows how Truddi

endures chronic physical and sexual

abuse at the hands of her stepfather

from the time she is 2 years old until

she is 12 years old. Truddi has

developed 92 separate personalities

as a result of this torture. The Troops are what these ninety-two voices call

themselves. She is home to 92 voices, the most of which are hidden from the woman's

shell, who was created to serve as an empty vessel for these sounds, devoid of

practically all memories. This story is about real life. The purpose of the film is to

describe Truddi's journey as she looks for the real causes and effects of her repeated

sexual abuse. The life of Truddi Chase is the primary subject of this film. Truddi Chase,

the stepfather, and Norman Truddi's spouse are the three characters who have been

properly developed.

Trudi Chase's penchant for creating three-dimensional characters is amply displayed

throughout the film. She is shown in the film as a miserable person who has endured

horrific sexual assault at the hands of her stepfather. For me, this experience can be

considered as extreme. Imagine she endures severe agony after being sexually and

physically assaulted by her stepfather when she was just two years old, and at the age

of 16, she runs away from home to live on her own. Truddi finds his stepfather's

disorder to be both monstrous and deeply unsettling. Despite it being a very difficult

time in her life, she is able to persist, especially when her marriage ends, since she has

numerous personalities.

Despite this, she continues to work through her range of emotions and starts

treatment and counseling. Truddi embodies both bravery and majesty since she

possesses the strength to survive the trauma. Despite having experienced trauma,

Truddi comes across as a dedicated and outgoing person in the movie. She also
demonstrates her skill as a convincing real estate agent when she persuades her client

to rent a three-story warehouse to park all of his automobiles.

Truddi's mother leaves Truddi's father because he cannot provide for them like her

step father. As long as the stepfather was giving them needs like food and shelter, she

did not care whether her daughter was being tortured. Because of his monstrous

behavior, the stepfather might be perceived as an emotional rake. He causes physical

suffering, as evidenced by the cuts and bruises that are visible on Truddi's face after the

stepfather rape her. When Truddi looks out the window and witnesses his stepfather

shooting the Rabbit, the animal starts to cry, creating a spectacle of physical suffering.

This sequence is significant because it demonstrates to the public how Truddi's mental

health is impacted by the howling voices later in life.

 In the movie, Norman is Truddi's husband. He is portrayed in the movie as being a

loving person. He shows concern for his family and can be recognized as a good father

because he is present for his daughter's play activities despite her mother's refusal to

accompany them. He is also a good spouse because he is patient with his wife's many

personalities. But as time goes on, Norman grows weary of dealing with the difficulties

in his marriage that were brought on by the bizarre and abnormal personality traits and

different attitudes she had gained over the years, and this was because she still had a

condition that hadn't been healed.

The movie's narrative can be depicted to not be sequential because from time to

time it bring about flashbacks that help us to understand her background and the

physical and sexual abuse she experienced and how it caused trauma.
 We learn about and hear from a few of Truddi's other selves, referred to as The

Troops, in a brief introduction, including Mean Joe described as big, black, and

protecting the children. Lady Catherine is described by others as stuffy but she is

merely civilized. Black Catherine, the alter you don't wanna meet because she is

always filled in range. Sister Mary Catherine who always does what is right.

Catherine, a sophisticated lady who can laugh and make others laugh too. And a

businesswoman by the name of Ten-Four. This contradicts the widespread

misconception that people with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) have no memory of

their alter egos' activities at all, known as total amnesia.

Voice-over dialogue between a man and a woman is the start of the movie. Truddi

Chase, the main character, carries inside of her. A tracking shot that follows a

middle-aged woman as she walks through the city is used in place of the establishing

shot. Truddi contacts a man in a red phone booth during the period of a Cold Open, an
introduction scene that occurs before the title card, and she declares that she has found

the man and where he lives and that she is going to kill him and that nobody can stop

her at this point. Finding out who she phoned and why she wanted to kill this man

intrigues me.

Despite the incurable blackouts, Truddi's early adult life is joyful. However, there are

times that she is occasionally very caring, as seen when she tends to her neighbor's

son's wound and also soothes her neighbor, who occasionally seemed to be

experiencing emotional instability. However, at other times, she was very mean,

especially to her daughter Paige because she turned into her mother whenever she

experienced flashbacks of her childhood. Outbursts of strange behavior, flashbacks,

panic attacks, and recollections of child abuse take the place of stability.

Soon Norman had left. She claimed that during this process, she gained

understanding of the causes of her numerous personalities. She made the decision to

get therapy in order to figure out what was driving her insane and the causes of the

frequent flashbacks of when her stepfather had abused her physically and sexually. She

made the decision to receive counseling and therapy with Stanley, a professional

psychiatrist; he is the one who speaks first in the film's introduction. He assisted her with

the therapy sessions and aided in her realization that she had 92 different personalities

as a result of burying and denying her emotions in her mind, which was why they kept

coming back every day.

 As seen in the story and said by the psychiatrist, the mental illness term that is used

to describe all this is referred to as Dissociative Identity Disorder or Multiple Personality

Disorder. It occurs when there are so many personalities living in one person.

Discontinuity and dissociation from one's thoughts, memories, environment, activities,

and identity are traits of mental illnesses known as dissociative disorders. Dissociative

disorder sufferers unintentionally and unhealthily flee reality, making it challenging for

them to go about their daily lives. Dissociative disorders typically arise in response to

trauma and serve to block out unpleasant memories. Like what Truddi’s been

experiencing in his father and eventually through the years she's been keeping it.

Imagine how hard it is dealing with multiple personalities. Having one personality is

already hard but having more than is harder. Patients who are diagnosed with this

condition have already gone through a great deal of pain and suffering and still have a

long way to go.

 New Era University
No. 9 Central Avenue, New Era, Quezon City

AB Psych Output 1

Arianne Kristine S. Ferrer Dr. Rod Tomas

3 Psych 5 November 23, 2022

Reflection Paper: Gia (1998)

Gia Marie Carangi was born in

Philadelphia in 1960. She was her

parents' lone female child. Her

mother, Kathleen, and she shared a

tight bond. Her mother would always

compliment her, calling her the most

beautiful daughter. Gia saw her

parents yell at each other when she

was a child. Because of her mother's

adultery, she overheard her father

become furious. Furthermore, she

overheard her mother admit that her

father makes her want to commit

suicide. Gia's mother ultimately left with her new husband.

Gia was raised by her father and her two brothers. She was employed by the family

restaurant. She was about 17 years old and had tattoos and spiky colorful hair.

She acquired smoking skills. She maintained a dominating demeanor and a direct

speaking style while acting and appearing manly. TJ was shaken when she first met him

in their restaurant. That made her happy because she has the opinion that when people

are afraid of you, they won't notice how afraid you are. She makes flirtatious advances

toward TJ, and on a whim, she decides to quit work and drags TJ along. She was seen

by a photographer when she was having fun on the streets. Because she couldn't pose

still, Gia hated being photographed, according to the photographer. You had to chase

after her constantly so you could restrain her. A make-out session replaces the photo

shoot. Gia was open to physical closeness with all sexes and was casual about sex.
 Wilhelmina Cooper, the head of a modeling agency in New York, was drawn to her

images. To meet her, Gia went to New York with TJ. Gia hesitated as she approached

the agency since she could see that it was filled with well-groomed blonde women. She

also got into a fight with the receptionist when she wasn't seen right away despite

having an appointment. She got her pocket knife and carved her name on the front desk

and impolitely asked the receptionist to let her boss know she’s here.

Gia started attending appointments with several companies. She claimed that

despite visiting all of these individuals, no one noticed her. She expressed that she

wasn’t good at any of this and even if she is; she was not exactly sure what she was

good at. She also started living in New York. TJ assisted her with moving into her new

apartment, but he then made the decision to return to Philadelphia. Gia made an effort

to persuade him from leaving by claiming that, at only 17 years old, she needed

someone to look after her. She also made an attempt to charm him into staying home.

Gia would not actually have sex with TJ, so he was hesitant. Gia attempted to put on

TJ's boxers while they were still having sex and claimed to have a penis. When TJ

questioned Gia about having sex with a guy, she replied that she had, but she might just

as well have done so with a dog. TJ eventually leaves.

Gia called Wilhelmina the night before her first photo shoot. She was sidetracked by

the irate voice of Wilhelmina's husband as she was being questioned by Wilhelmina

about why she had called. She began asking Wilhelmina if he was as violent as had

been reported. She said that she would murder him if he ever touched Wilhelmina.
When Wilhelmina saw she was anxious, she advised the woman to take a sleeping aid.

She was told by Wilhelmina to just be herself, but she had no idea who she was.

Gia became professional in modeling. She made Wilhelmina proud. There are

scenes in the movie when Gia visited Wilhelmina, she would act like a little girl by

placing her head on her lap and chatting with her about her crush. Then, as she

became famous in her profession along with her success in the field. She went to a club

with a model where there were plenty of sex, drinking, smoking, and drug use scenes. It

is when it started. Gia's irregular social behavior, especially during disagreements,

would be a particular symptom. In one instance, Gia's mother had to leave her and go

home. Gia had hugged her mother and begged her to stay, claiming she "needed her”.

When her mother stated clearly that she was leaving, Gia immediately changed her

strategy and began screaming at her to "get the fuck out."

 Gia used drugs to escape the emotional suffering. She claimed that she was hurting

because people kept avoiding her, but the photographer simply advised her to focus on

her profession and the rest of her life would fall into place. It was demonstrated that the

medicine caused her to begin experiencing delusions, such as picturing Linda and

Wilhelmina as her mother and kissing them.

They also find out that she has AIDS because while talking to her mother, she

fell unconscious. The doctors said she might have got it from a contaminated needle.

Also she became more addicted to drugs. When he doesn’t have money to buy her

drugs she starts stealing. She pawned some things, borrowed from her father, stole

some from her mother.

Gia received care only for her addiction and rehab; her mood issue received no

attention. Gia first used pills, then cocaine, and eventually heroin when she couldn't get

her dose from cocaine. When Gia's career was at its height in the early 1980s, heroin

usage and the emerging AIDS epidemic were both growing concerns. Gia was admitted

to therapy, given doses of methadone, visited support groups, and later placed in

isolation to undergo her withdrawals. When the AIDS virus started ravaging her body

toward the end of her life, she was receiving therapy in a hospital setting, though the

care probably wasn't particularly beneficial because AIDS science was still in its infancy

and many doctors didn't know how to treat it.

 Overall, I found this movie intriguing because of how a person with a mood problem

was portrayed. I was unaware of Gia Marie Carangi's tragic life and passing before she

became one of the first supermodels. This movie served as an excellent introduction to

her life and the devastation that a mood condition may cause. The representation of an

AIDS patient in the 1980s was extremely well done. Because of the lack of knowledge

about AIDS at the time, which was depicted throughout the film, it is historically

accurate. A subtlety was how other people saw Gia's mood illness. I doubt that those

around her knew she had a mental condition and instead just attributed it to her unique

nature.

She also does not care for breaking rules or following norms. Some examples

include using a knife to vandalize property and breaking into her mother's home.

This also included lesbianism and sexual fluidity. She also insisted on keeping
things with Linda even after finding out about her boyfriend. Gia was immature and

emotionally unstable.

As seen in the story she throws a temper tantrum or have an emotional outburst

when people try to leave her. She was afraid of being abandoned by the ones she

loved. She turned to drugs for solace because she was unable to cope with the

emotional suffering she was experiencing and the stress of her modeling job.

Additionally, she struggles with self-doubt. She was so unsure of herself and her goals

that she even asked for advice on how to be herself. She often makes comparisons to

the other models, which makes her feel insecure.

Based on Gia's journals and fairytales, she aspires to be the blonde girl who finds a

lovely, safe home and is adored by everyone. Later, she added that she wished to have
children, attend school, and acquire knowledge. It is sad that she didn't have the chance

to acquire them.

I believe Gia is suffering from Bipolar Disorder because of a sudden change of

mood. We view drug users more favorably than mentally ill people. This may be the

main cause of Gia's heroin consumption being mistakenly blamed for all of her issues

while, in reality, it may have been a symptom and an effort to control the manic episodes

and depressive episodes she suffered from. Gia passed away before receiving medical

attention, so I cannot be certain. Also when she goes to rehab it is not a program that

treats people with mental disorders.

But if I were there I won't let Gia's memory be used for anything as trivial as merely

cautioning people against doing drugs. The significance of detecting mental illness in

ourselves and in our loved ones may be conveyed in a far more powerful way. Let's

make sure that we focus on the proper issue if our goal in relaying her tale is to save

lives.
 New Era University
No. 9 Central Avenue, New Era, Quezon City

AB Psych Output 1

Arianne Kristine S. Ferrer AB Psych Output 1

3 Psych 5 December 11, 2022

Reflection Paper: The Woman in the Window (2021)

Mental illness has long been a

problem. It can affect the relationship

with your family, friends, colleagues,

and loved ones at some point of their

lives. Anna Fox, a middle aged

woman who is the protagonist in

the movie, suffers from different

mental illnesses. Anna is treated

differently because of her mental

illness. That demonstrates how each

of her relationships in her life is

treated differently, including those

with her family, friends, and herself.

 Anna Fox, a psychologist, developed agoraphobia and post-traumatic stress

disorder after a life-changing accident. Separated from her husband Ed, she now

has no close friends and only a strained relationship with her downstairs tenant David,

preferring to spend her time watching old noir movies and spying on her new neighbors

across the street, drinking more than is recommended to accompany her medication.

However, her perspective is already faulty due to the combination of drugs and solitude,

so the title cards that list the days of the week are only helpful to the viewer. But who

among us hasn't felt as if time has been spinning in a circle during the past few months?

She also has a counselor that helps her in medication and psychotherapy for traumatic

events that happened in her life.

 The Russells are the newcomers, who enter her life after their teenage son Ethan

visits to confide in her about his unhappy home life. “I can see your house from my

room,” says the Russells’ boyishly sweet, teenage son, Ethan the first time he comes to

visit and gives a lavender soap. Anna is a good person and as a child psychologist she

knows that Ethan is suffering with something. Also Ethan seems harmless in their first

encounter. Anna treats Ethan with respect even though this is the first time they met and

knowing she is agoraphobic. She feels comfortable talking to him because she also has

a daughter.

Then, she soon meets Ethan's mother Jane, who explains Ethan's father Alistair's

erratic, paranoid behavior. They have a little conversation, after Jane helps her when

she faints outside. Jane said “Oh, you’re a shrink? That’s a twist!”. Despite her
depression and agoraphobia, Anna Fox has managed to maintain her sense of humor.

Also Jane drew in a sketchpad, Anna holding her daughter named Olivia.

Soon after that visit, via the window of the home across the street, Anna witnesses

the Russells arguing. She clearly depicts Jane Russell being attacked with a knife by

using her camera lens. She didn't know who had done it.

After calling 911, Anna stutters into the street in an effort to help Jane. Being

agoraphobic she doesn’t go outside. She used her red umbrella in an effort to go to the
Russel’s. Unfortunately, she is hit by a car, though, and when she wakes up in her

house, two NYPD police are there and claim that Anna had sounded a false alarm.

Anna is told by Alistair that she has never met his wife and that she is doing fine. He

displays her as evidence. Jennifer Jason Leigh, who portrays Jane Russell presently, is

not the Jane Russell Anna first encountered in the role of Julianne Moore. Even the

teenage Ethan insists that Anna has never met his mother and expresses concern for

Anna's mental wellbeing.

Anna studies everything she can about Alistair Russell for several weeks in an effort

to demonstrate she is not insane. She discovers that Pamela Nazin, Alistair's personal

assistant, has passed away, purportedly after falling from her rooftop. She also
discovers an earring in David's room that she recalls Jane Russell wearing in the

Julianne Moore movie. David appears to be on parole and is living unlawfully outside of

the state. Leave her suspecting David is the murderer and that started their fight.

Defended by David he works for Alistair Russell but never runs into Jane. When he

is assisting a friend with some box moving, he also borrows a box cutter from Anna.

When he discovers Anna in his room uninvited, carrying his post and a letter indicating

that he is on parole and in breach of that, David reveals a far darker side. David claims

that a bar fight is to blame. He becomes combative with Anna and makes fun of her

anxiety. If true, he is not a good man. However, Anna has switched medications,

been drinking while taking the medications, and is prone to paranoia and perhaps

hallucinations; just because she actually saw Katie get killed does not mean the

rest of her perspective is undistorted.

 Anna then experienced several hallucinations that made her not accountable

in her stories. She also thinks that her family is still alive but the real truth is they are

dead. For what she felt, she decided to end her life using different medicine and take a

video. But, after browsing through her phone she saw a picture that would be proof that

what she saw in the window is real.

Anna then waits for David, his tenant, to show the picture. Then, they identified that

woman is not the Jane Russel but Katie who was actually Ethan's biological mother who
was determined to be a part of Ethan's life again. The woman she met and had sex

with.

The mystery that may have existed is far more intriguing than the actual spelling out

of all the answers to these queries. Even the police, who play a real investigator, are

present, Anna's attempts to play the detective aren't as compelling as the persistent

question of whether she's a psychotic stalker or she might be onto something.

Mr.Russel viciously pours insults at her, referring to her as "a drunken, shut-in,

pill-popping cat lady," yet they didn’t know the pain she is dealing with underneath. It's

incredibly distressing to watch Anna struggle in small, subtle ways to sound steady as

she thinks back on the incidents that led to her current condition. Such poignant scenes

contribute more to the success of this film than the violent, horror-inspired fight at the

end.

The first major plot-relevant revelation is that the woman Anna encounters on

Halloween night is not Jane Russell; Anna simply assumes that she is. You may

remember that when some children start tossing eggs at her house, Anna approaches

her front door to confront them but falls unconscious due to her agoraphobia. A tall,

blond woman answers the door and offers Anna assistance. The woman claims to have

just crossed the street, so Anna guesses she is Jane Russell.

Alistair Russell visits the residence later that evening and inquires as to if any

members of his family paid her a visit that evening. Because Katie, whom she believes
to be Jane, has stated that Alistair may be somewhat rigid and controlling, Anna lies (or

thinks she is lying) and says no. The actual Jane is probably at home, so Alistair isn't

hunting for her. Instead, he is pursuing his kid, who is likely to have interacted with

Katie, his birth mother.

At the end, it is revealed that Ethan is the killer and preparing to kill Anna and has

already stabbed David. Anna informs Ethan that she will proceed with the suicide

nonetheless. David's passing will appear to have been caused by Anna and she has

already written her suicide note. She takes a taste of her wine after adding the

crushed-up pills she was going to use to end her life. But instead of finishing the glass,

she runs after hitting Ethan in the head with the wine bottle.
 Anna awakens in a hospital after pushing a teenage psychopath out a window to

death. The Russells are being held in custody, Katie's death has been uncovered, and

even though Alistair is staying quiet, Jane Russell is not, according to nice Detective

Little, who is present and offers Anna a full apology. In an act of penance, Detective

Little decides to give Anna the chance to delete the suicide video from her phone before

the phone is taken in as evidence.

Anna has made a great recovery overall nine months later. She bids farewell to the

"spirits" of her husband and daughter who had kept her company while she was

confined there as she leaves for the last time. She has sold her home and is moving.

With her agoraphobia gone, Anna exits the house through the front entrance

carrying her cat in a carry case.

 Because of the death of her loved ones and only she survived. I think Anna

developed her agoraphobia, post traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety. She doesn’t

have any other family that could help her overcome what she feels. Also, others think

she is paranoid. The medication she takes makes her hallucinations.