Introduction
On May 30, 2003, Finding Nemo, the fifth full-length Pixar cartoon, was released worldwide. It tells the story of the clown fish Marlin, who went to look for Nemo’s son, who, by a tragic accident, turned out to be incredibly far from his father’s house. As the analyzed character, I have chosen the Dori fish.
The writers of the cartoon came up with a hilarious role for her. Every ten minutes, the fish forgot absolutely everything that she remembered. After that, she began to get to know her friends again and found out where they were going and who she was. In my opinion, Dori Fish can be diagnosed with a mental illness such as short-term memory syndrome or anterograde amnesia.
Character Description
Dori suffers from short-term memory loss syndrome (Halter, 2021). I saw this sign in the movie when Dory constantly forgot where the heroes were going and who they were (Stanton, 2003). Her entire journey is a return along a chain of flashbacks, where forgetfulness and annoying even close friends are the primary fuel for the plot. This ailment of the heroine is innate – during children’s games, she accidentally sails to the wrong place and loses her parents (Stanton, 2003). Therefore, after fairly frequent periods, Dori tries to find out who is around her and what is happening, since this information is quickly lost from her memory.
DSM-V Criteria
I suspect that my character has a mental illness, such as amnesia. The main criterion for anterograde amnesia specified in the DSM-5 is the inability to recall past events and facts after the onset of amnesia (Halter, 2021). The ICD code for this disease referenced in DSM-5 is R41.1 – Anterograde amnesia (Holcomb & Latham-Mintus, 2022). This can be either temporary or partial memory impairment.
A person suffering from anterograde amnesia may lose memories of past events and forget their data, phone number, or address (Halter, 2021). This criterion is pronounced in Dori since she forgets where she is going and who the surrounding fish are (Stanton, 2003). Some forms of anterograde amnesia may be hereditary, which may mean that the mechanisms leading to this form of amnesia may be associated with genetic mutations (Halter, 2021). Most likely, this applies to the case of Dori, since she talks about how she forgot her parents and her address as a child (Stanton, 2003).
Hollywood Portrayal of Mental Health Disorders
Dori from Finding Nemo is considered the most reliably depicted character with memory problems. Often, in Hollywood, screenwriters tend to romanticize mental diseases (Holcomb & Latham-Mintus, 2022). To romanticize the disease, symptoms that the viewer could interpret as shameful or that could cause an adverse reaction from others, not just sympathy, are usually not depicted (Holcomb & Latham-Mintus, 2022).
The realism of the depiction of the symptoms of anterograde amnesia in Finding Nemo is confirmed by including such criteria in the heroine’s portrait. For example, one of the DSM-5 criteria is a decrease in self-esteem and a violation of social adaptation (Halter, 2021). Victims may suffer from depression and anxiety due to the loss of distorted fragments of life, as well as lose confidence in themselves and their abilities (Holcomb & Latham-Mintus, 2022). Although not in a very pronounced form, this criterion is present in Dori, who has problems communicating with friends because every few minutes she forgets who they are (Stanton, 2003). Her difficulties correspond to those that people with amnestic syndrome face in real life.
Nursing Diagnosis & Applicable Interventions
Thus, an appropriate nursing diagnosis for Dori will be anterograde amnesia with short-term memory loss caused by genetic reasons. Realistic outcomes of anterograde amnesia can be diverse and depend on the cause of the disease (Boyes et al., 2020). They can manifest as short-term memory loss; however, since the character’s disease is genetic, most likely, Dori will have a long-term memory impairment throughout her life (Halter, 2021).
The first applicable interventions may be pharmacological methods that can quickly relieve symptoms. The second applicable intervention can be psychological help, for example, cognitive therapy, which helps to cope with emotional trauma (Boyes et al., 2020). The third applicable intervention can be rehabilitation, which helps to restore lost skills (Holcomb & Latham-Mintus, 2022). The fourth applicable intervention may be appropriate medicines, among which, for example, are neuroprotectors.
Conclusion
The movie made me feel sad when considering a client who has a mental illness. I realized that it can be terrifying in a constantly unfamiliar world. The movie did provide me with additional understanding and ideas on how to care for such clients.
I realized that the most essential thing that can be done for a person who has lost his memory is to provide him with a calm environment and support. It is necessary to understand that he may experience fear and uncertainty; therefore, it is essential to show them that people nearby can help. The way Dori was treated by her friends gave her confidence in herself and the world around her, so I think the cartoon showed a good example of how to behave with patients suffering from amnesia.
References
Boyes, M. E., Wilmot, A., & Hasking, P. A. (2020). Non-suicidal self-injury-related differences in the experience of negative and positive emotion. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 50(2), 437-448. Web.
Halter, M. J. (2021). Varcarolis’ foundations of psychiatric-mental health nursing. Elsevier.
Holcomb, J., & Latham-Mintus, K. (2022). Disney and disability: Media representations of disability in Disney and Pixar animated films. Disability Studies Quarterly, 42(1), 152-163. Web.
Stanton, A. (Director). (2003). Finding Nemo [Film]. Walt Disney Pictures.