10 Ways American Horror Story Cult Explores Mental Illness In America Through Ally
3. Ally Doesn't Always Take Her Medicine
Ally's reluctance to take the medicine her therapist prescribed for anxiety is noticeable. Even in the bathtub scene with Winter she hesitates. If it’ll help her, why is she so resistant? Taking her medicine means admitting she has a mental health problem despite all of her efforts over the years to recover. Ally wants to see herself as what everyone considers a normal, sane person.
This desire to be normal is caused by the stigma of mental illness. However, the specific topic of medicine, as well as Ally's complete reliance on her therapist for treatment, alludes to the stigmatization of mental illness by the law. Medicare limits the number of days a patient can receive inpatient psychiatric care, and hospitals can use their funds without restriction on physical health but are restricted on mental health treatment.
Additionally, states have trouble keeping mental hospitals open because of lack of federal funding. The law discriminates against those with mental illness and makes it difficult to obtain good care. Congress is a source of mental illness stigma in the United States.