“Mommy” is the chaotic life of an impulsive and violent mother and her son. A teenager who combines hyperactivity and conduct disorder. The director accurately portrays their suffering.
The bombshell of Quebec director Xavier Dolan is launched. The film “Mommy” has indeed just been released in French cinemas on Wednesday. Jury Prize at the last Cannes Film Festival (2014), it traces the story of a single-parent widow (Diane Després) who inherits custody of her son, an impulsive and violent ADHD teenager (Steve Després). At the heart of their outbursts and difficulties, they try to make ends meet, in particular thanks to the unexpected help of the enigmatic neighbor opposite, Kyla. All three eventually find a form of balance and, soon, hope.
Despite this positive encounter, we feel throughout the film the dead end in which this young 15-year-old finds himself. So what exactly is young Steve Després suffering from?
ADHD, ODD, and conduct disorder
For Dr François Bange (1), child psychiatrist (Robert Debré Hospitals, Paris 19th, and Saint-Anne, 14th), “we do not see in the role of Steve Després what characterizes Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder ( ADHD). This is surprising because we are told in the film that the young man has ADHD (and attachment disorders). However, we do not see it at all. It’s never shown. ”
“The scenes where he displays a taste for doing fairly rebarbant schoolwork (math) are not usual for someone with ADHD. These children indeed present a lot of attention deficit, ”recalls this specialist.
According to him, the syndromes that can be recognized in this young man belong to the oppostional defiant disorder (ODD). “We can clearly see in the film the difficulty Steve has in accepting the rules, the criticisms, and bearing the frustrations. But also the ease with which he gets angry in an extremely severe and recurring way. Often for minor reasons. Besides that I find that the provocative sides of his personality are well shown. “
In addition to these symptoms, Dr. François Bange also found more serious elements in Steve’s personality. Among them, a significant aggressiveness and a contempt for the suffering it causes. These elements remind him of conduct disorder. “Besides, at the start of the film, he was excluded from a rehabilitation center because of a fire he caused. But he feels no remorse when one of his comrades was burned in the 2nd, even in the 3rd degree by his fault, ”he points out.
A fable and not a documentary
Same story for Dr Bernard Durand, psychiatrist, president of the Cross-Marine Mental Health Assistance Federation, who also thinks it’s not an ADHD movie. In defense of Xavier Dolan, this doctor specifies that the young 25-year-old director presents his film as a fable and not as a documentary on hyperactivity. As such, this specialist underlines that the definition of this pathology varies according to the regions, and that Steve also presents certain symptoms of ADHD, in particular hyperactivity and impulsivity. The proof with the video below in which we see the young Steve overflowing with energy.
Differentiate between ADHD and other disorders
“I’m going to be pretty decided, but I think for parents who have just been told that their child has ADHD, the film can be devastating. Because it does not represent the usual evolution of an ADHD child at all. From this point of view the film is scandalous. On the other hand, if we place ourselves on the side of the discussion on conduct disorders or the TOP, the film is closer to reality. “
For young adolescents, this child psychiatrist recommends going to see this film with adults. “Ideally, the session would be followed by a debate, to explain to them that this is not an ADHD film. And the stake is important because hyperactivity is a disorder frequent in the population. According to Dr. François Bange, it would indeed affect 5% of children in the world. With the consequence for them: a disrupted schooling and exhausted parents. But in no case are these children violent or aggressive. And in adulthood their surplus energy can turn into benefits.
Especially since in the face of this composite syndrome there are effective treatments. Among them are psycho-educational and psychotherapy programs or cognitive remediation and neurofeedback. There are also drug treatments including that with the molecule most used in France which is methylphenidate (Ritalin *, Ritalin LP *, Concerta LP *, Quasym LP *), invented 60 years ago.
“Unfortunately, these many alternatives in terms of treatment are not found for conduct disorders or ODD which are much more serious and are very difficult to treat,” laments this psychiatrist.
To understand what these troubles look like, you can watch the movie trailer for Mommy. These appear from 2min03-2min23.
Finally, for all the people questioned, “Mommy” is above all an exceptional illustration of the suffering that different people can feel, as well as their loved ones.
“These are children who often have had great difficulties, difficult ties with their parents, as well as deep insecurity. And they also have a lack of self-esteem. These elements are the hard core of their personality. It is often very hard to understand what is going on with them. But we always try to help them build or rebuild themselves. We have to work in this direction, rather than trying to make it conform thanks to neutralizing drugs ”, thinks Dr. Bernard Durand.
Alongside the discomfort felt by these young people in distress, there is also the suffering of families.
Moreover for Christine Getin, president of the association ADHD France this element is the main message of the film: “This is not a film about ADHD, but rather about young people who have behavioral difficulties. And on their families who are confronted with this management in a difficult environment in addition. This mother (Diane Després), she was offered two solutions in the film: either stay alone in front of an unmanageable and violent 15-year-old teenager, or the confinement of her child. She does not benefit from any support in her life course. And somewhere I remember that in the film. Because this is the situation that many parents experience who have a different child. Including those who have a child with ADHD, ”she concludes.
But, as in the film, a meeting can sometimes change the fate of these young people in difficulty.
Listen to Dr Bernard Durand, president of the Mental Health Assistance Federation: “ How many times have I seen disorganized young people, without limit, meet an educator with whom something is going to happen. All of a sudden they feel recognized, valued… “
(1) Author of the book ” The inattentive and hyperactive child – 2nd ed. – Understand him and help him “, at the InterEditions
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