TBI & Mental Health

Marwencol

Marwencol is a documentary movie about a man, Mark Hogancamp, who was violently attacked by five men outside a bar. Hogancamp mentioned he sometimes liked to wear woman’s shoes during a conversation at the bar in New York. The men that heard Hogancamp’s remark beat him up so badly, he was almost dead. This attack resulted in a traumatic brain injury. The result of this incident created Hogancamp to become overwhelming anxious.  

Hogancamp receives therapy services due to his traumatic brain injury. In a scene during the movie, Hogancamp recalls having to learn how to walk again, put on his shoes again, eat again, and learn to do almost everything over again. Along with Hogancamp’s loss of motor skills, he lost all memories of his past life before the incident. His therapy services eventually ran out and he was sent back to his home. Hogancamp turns to his backyard to cope. He creates World War II scenes in his backyard with dolls and props, and photographs his scenes. The dolls in his war scene are people from his life. This make believe world Hogancamp turns to and photographs, helps him cope with the anxiety from the attack. Hogancamp’s photos get noticed and he has to opportunity to display some photos in an art show in New York. 

I chose this movie to do a neuro note on because after I saw the trailer for this movie, I was so drawn to this story and the way Hogancamp coped. This story was emotional and reminded me to look at all areas of a client’s life. This movie emphasizes how important mental health is. During the movie, Hogancamp spoke about when he was recovering earlier from his traumatic brain injury. He was relearning walking and moving in therapy in his earlier recovery period. The movie showed some flashbacks on Hogancamp struggling to have functional mobility shortly after his injury. Watching the movie during the current portion of his recovery when he was back at home, he appeared to be physically capable of the tasks ahead of him, but he was struggling with hindering anxiety. He struggled to leave the home and would pull around a toy car with his dolls inside when he left. Hogancamp also would have moments of PTSD from his attack. When Hogancamp was with his neighbor who appeared to have an aggressive boyfriend, he grabbed his dolls and ran home from the neighbor’s house when he witnessed the personality of the neighbor’s boyfriend. This movie helped emphasize how physical health can be intact, but mentally something can be so draining and seemingly unbearable. 

I highly recommend this movie. The movie provides a story about a man who is getting his life back after a traumatic brain injury. 

Zemeckis, R. (Director). (2018). Welcome to Marwen (Motion Picture). United States: Universal
             Pictures, ImageMovers, DreamWorks Pictures, Perfect World Pictures.