I've been addicted recently to the Netflix TV series
She is from a comfortable background, is engaged to be married, but has
to serve a 15 month sentence in a woman's prison. The show is mainly about her
struggles to adapt, to fit in to this alien environment, and to come to terms
with her lack of freedom and her changed circumstances.
The show is brutal, realistic (I imagine), funny, compelling, and I
can't stop watching it. It also got me thinking about something that has
occurred to me on more than one occasion before. Having CFS is like being in
prison.
In episode 8 of the series, one inmate says to Piper, the main character,
"I feel like I'm missing so much." Me too, I felt like saying, me
too.
And I think that this is what inmates and PWMEs have most in common, we
are both simply trying to survive, while watching the rest of the world moving
on.
Like prison, of course, there are different levels of sentence. Some
people, like me, are on a day release, they can work in a limited fashion, have
some kind of contact with friends, travel to a limited extent, have a limited
form of freedom. We have a taste of the world outside without being able to
experience it fully.
Others, of course, don't even have that. They are in maximum security,
locked down for 23 hours a day, some in a form of solitary confinement, given
the exhaustion and difficulty even communicating with friends and family
causes. Their days are regimented and strictly limited by their disease, and
the outside world begins to seem very far away.
It is about freedom and control. Inmates in prison have lost their
freedom, and have little control over their lives. Our jailor is our chronic
condition that has deprived us of some of the basic liberties that most people
take for granted.
ME is a prison sentence. Our lives are constrained and constricted like
prisoners, squeezed until all some of us have left is a form of house arrest,
and no known release date. We are tunnelling, most of us, desperately looking
for a way out. There is no parole board, no time off for good behaviour. We try
to appeal our case, and it goes nowhere.
At least we can watch Netflix. Check out Orange
I've heard a few times that this series is good, I need to start watching it. I have felt like I was in a prison myself during my worst state, that prison was called bed!
ReplyDeleteThe series is great, I've just finished the 13 episodes. Possibly not as realistic as I though at first, but very entertaining and addictive.
DeleteAt my worst, my bedroom was my jail cell, that was a scary time. I suppose I'm just thankful that I'm out of house arrest now, able to spend part of my time outside the prison walls.
I was deciding between Orange and House of Cards a few nights ago, opted for House of Cards which is vg, I will follow with Orange. I'm in relapse at the moment so Netflix is a bit of a saviour for me, especially the series, movie choice is poor.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to have some comfort watching when you're not feeling well. I've seen House of Cards too and it is also compelling and complex, hard to stop watching these Netflix series!
DeleteI loved Orange is the New Black. I started watching it and quickly became obsessed and watched all 13 episodes of season one in 4 days. Its so nice it you have to rest to have something compelling and fun to watch. Yes this is what we've been reduced to--getting excited about a T.V. show.
DeleteI loved Orange is the New Black. I started watching it and quickly became obsessed and watched all 13 episodes of season one in 4 days. Its so nice it you have to rest to have something compelling and fun to watch. Yes this is what we've been reduced to--getting excited about a T.V. show.
DeleteAgree that it is a very addictive show, I'm looking forward to the next season in the new year. In fairness, lots of healthy people can get as obsessed by certain TV shows, and easily watch a whole season in four days.
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