• by Alison Hill , Columnist, April 2, 2015

As a person in recovery, I’m an avid fan of shows like “Mom,” “Intervention” and “Private Practice.” They seem to “get” addiction and recovery, and provide honest, sometimes serious, sometimes humorous portrayals of both. I’ve often wondered how they get it right. Are their creators and writers in recovery themselves? I don’t know — but what I do know is that they use the great resources provided by the Entertainment Industries Council (EIC). 

Founded in 1983 by members of the entertainment community, the EIC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing “the power and influence of the industry to communicate about health and social issues.” They recently introduced a new Depiction Suggestion book to help screenwriters and creators of film and television tell authentic stories about mental illness, substance use disorders, behavioral health treatment and recovery, and suicide prevention. 

Among the suggestions they offer: 

• When possible, use nuanced language to separate the condition from the patient. For example, find ways to emphasize that a character is living with anorexia rather than letting language like “she’s anorexic” go unchallenged.

• Consider using storylines related to mental health, including the ongoing recovery process and impact on friends and family, that span multiple episodes to meaningfully portray the many facets of living with a mental health condition.

• If a story calls for an underage character to drink, consider highlighting possible consequences — legal, physiological, behavioral and accidental. Avoid, where possible, showing excessive drinking without consequences or with only pleasant consequences.

• When depicting 12-step meetings, remember that such gatherings are often marked by humor and positivity. The stereotype that they are dreary events is inaccurate. 

I recently spoke with Marie Gallo Dyak, executive VP, program services & government relations, about the book — which in my opinion should also be used for marketing, PR, and advertising campaigns for entertainment programs about these issues. 

Q: Are there certain overarching messages that you want to convey to people in the industry? 

A: We always lead with the fact that language matters. Language can be encouraging or it can be abusive. We like to say that we are “taking the information from the labs to the lens.” The other important thing is to describe an individual as a person with a diagnosis. A person with a diagnosis of schizophrenia is still a full person. The diagnosis doesn’t define them. 

Sometimes we unintentionally present information in a counterproductive way. For instance, we’ve created a body of information that makes clear PTSD is a real thing, but now the public starts to think, as soon as you see someone in uniform, “Are they suffering from PTSD?” It’s become stigmatizing. 

Or when we talk about bullying: That conversation needs to include both sides of the equation. There’s the bullied, and the person who bullies. There’s a good chance that person was bullied. 

Q: How do you "market" yourselves to the industry in a way that feels helpful, and not as if you're intruding on their business?

A: We always explain that we’re a nonprofit and that our board is 100% made up of entertainment industry people. They know we’re approaching them not as watchdogs, but as part of their constituency.

We connect writers with top experts, who will never ask for a fee or a show credit. We offer suggestions; if they’re talking about a particular substance, we explain the boundaries of that substance. If they want to push those boundaries, we say, “Here’s the science. Beyond that, you’re writing science fiction. But it’s your choice.”

Also, we honor the industry every year with our PRISM awards. There’s no fee for submission (we get more than 400 a year), and we don’t use it as a fundraiser. It’s about the entertainment industry honoring its own.

Q: Are you also involved in how entertainment companies market their own projects that deal with mental illness and substance abuse? 

A: When Cory Monteith died, we worked with the production company for “Glee” as they were planning to address his loss. We provided talking points, and the cast came together for a beautiful tribute. They started by saying, “Cory was our friend” — putting the person first. We also provided the SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) hotline web address for finding treatment. The way they handled it was magnificent. 

For “Intervention,” we informed the recovery community about the show. One of things I appreciate is that the word “intervention” has become a colloquial term. I see that as a sign of success.

Q: What changes have you seen since the EIC was formed? 

Things have really improved. I think the landscape today reflects a very smart group of people writing, acting, and directing in TV and feature films. Audiences are smarter and the creative community is smarter, with a strong commitment to authenticity and to telling real stories.