January Jones and Kaya Scodelario as mother-daughter in Netflix Drama “Spinning Out.”
When I came across this show in my feed, I just thought it was a series about hypercompetitive ice skaters. That sounded dramatic enough, so I clicked. Wowee! A show made just for me! “Spinning Out,” which is set in Sun Valley, Idaho, is about giving yourself 100% to what you love, even if the price is high. In the theme song, the lyrics are about being willing to pay the price, i.e., “put it on my tab, whatever it is, I’m good for it,” juxtaposed against figure skaters of all ages attempting triple axles and falling, over and over again. By episode one, I learned that January Jones’ character is a former competitive skater and the mother of Kat, who is played by Maya Scodelario. Both mother and daughter have bipolar disorder, and both have been sentenced to a life on Lithium, which they bridle against to varying degrees. Kat has a younger sister, Serena, who also is a competitive skater, who is in full PTSD from having to live with a mother and sister who go off their meds for various reasons, and fight constantly.
The show really captures the selfishness and abusiveness of people with bipolar disorder, (even when they are on their meds). This didn’t bother me much, even though I saw myself in some of those women’s behavior. Hey, I’m 63-years-old, and have been stable on my meds sine 2018. That’s the longest period of stability I’ve ever had, even though I’ve dealt with bipolar disorder and taken meds since 1989.
On a side note: There are other mood stabilizers than Lithium, and some doctors would rather not prescribe it, due to how hard it is on the body and also because it tends to make people feel flat, as if they’re no longer alive. I’m allergic to Lithium, so I’ve always taken Tegretol, which is technically an anti-seizure drug. But Lithium has been considered the “gold standard” for quite some time. I’m just glad I only took it once and then had to stop immediately.
If you have a mental health condition, please don’t take this show or anything I’ve written here as medical advice. I’m just someone with the condition, not a doctor, although sometimes, with all the illnesses I deal with, and the fact that I worked in healthcare, sometimes I feel like a doctor. I’m NOT. Always seek guidance from a licensed mental health professional and try to find ones who know their shit.