MOVIE psychoANALYSIS: Phoebe in Wonderland
The movie, Phoebe in Wonderland depicts and family in conflict and a young girl in crisis, all because of a syndrome or clinical condition that has impacted her thoughts, her behavior and her actions. After viewing the movie, please answer the following questions in the comments section, and please, use the comments section to delve further into a dialogue with students, peers and other blog visitors who may have chimed in on the conversation.
What diagnoses did you entertain, if any, for Phoebe as you watched the movie?
What diagnosis did she and the family discover to be the one that most adequately matched her symptoms?
After learning about the various brain structures and their functions seamlessly identified and addressed in the most recent episode of the short story, "Oil" Dale, posted here...
Bakersfield Sound Underground
...or more directly, here:
Adventures of Oil Dale
...please discuss which of the brain regions and their functions would be most related to Phoebe's case, and tell us why.
After listening to the song, It Only Hurts When I Cry, posted there, please tell us which centers of the brain were activated, if any, by your experience of listening to the song.
Posted by Bruce L Thiessen Ph D at 1/15/2010 5:44 PM 
Categories: movie psychoanalysis
Tags: movie psychoanalysis psychology comes alive
Categories: movie psychoanalysis
Tags: movie psychoanalysis psychology comes alive
As I viewed the film “Phoebe in Wonderland," I considered the character of Phoebe to display characteristics associated with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). I noted that she experienced much anxiety in her life within both the school and home setting. Phoebe seemed to develop repetitive behaviors such as washing her hands an excessive amount of time, counting, and reciting certain phrases, which I thought were to be her rituals. Based on my knowledge about OCD, individuals with this disorder believe that in order to reduce the anxiety experienced from their manner of thinking, their rituals must be completed. The second diagnosis I thought Phoebe might have was the mental disorder of Schizophrenia due to her frequent imaginations of people and situations that were not real, which represented hallucinations. The final diagnosis that I also considered for this child was the neurological disorder of Tourette’s Syndrome (TS). I wrote TS in my notes as a possible diagnosis after watching the scene in which Phoebe and her sister go trick-or-treating on Halloween, and Phoebe blurts out an inappropriate comment to the woman handing out candy. From this scene, I remembered Phoebe’s past behaviors in the film in which she would blurt out words, spit at classmates as well as mimic others, which lead me to contemplate whether or not TS might be the primary issue.
In the end, Phoebe and her family discover that the primary diagnosis of Tourette’s Syndrome (TS) is the most relevant disorder that coincides with her symptoms presented in the film as well as OCD.
On another note, after reading the short story about “Oil” Dale in which a brief explanation of some areas of the brain as well as their functions were identified, I think that the frontal lobe and limbic system were affected in Phoebe’s case. In my opinion, Phoebe displayed irrational thinking about various matters in her life that led her to develop anxiety, more specifically OCD, which relates to the function of the frontal lobe in carrying out decisions, planning, reasoning, and other important abilities. Phoebe’s irrational thoughts (cognition) influenced her behavior. Also, in my perspective, the TS and OCD symptoms experienced by Phoebe correspond to the limbic system in that Phoebe felt confused, angry and sad as a result in not being able to understand why she was behaving the way she was, which disrupted her emotions.
Lastly, in listening to the song It Only Hurts When I Cry, the areas of my brain that I think were activated included the temporal lobe (auditory processing), frontal lobe (thinking), and most importantly the limbic system (emotions). I concentrated in listening to the song as well as trying to understand the message. Also, the song helped me remember the significance of the great civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who was such an influential person that represented equality,freedom,and unity.
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Aurora, it did not even occur to me that Phoebe might have TS until she was actually diagnosed late in the film. I was under the assumption that all of Phoebe’s disruptive behaviors such as the spitting and the inappropriate verbal outburst were symptoms of her OCD. I was actually surprised to discover that she suffered from a co morbidity of neuroses, specifically TS and OCD. Perhaps Phoebe’s TS was the twist in the plot. Your assessment of Phoebe was quite intuitive, and insightful.
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This was my second time watching Phoebe in Wonderland which was an interesting movie even on my second time through. During my initial viewing, I was stuck on the idea that Phoebe was had OCD due to her rituals and counting compulsions that became more and more prominent as she reacted to stress. This was seen in her excessive hand washing prior to her audition for the play, as well as in the many ritualistic behavioral patterns (i.e stepping in a specific order without touching cracks and jumping on stairs in a specific pattern) that she had to go through in an effort to evade losing her position in the play. However, in my second viewing of the film the symptoms of Tourettes Syndrome seemed to stand out more so (of course, this could be because I had seen the movie before and knew what the final diagnosis was before it was revealed during my second viewing of the film
I agree with Aurora in that it seems that Phoebe’s limbic system and frontal cortex seemed to play a big part in Phoebe’s case. Phoebe experienced anxiety and fear as a result of the symptoms she was displaying, this emotional response stemmed from the limbic system which is the emotional center of the brain. The frontal cortex was also activated as she planned out and executed her ritualistic behaviors that she believed would allow her to evade stress (i.e. being punished by the principle, being “fired” from the play).
Reading the story of Oil Dale cracked me up (activated the limbic system) and made me feel as though I was teleported to work and dealing with the clients that I have the pleasure of working with. Dale seemed to fit the bill of many of them! Although I doubt many of them have ever heard of the occipital lobe.
The song It Only Hurts When I Cry activated the occipital lobe through watching the Window’s Media Player screen change in shapes and colors along with the song. It also activated the temporal lobe which is responsible for hearing. Lastly, as Aurora has already said, the song activated the limbic, emotional center, in that it evoked an emotional response specifically when being reminded of the children who died after the church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama.
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Beth, I enjoyed reading your post that reflected your ideas and perspective about the film “Phoebe in Wonderland.” Viewing the film a second time would have definitely helped in better understanding Phoebe’s condition.
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Beth, in reference to how you noticed the TS symptoms in the Phoebe character sooner the second time you watched the film, I would definitely say this is a case of hind sight being 20/20. I too did not recognize the TS symptoms in Phoebe until late in the film because I was preoccupied with the smug (not to say that you felt smug as well) feeling that I already had accurately diagnosed her with OCD. My false assumption is probably a good lesson about staying subjective and open to various possibilities when making a diagnosis.
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Beth, I watched an excellent doc. on HBO about the tragedy in Birmingham concerning the bombing of the church and the 4 little girls who were killed. I believe it's a Spike Lee joint, and although the film evokes certain emotions such as anger and sadness it is a poignant study of the ugliness as well as the strength and courage of the human condition. If you have not already watched it and are interested in the topic, I highly recommend Spikes doc. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3302971953362876297&ei=OvtfS6m3MJ6yqgLUnLidDg&q=4+Little+Girls%2C+directed+by+Spike+Lee%2C#
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Down with Phoebe
Perhaps in the case of “Phoebe in Wonderland” we should not do as the door mouse said, and let us abstain from feeding our head; that is if feeding your head, as Grace Slick hauntingly suggests at the end of Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit”, does not refer to taking hallucinogenic drugs, but is more a reference to opening one’s mind to their own creativity and psychological strengths. In other words, using cognitive thought /thinking in order to assess our surrounding environments and social interactions.
I mention the song “White Rabbit” because, as many of you already know, its title and lyrical content allude to “Alice in Wonderland” which is an underlying theme or subplot of “Phoebe in Wonderland”.
The main theme of the Phoebe film seems to be something that is quite a bit more based in reality, that is childhood/adult psychological disorders and their affects on that child, the family, and the people the affected child interacts with. And although the main theme of the film is of a serious nature, the fantasy aspect as well as the brief moments of levity seem to intertwine with and accentuate the overall message of the film.
I do not want to describe the film in too much detail so as not to give too much away to any readers who may be watchers, but I would like to point out a few things that caught my eye/ear and perhaps offer a brief assessment of the Phoebe situation.
The first thing that struck me, as the opening credits rolled out, was an eclectic model of sorts that appeared lovingly constructed by the hands of a humble artist or creative child, quite reminiscent of something C.S. Lewis describes in relation to the feeling of joy. And by the way young Phoebe stares adoringly transfixed upon the model, we later find out was made for her by her parents/parent, it is obvious it too brings her joy.
At this point I would like to segue into perception and how one’s joy or what brings one joy may depend on their individual perception of the world around them, but for now I better “beware the moon and stick to the road” (An American Werewolf in London, 1981) lest this little piece becomes a beast.
Right away we see that Phoebe’s troubles at school arise from boredom (as her mother had mentioned feeling herself) and a detachment from the school staff and other students, that is until she encounters the seemingly eccentric yet wise and empathetic drama teacher, Miss Dodger. From the moment Phoebe hears the kindly drama teacher’s “Alice in Wonderland” teaser she seems enamored by her. Perhaps it is at this moment that Phoebe realizes she is not alone in the world, and that perhaps there is someone she can relate to and even emulate.
(to be continued)
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Down w/ Phoebe (continued)
Unfortunately for Phoebe she does not seem to fully connect with her parents either, thus the drama teacher fills that void as well. Although the drama teacher seems to be the only person Phoebe can really relate to, she does befriend a boy who she seems to connect with on some level having to do with their similarities in intelligence and a mutual (of Omaha) alienation from their peers.
At first Phoebe’s mother seems to be an enabler for Phoebe’s disorder, choosing to ignore the severity of the symptoms, and even encouraging some of the subsequent behaviors. Although as the film proceeds, the mother begins to open her eyes to certain clues to her daughter’s psychological disorder and even begins to see that her younger daughter is starting to model some of Phoebe’s behaviors caused by the disorder.
As Phoebe’s OCD and other related neuroses escalate in frequency and severity, and as her feelings of anxiety and despair from her disorder become more evident to her parents, they start to become more proactive in dealing with her disorder (although both parents continue to display the avoidance defense mechanism) and take her to see a therapist, which does not seem to do Phoebe any good either because the therapist appears inadequate and non-perceptive to what is really troubling Phoebe.
In a way it seems that Phoebe’s mind is working overtime because of her high level of intelligence, but she does not have enough intellectual stimuli in her life, thus she fills the void with obsessive/compulsive thoughts and behaviors. The drama teacher seems to recognize Phoebe’s unique potential and encourages her to tap into its creative possibilities. In so many words the drama teacher tells all of her students to start using cognitive thought and have confidence in that process (kinda like somebody else we know), which is the perfect segue into writing the rest of this piece in poem/lyric form:
NOTE TO READER: I am not posting the poem until after I read it in class because it will be more affective that way. I also wrote another two pages of notes but I don’t want to put the audience to sleep so I will probably bring those to discuss in class as well.And I will be posting further replies here concerning some of the Doc's questions that I may not have answered.
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As I watched the movie Phoebe in Wonderland, automatically my views of her is Over Compulsive Disorder because of her rituals of washing her hands until they become red or bleeding especially when nervous or having anxiety attacks. Also Tourette's Syndrome from her loud outbursts and insults to even fellow students she cares about as well as spitting. Research shows this takes place in the basal ganglia, frontal lob and cortex, there is abnormality within the communication of the neurotransmitters(dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine). Phoebe is a young child that is special, who is learning about herself as well as her parents and sister. In this film her mother wants to protect her and also in denial of the help she needs so her fellow students as well as the school staff may understand her better. Phoebe was able to escape the lack of understanding of herself through "Alice and Wonderland" and imagining every adult as a character in story there was not threat. Ms. Dodger understood Phoebe because she too had these disorders (the scene as they talked above the stage and the scene as Phoebe imagining talking with Ms. Dodger who is holding Alice's hand above the stage and the camera shows them walking away together). Her mother showed anger towards the psychologist as well as Ms. Dodger. The psychologist because she felt he did not know what he was talking about the film showed symbolism in the psychologists office with the black and white but with his socks colorful Phoebe related to the doctor as the egg from "Alice and wonderland" the doctor saw everything in black and white but the colorful socks may have represented his undercover childlike ways as Phoebe saw him. Also the mother was angry as Ms. Dodger not just because of the danger she put her daughter in but because Phoebe did not display any symptoms during play rehearsal and Ms. Dodger understood Phoebe. Phoebe became close to the little boy who wanted to be queen she understood him as he began to learn his sexual preference at an early age and he understood her being different. Phoebe found her place in "Alice and Wonderland" she became a leader and did not portray these symptoms during play rehearsal, she felt safe.
As relating to "Oil Dale", this character is hilarious how does his fiance deal with him. I agree with her he does have a over sized occipital lobe, visual creates information and emotion, we judge alot of the times by sight. To drink as much as Dale and be coherent as he was, wow!
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Christianne, Your assessment of the Phoebe character and her relationship to, and emulation of the "Alice" character seems to be accurate, but I am not sure that Dodger suffered from the same psychological disorders as Phoebe, but instead related to Phoebe because of their mutual creative intelligence and free spirit, although I could be wrong.
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Watching Phoebe in Wonderland, it first appeared that she had symptoms of OCD because of her constant hand washing and what seemed to be ritualistic behaviors, counting steps and fear that if the ritual was not completed, there would be negative consequences such as being fired. As the movie continued it was obvious that Phoebe was exhibiting echolalia. She also showed lack of control with her urges, such as with spitting and yelling “wake up” at the ballet. Throughout the movie Phoebe was having hallucinations of wonderland that she could not separate from reality, with schizophrenia not showing symptoms until early adulthood I knew that it was an inaccurate diagnosis. As the movie continued toward the end, Phoebe’s tics became noticeable enough that Turrets was the most apparent diagnoses. The scene at the ballet made this diagnoses the most evident to me because Phoebe could not control her urge to scream “wake up” even though she obviously was trying to quiet herself.
I think that Phoebe would have an impaired frontal lobe because that is the main area of the brain that deals with impulse control.
Lastly, I was using my temporal lobe while listening to the song It Only Hurts When I Cry.
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Ashley, your post was very insightful as well as informative. I did not recognize the word "echolalia", so I looked it up and discovered it is a behavior correlated to various disorders such as autism, Turret’s, Alzheimer’s, and other psychological disorders. Thanks for the 411.
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1) While watching Phoebe in Wonderland, I entertained in my mind a few possible diagnoses for Phoebe. The first diagnosis that came to mind was that Phoebe is schizophrenic, particularly the disorganized type. There were numerous scenes in the movie that showed Phoebe seeing and interacting with imaginary characters, like the Queen of Hearts and Alice, and seeing movie imagery in the real world. Someone who is schizophrenic can have difficulty telling the difference between real and unreal experiences. Additionally, schizophrenics can have inappropriate emotional responses and trouble behaving normally in social situations. The scene where the children are playing tag and Phoebe runs away crying because she is scared of being “it” could be an example of an inappropriate emotional response to a common children’s game. Also, Phoebe has difficulties making friends, with the exception of Jamie Madison, and often spends her recess time alone on the playground or hanging out on the roof the school. The disorganized type of schizophrenia where one experiences hallucinations, repetitive behaviors, and social withdrawal, initially seemed to be most fitting diagnosis for her. Phoebe demonstrated those three characteristic of the disorder.
Other then schizophrenia, I also thought that Phoebe may be also suffering from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Like my classmates, I picked up on how Phoebe would perform excessive rituals that she felt compelled to perform to help reduce the anxiety she was facing. Some examples from the movie that reflect this is when she cleans her hands to the point where they are raw and blistered and when she has to jump up and down the stairs in a particular pattern. Both of these behaviors came about when Phoebe was nervous about getting “fired” from the play.
Like Aurora, I also saw signs of Tourette’s Syndrome (TS) in Phoebe. Thanks to Beth’s comments before the movie started that the diagnosis the Phoebe ultimately has was not clear to her the first time she saw the film, I was looking carefully for signs other then the obvious OCD ones. The scene where Phoebe and her sister are trick-or treating and Phoebe repeatedly calls the lady who answers the door fat initially clued me into the coprolalia characteristic of tourette’s syndrome. My hypothesis was reinforced by the scene where Phoebe is watching the play with her family and she compulsively yells for the sleeping actress to “wake up” and is eventually escorted out of the theater by her mother. While reflecting about the movie after class, I think that Phoebe was the one who wrote “faggot” on Jamie’s red cape. The movie never indicates who did it. Even though Jamie was Phoebe’s friend, I think that Phoebe may have felt an unwanted and uncontrollable urge to write that, similar to the urge she feels when she spits on students.
2) The diagnosis that the family discovers to most adequately match Phoebe’s symptoms was Tourette’s syndrome.
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Colin, for some reason Schizophrenia never occurred to me, perhaps, like another student had suggested, because of Phoebe’s young age, and that schizophrenia usually occurs around or after age 19. or it is possiblethat the film maker was just effective at conveying that the imaginary images and characters that Phoebe saw were real and not just fantasy...or that they were not hallucinations brought on by an abundance of Dopamine neurotransmitters in Phoebe’s tiny little blonde skull, but just an over active imagination.
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Although the movie doesn’t explicitly state it, Phoebe probably also has a comorbid anxiety disorder. Phoebe’s parents were initially in denial that something was wrong with Phoebe and often overlooked her symptoms. Even when the psychiatrist diagnosed Phoebe with TS, the mother initially dismisses it because she believes that people with this disorder live dark and lonely lives. Phoebe’s mother refuses to believe that Phoebe has this serious condition and chooses to believe that Phoebe is more likely just a bright, imaginative child who is trying to get more attention from her. The mother eventually grows to accept that Phoebe has Tourette’s. Once Phoebe and the mother accept this label, they are both able to learn more about it and even teach Phoebe’s classmates to be supportive and understand why Phoebe acts differently than them.
3) The brain region that is most related to Phoebe’s case is the frontal lobe of the cerebrum. This area of the brain is where Phoebe’s emotions are regulated and where rewards and motivation is processed. The impulsive behavior and language outbursts that are characteristic of TS probably stem from deficits in informational and emotional processing in prefrontal cortex of the brain. Moreover, Phoebe is a very imaginative and creative child who probably uses the right half of her brain more than the left half.
4) There were many areas of my brain that was activated by listening to the song It Only Hurts When I Cry. The frontal lobe was activated when I was thinking about the lyrics and the emotional reaction I felt once I figured the song was referring to the assassination of Martin Luther King. My temporal lobe was activated in order for me to hear and recognizes the words in the lyrics. The occipital lobe was used to process the visual image of the cowboys alongside the highway which accompanied the song
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Colin, this is some fine writing, and the last part made me realize that I was wrong to say I didn’t use my Occipital lobe, because I too, was somewhat transfixed on the out of place cow pokes. You used great intuition.
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As I began to watch the movie, Phoebe in Wonderland, my immediate diagnosis was Over Compulsive Disorder because of Phoebe’s need to do certain things such as step on ever tile a certain way or wash her hands until they were raw. As the movie went on other symptoms started to occur such as spitting or calling out inappropriate names. That is a common symptom of Tourette’s Syndrome, which is Phoebe’s diagnosis. I thought that the way Phoebe described the sensation she got from her Tourettes was very interesting. She said that it felt like your standing on the edge of a cliff and you just have to jump. This gave the audience a good idea of the sensation Phoebe feels before she acts out.
To “escape,” Phoebe talks to characters from Wonderland because in their world everything is not so “fixed” and rigid.
From reading the short story, “Oil Dave,” it seems that Phoebe’s limbic system played a role in her case. Phoebe suffered from a lot of anxiety and frustration which is controlled by the limbic system (regulates emotion). According to “Oil Dave,” the prefrontal cortex plays a part in decision making. Oil Dave’s prefrontal cortex is affected by alcohol, which interferes with his ability to make rational decisions. Like Oil Dave, Phoebe’s prefrontal cortex or ability to think and make decisions rationally is affected due to Tourettes.
After listening to It Only Hurts When I Cry, I believe that my temporal lobe was activated because I was listening to the song. My frontal lobe was activated because I was processing the lyrics and my limbic system was also activated because it was discussing Martin Luther King Jr. who played a huge role in shaping American history.
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While watching Phoebe in Wonderland I contemplated various issues that surrounded the girls life from the very beginning of the film. At first it seemed as if Phoebe was just a unique girl who didn’t relate to her peers, who needed a special outlet to feed her creative imagination. As the movie progressed it became clear that the unique qualities she possessed also had a downside and were much more deep -rooted and problematic. This became apparent when she auditioned for the play. She showed up twenty minutes late due to her feeling the need to wash her hands repeatedly, so much so that her hands were bloody. Within the next few minutes of the film we see her performing strange rituals that bares resemblance of obsessive -compulsive disorder. While it became very obvious that she was suffering from some form of OCD, it didn’t explain the bizarre fantasies and hallucinations, and her tendencies to spit and mutter other peoples’ words. It then seemed to me as if Phoebe could also be suffering from a certain level schizophrenia, mainly due to her fantasies that included characters from Alice in Wonderland. Throughout the film Phoebe continues to struggle with her personal and social life, but managed to flourish in her play-group. We learn in the end that Phoebe has Tourette Syndrome, which explained why she would act inappropriately and could not control her spontaneous outbursts. The movie also highlights her mothers struggle in dealing with her daughters disorder, transitioning from denial to guilt, and finally to acceptance.
Tourette Syndrome is implicated within the Basal Ganglia, prefrontal cortex, and related structures of the brain. It also seems that T. S. could be involved with the limbic system in controlling emotions. An abnormal gene alters the way the brain uses neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine.
After listening to the song “it only Hurts when I Cry” many of my brain centers were activated. The temporal lobe being the most affected as this part of our brain is responsible for what we hear. The limbic system, which has an effect on our emotions, also played a part, being that the subject matter of the song recalling tragic events was very sad.
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1. & 2.
Before I start to make my diagnoses on Phoebe, the nine year-old wonderfully peculiar girl, I would like to point out that her family had their own issues as well. This movie implies a lot about the parents’ quarrels with raising a complex child. The mother and father don’t see eye-to-eye in how to deal with Phoebe’s odd behavior which creates resentment, frustration, and anger in their relationship, and in the home environment. The mother, though she doesn’t want to admit it, finds similarities between her and her daughters’ manners and conduct. In which case, she doesn’t want to bring the issues to the surface, for her daughter, and ultimately herself, to just be labeled off and prescribed drugs. This makes the mother go around in circles, trying to understand the deeper issues going on with Phoebe. The little sister, on the other hand, feels neglected and that her parents only spend time with her older sister because she is so different from most other children. The little sister feels that she has the burden of always having to take care of and clean up the messes from her big sister. Nine year-olds are very perceptive to the world that is around them. Even though Phoebe knows she is different, she cannot explain why she has such an abnormal persona. My tangent is leading me to the hypothesis that Phoebe is very much a product of her environment as well as her mental state. Phoebe cannot explain what is happening to her but she knows that she is different and that everyone around her knows she is different as well. When tryouts come along for the rendition of the play “Alice in wonderland”, Phoebe so badly wants to be casted for the play. Before her tea party, or her tryouts, she is late because she felt such high anxiety that she was busy washing her hands obsessively until they were bleeding. After being cast for the lead role, Alice, she feels the need to count and clap as she waltzes on checker boards, or jump on stairs, in a precise matter, in order to not be fired from the play. All of these rituals led me to believe that Phoebe suffers from OCD, or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. As the movie progresses, Phoebe begins to fantasize that her mother is the queen of hearts, her psychologist is humpty dumpty, her principle is the mad hatter, and so on. These hallucinations tie in how Phoebe’s outside world affects her. The people who are in her hallucinations are not fictional characters but rather the people who are significant in her daily life. We find that Phoebe feels most comfortable and normal when she is at rehearsal with her theater teacher who is also similar to Phoebe in that they share comparable personality quirks. Both are seemingly ‘the odd man out’ and the film suggests that the teacher has this innate understanding of her student.
(sorry ran out of room. more to come)
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(continued)
During rehearsals, Phoebe is in a realm where she can be herself and not be judged by her supposed ‘weirdness,’ as she also identifies herself with, and has a close connection to Alice. As mentioned early in the movie, the mother tends to find herself becoming bored with life quite easily, as does Phoebe, which parallels the plot in “Alice in Wonderland.” This is exemplified in a scene where Alice finds herself bored sitting under a tree reading a book, fantasizing about a world that isn’t so ‘rule-obsessed.’ Likewise, throughout the movie Phoebe fantasizes and desires a similar world. Because the theater teacher allows them to make their own rules in class (i.e they run their own rehearsal), this allows Phoebe to feel right at home and rise to the occasion as a leader versus the odd child. It becomes apparent to the viewer that Phoebe feels hopeless and lost when she is in the “real” world. These hallucinations initially led me to believe that Phoebe demonstrates schizophrenic qualities; however the audience learns that Phoebe actually has Tourette’s syndrome. This explains her rude behavior, the voices in her head that make her want to break rules, and her repeating of words and spitting.
3.The frontal lobe is responsible for making many of the common moral decisions in everyday life. It serves as the control center for all emotions and memory including those connected to, or derived from, decision making. Phoebe’s frontal lobes are not as well developed as most. This can be seen when she cannot control the voices inside her head, causing her to choose bad choices over good choices. (Kimberg, D.Y., Farah, M.J. A unified account of cognitive impairments following frontal lobe damage: the role of working memory in complex, organized behavior. J. Exp. Psychol. Gen. 1993 122(4):411-28). As Phoebe states, the voices in her head make her want to do the opposite of what is right and how she has no control over it. She also demonstrates feelings of high anxiety, and cannot seem to reason with herself to be of good moral character according to the real world.
4.My temporal lobe and primary auditory cortex were used to hear and process auditory sound, and Wernicke’s area was used to understand the spoken language.
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(1) After watching the movie, I ascertained that Phoebe exhibited signs that would indicate a multi diagnosis. The first and most prominent would be obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Phoebe had issues with washing her hands for a certain amount of time and doing tasks over and over again until they were performed in the exact needed order. She believed if her tasks were not performed in the exact order she would be the victim of bad luck. The second would be Tourettes and would be labeled a syndrome, hence the full title Tourettes syndrome. Phoebe had problems controlling her verbal outbursts during inappropriate times. The third possible disorder would be schizophrenia. Phoebe showed several marked signs of having hallucinations and being delusional. Phoebe, on multiple occasions interacted and spoke with non-existent people. In order to diagnose Phoebe with Schizophrenia she would have to exhibit two or more of her symptoms (delusions, hallucinations), and they would need to last about a month, and take up a significant part of her time.
(2) Phoebe was diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome.
(3) The frontal lobe, which is in charge of thinking, planning, & central executive functions; motor execution and the Temporal Lobe which is in charge of language function and auditory perception - also involved in long term memory and emotion
(4) After listening to the “it only huts when I cry” I would say that I used my Temporal Lobe (language function and auditory perception and emotion), and my Occipital Lobe (visual perception and processing).
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Initially, I thought Phoebe had generalized anxiety disorder. I noticed she repeated words of others but thought it was a coping mechanism for her anxiety. When I noticed the hand washing repetition I thought OCD but came to the conclusion that Tourette syndrome was the most likely disorder Phoebe was dealing with.
Tourette’s is a neurological disorder that can become evident in early childhood or adolescence. It can include a person needing to perform a motor activity. Repetitive thoughts, movements and compulsions can occur. To confirm a diagnosis involuntary movements or vocalizations must be present. Phoebe’s repeating other’s words is called echolalia. Associated conditions can include ADHD, OCD and learning disabilities. However, the majority of people who have TS are able to lead successful personal and professional lives.
The brain regions most related to Phoebe’s Tourette syndrome would be the frontal lobe and the limbic system.
In listening to the song, It Only Hurts When I Cry, my temporal lobe, frontal lobe and limbic system were activated.
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In relating the Oil Dale and Ellie dialogue to Phoebe’s psychological disorder, I believe Ellie reflects the causations of Phoebe’s disorders (OCD/TS) when she says “ So go ahead, say I have an overly developed limbic system, or hypothalamus, which governs emotional behavior such as anger and sexual activity”. Perhaps some of Phoebe’s behaviors were caused by this same overdevelopment of the limbic system, or hypothalamus as Ellie seems to insinuate about her own physiological psychology.
Now, in regards to Dr. BLT’s “It only Hurts When I Cry” jam in relation to the parts of the brain and there functions I would say that my frontal lobe was probably at work processing the information my temporal lobe had received via my ear. I don’t believe my Occipital Lobe which is mostly involved with recognition and vision was very involved except for the fact of having my eyes open while listening to the song, nor would I say my Parietal Lobe was involved because it is involved with processing senses such as taste the pain.
and the poem;
"Down With Phoebe"
1.Helplessness brings despair
2.One step from the edge but no one cares
3.Worries her constant companion
4.How will the stars stay where they’re hanging
5.Obsessing with order causing chaos
6.Connecting with her mother was her loss
7.But chaos can not be ignored
8.And perhaps that is what chaos is for
9.Down with Phoebe
10.So down with the rabbit she goes
11.Where her mother wears the Red Queen’s clothes
12.And things are not so fixed
13.Except for the worm who always sits
14.But Phoebe makes her own rules
15.Because the worm like the Tweedle is a fool
16.And she don’t have time for their rhymes
17.She’s to busy counting the lines
18.Down with Phoebe
19.Her mother can’t right it, she avoids the issue
20.She gives Phoebe a hug and another tissue
21.And when her wounded girl cries at night
22.She transfers her pain into domestic strife
23.Husband and wife cant see their daughter
24.Nor understand the riddle the Red Queen taught her
25.So further down the hole she goes
26.As her mother writes of Alice’s woes
27.Down with Phoebe
28.Now she found a teacher who taught her well
29.To work the magic and cast a spell
30.To turn her world into wonder
31.Removing the weight that held her under
so back on with her head
the Red Queen said
as the players took the stage
the teacher taught the lesson well
and now we can turn the…
(flip paper over)
Note: the last part in parenthesis does not translate well online, and is somewhat more effective live.
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Conrad, the way that you numbered the lines as an allusion to one of Phoebe's obssessive behaviors is brilliant. you should send this poem to the white house.
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Cognitive Psychology/Phoebe in Wonderland/Cathy Lazarus
1. While watching the movie, I determined that Poebe showed the signs of a neurological problem, specifically Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, due to her repetitive, ritualistic actions she felt compelled to perform like washing her hands repeatedly until they bleed and doing a series of exactly numbered steps and movements over and over again. I also thought she was exhibiting signs of Tourettes Syndrome as she could not subdue the cumbersome thoughts that interrupted her train of thought often causing her to blurt out unacceptable verbal responses at inappropriate times.
2. I must have had my own neurological episode while watching the movie because I didn’t hear the complete diagnosis of the therapist when he told Phoebe’s Mother. I did hear the word Tourette’s but couldn’t quite make out what the rest of the words spoken. I must have had a misfire of a synapse in my Temporal Lobe.The diagnosis of the therapist fit the criteria of the childhood onset, neuropsychiatric disorder.
3. The brain structures implicated in Tourette’s Syndrome include the basal ganglia, globus pallides, thalamus, substantia nigra, and the cerebellum. The Tics associated with Tourettes are believed to result from dysfunction in cortical and subcortical regions, the thalamus, basal ganglia and frontal cortex. Neuroanatomic models implicate failures in circuits connecting the brain’s cortex and subcortex, and imaging techniques implicate the basal ganglia and frontal cortex. The Tics associated with Tourettes could be a result of a malfunction of the neurons of the basal ganglia located in the cerebrum, which control subconscious movements or some relay problem through the Thalamus. The cerebellum helps regulate voluntary movements which Phoebe willed herself to repeat over and over again because of her comorbid OCD condition causing self-injurious behavior.
It only hurts when I cry
When I listened to the song: It only hurts when I cry, my Cingulate Gyrus was stimulated with complex emotions. I felt sadness, empathy, anger, and admiration all within the course (chorus) of the verses. My hippocampus was also affected as I recalled the days of curfews and unrest. My medullas oblongata caused my blood pressure to raise just thinking of the injustice that once was, and often still is, inflicted on others. My temporal lobe helped me with the ability to process the sound and the profound words contained in the melodious message. And finally, my thalamus tried to make sense of the emotions erupting within my limbic system while straining my frontal lobe trying to understand how the evolved brains of human beings could have justified such intolerance.
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From the very start of the movie, Phoebe in Wonderland, the character of Phoebe already appears to be quite eccentric, as evidenced by her eagerness to have a question of hers answered even though the teacher in each of her classes at the start of the grade state to all the children, “No asking questions!” Phoebe’s ritualistic behaviors (counting steps and tiles, not stepping on cracks, washing her hands numerous times throughout the day until they’ve gone raw) and picking at her skin to the point of bleeding and not knowing the reasons/causes to these behaviors/feelings lead me to believe she had a diagnosis of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. I also entertained the diagnosis of an anxiety or conduct disorder, as Phoebe seemed to be especially anxious or irritated in certain situations when around her peers or family, causing her to act inappropriately by exhibiting such behaviors as spit on her classmates, blurting out obscenities and at times screaming and/or ignoring her mother. Towards the end of the movie however, Phoebe’s actual diagnosis is Tourette’s disorder, characterized by a tic-motor movement or vocalization, as Phoebe experienced, accompanied by Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
Phoebe’s frontal lobe of the cerebrum of course plays a huge role in her state of being as this is where her emotions are stemming from. Since Phoebe is still a child as well, her pituitary gland is in effect, which causes her to be a lot more hormonal, especially when she reaches her adolescent stage. With this factor in mind, the possibility that her symptoms may exacerbate will be greater if she has not received proper treatment for her diagnosis by that time.
The Song mentioned in the short story of Oil Dale, is obviously a song of sadness, speaking of nightmares, dream, tears & pain. As I was listening to the song, my occipital lobe came into effect by envisioning Dr. BLT performing a similar (in that it was another sad song) melody in class. The temporal lobe was also in play since the song brought up that memory from last week to begin with. Temporal lobe of course also plays the part in hearing, which enabled me to hear the song in the first place. And finally, the frontal lobe of the cerebrum was activated while I made voluntary movements, bobbing my head to the song just to act silly in front of the husband. He laughed and this made me happy, an emotion which stems from the frontal lobe as well.
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First off, I just want to say that I really enjoyed this movie! I considered several options for what mental disorder Pheobe has in this film. The first that I thought of was Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and then I thought it was Turette's Syndrome (spelling?), or possibly some combination of the two. I briefly entertained the idea of schizophrenia, or some other disorder as she seems to have a genuinely difficult time distinguishing reality and fantasy. I was not surprised to discover the diagnosis of Turette's, as it was one of the original considerations I had. I was, however, somewhat surprised that Turette's can include obsessive rituals. I wasn't aware that was the case, but hey, I learned something new!
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