There are a lot of reasons why This is Us is the best show on television. Jacks ever-changing facial hair, Toby’s hysterical wit, and the beautiful and thoughtful way they handle diversity, and the complexity of real relationships. Among the many things they get right, is the expression of mental illness.
Throughout season one, they developed the character of Jack Pearson to be the ultimate husband and father. He was the perfect mixture of sensitive and assertive, empowering and loving.
I cried major tears when he told Kate about the magic shirt, and when he stepped up time and time again to show Rebecca how much he loved her. He was the benchmark of excellence in my mind, to the point I frequently told my roommate that I needed to find my Jack Pearson.
So much so that I wondered, is this too good to be true?
In the season two finale, we learned that Jack’s light drinking problem from season one is most likely a true addiction.
He told Rebecca that he had been drunk all day, for weeks. Jaw. Dropped. To.The.Floor. I knew he had struggled with alcohol but I was floored by this reveal.
When Jack spoke his truth, initially I was so disappointed. I couldn’t believe my perfect man was now flawed. After multiple (bags) of peppermint patties, I came to a realization. Jack is perfect because of his flaws, not in spite of them. He is still the same man, father, and husband that he always has been. He simply has demons just like the rest of us that he has to battle daily to be that man.
Think of your worst flaw; your worst moment on your worst day. In the heat of that moment where tears are streaming, homework is pushed aside, Adele is playing in your head, and everything is going to shambles.
A sad question haunts us all “If people really knew how flipping crazy I was what would they think?”.
Although everyone has wondered it from time to time, it breaks my heart to think of anyone, especially my loved ones having that doubt.
So you have some crazy?
And…??
We all have some crazy going on, some just suppress it and hide it more than others.
Mental health is a very serious topic and one that luckily is being discussed more openly now than ever. We are moving towards erasing the stigma, but there is still so much that needs to be done.
As someone who has a twin sister with an eating disorder, anxiety and depression, this is a very personal topic to me.
Most people (including myself) have struggled or will struggle at some point with some sort of mental or emotional issue.
There is no shame in that.
The illness or disorder is something people have, it's not who they are. It doesn’t and shouldn’t define their identity.
This storyline really helped me to address my own biases and be more self-aware.
Sadly, I have to admit that if we began this story knowing Jack as an alcoholic I probably would have seen him in a different light.
This made me reflect on my own areas for growth and inspired me to be more aware of the way I see and perceive people. Acknowledgment and awareness is the first step to change.
Stay open to the fact that more is going on with the people in our lives than we are aware of and everyone is fighting their own battles.
With education, love, respect, and awareness we can build an environment where everyone feels loved and understood.
