Phobia (anxiety Disorder) in Batman Begins

Phobia (Anxiety Disorder) in Batman Begins

Danny Chen

Chapman University

Abstract  

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the movie, Batman Begins, and to evaluate whether the depiction of the Anxiety Disorder, Phobia, is accurate when compared to the professional literature. This paper reviews several aspects of the disorder, such as diagnostic criteria, social interaction, treatment, and outcomes of the disorder, and compares and contrasts these with the characters Bruce Wayne. The paper concludes that although Batman Begins correctly depicts the diagnostic criteria, outcomes of the disorder, and associated features and disorders, it does not explain realistically how to treat the disorder.

Phobic Disorder and its Representation in Batman Begins 

        The movie, Batman Begins, tells the story of the character of Bruce Wayne. In the wake of his parents’ death, Bruce Wayne travels the world seeking the means to fight injustice, which would eventually lead Bruce to meet Ducard. Ducard introduces a “blue plant”, which makes a person hallucinate about their worst fear. In Bruce’s case, the fear was bats. With the guidance of Ducard, Bruce learns to get over his fear bats and to turn fear against those who prey on the fearful with his own fear. Taking what he learned back to his hometown of Gotham City, Bruce creates an alter ego: Batman. It just so happens that an antagonist, Dr. Jonathan Crane, emerges at around the same time Bruce returns to Gotham. Dr. Crane had somehow gotten his hands on the “blue plant” and plans to use a more concentrated form of the hallucinogen to bring the city and the citizens to ruins by bringing out the worst fears in people.

Phobia: Diagnostic Criteria  

        The phobia depicted in Batman Begins is a phobia known as specific phobia. The fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) states Specific Phobia as marked and persistent fear of certain objects or situations (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2000). Another criteria is that exposure to the phobic stimulus will trigger an anxiety response or cause a person to panic (APA, 2000). Because a person will anticipate their fear or show distress of their fear, they will attempt to avoid it, whether it is a situation or an object (APA, 2000). Before encountering Ducard, every time Bruce was exposed to bats he would start to show signs of distress, as well as avoidance, such as cowering or shutting his eyes. Signs of distress were also observed in the citizens of Gotham that were exposed to the fear-inducing hallucinogen or saw Batman.