Black Swan: Psychosis, Sexual Abuse, and Environmental Factors

Popcorn Psychology

[Content Warning: this episode contains discussion of self-harm, sexual assault, and suicide] For our second Halloween episode, we will be diving into the movie, Black Swan and it’s portrayal of psychosis via the character played by Natalie Portman. We will be discussing a multitude of topics: self-harm, hallucinations, delusions, psychotic breaks, and schizophrenia. We will also be examining the myriad of external factors that impacted the main character’s mental health: her relationship with her mother, her high pressure career as a ballet dancer, and varied sexual violations she experiences via her employer. Join us for a jam-packed episode that will definitely get under your skin.