The performative (?) portrayal of trauma and shared psychotic disorder in ‘House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths’

Manav Sharma

The performative (?) portrayal of trauma and shared psychotic disorder in ‘House of Secrets: The Burari Death’: Sensationalising mental disorders

    ‘House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths’ is a three-part docu-series, directed by Leela Yadav. Got released on Netflix in 2021. The series comes to narrate a chilling real-life story where a family of 11 members was found dead where no foul play was suspected. It incorporates various conspiracy theories that were prevalent with respect to this case. It tells the story of the Chundawat family’s mass suicide in the suburbs of Burari, Delhi and how this almost normal functioning family became part of such a screaming controversy that made big headlines. Yadav transports us to the by-lanes of Burari through the use of archival videos, some recreated sequences, and expert testimonials. There's a creepy, eerie, and almost supernatural build-up in the series, and this is despite the fact that this series never reveals or portrays actual footage or photographs of the deceased family, yet it still leaves a disturbing aftertaste among the viewers. In the last episode, it brings forwards a case of shared psychotic disorder that developed due to Lalit’s (the youngest son) ‘untreated’ trauma. In its last episode, the series portrays testimonials from a mental health professional who was involved in the case and believed it to be a case of shared psychotic disorder. Lalit went through a head injury and a major traumatic event in his life. In addition to that, after his father’s death, he didn’t speak for an entire year possibly due to the undealt with the trauma he had experienced due to the aforementioned major life events. Furthermore, the mental health professional, speculatively, believed that he had developed PTSD which later developed various psychosis-related symptoms.
    The show does a splendid job by showing the interview with the mental health professional. Moreover, it also lays background of members’, particularly Lalit’s, mental health and lives for the same which led to this event rather than just asserting conspiracy theories without the informed presence of a licensed mental health professional. It also puts an emphasis on mental health and not some bizarre supernatural reasons which purportedly led to the death of 11 people; something which is a deficit in the mainstream media. The series comes to speculate that Lalit developed CPTSD or Complex post-traumatic stress disorder. In an interview with Dr Roma Kumar (chief psychologist who was featured in the series) about the series, she mentions, “Traumatic triggers can lead to a flurry of emotions such as irritability, anger, sleep difficulties, difficulty in relationships, and even intrusive thoughts in the form of recurring flashbacks and nightmares. People who have undergone severe trauma may have trouble processing positive emotions. They start avoiding people, and places, even thoughts, and memories associated with the traumatic event” (George, 2021). She believed that Lalit’s unresolved trauma led to the development of CPTSD which, according to ICD-11, “may develop following exposure to an event or series of events of an extremely threatening or horrific nature, most commonly prolonged or repetitive events from which escape is difficult or impossible” and can lead to a significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational, and other important areas of functioning of the affected person (World Health Organisation, 2019). The show does a splendid job of portraying this through interviews with people close to the mentioned family. The show also comments on how Lalit had to take the role of patriarchal head of the family after the death of his father. It comments on how patriarchy disables men from the expression of their emotions which led to an intensification of his condition. This led to the development of psychosis-related symptoms (Kilcommons & Morrison, 2005). This is in congruence with the existing literature which mentions how PTSD patients can develop psychosis if the trauma remains unresolved (Kilcommons & Morrison, 2005). The psychologist believed that suicide and the notebooks containing instructions from Lalit’s late father can be discerned by looking at it through the lens of shared psychotic disorder. According to Saif and Khalili, shared psychotic disorder (folie à deux) is a rare disorder characterized by sharing a delusion among two or more people in a close relationship (Al Saif & Al Khalili, 2022). It can also occur in a family (folie à famille) which the primary inducer (Lalit in this case) who has a developed “psychotic disorder with delusions influences another nonpsychotic individual or more (induced, secondary) based on a delusional belief” (Al Saif & Al Khalili, 2022). This leads to the development of a variety of symptoms among the family members including but not limited to social isolation which was corroborated through the testimonials of people who interacted with the members of this family.

    While the show puts an emphasis on the need to seek help for trauma and highlights the stigmatisation of mental health, it, unfortunately, gives into using mental health problems and disorders in a horror trope. Even though the show explicitly rejects the supernatural theories regarding the case, the first two episodes of the show have eerie music in the background to invoke feelings of fear and eeriness among the viewers which is detrimental to what people think of mental health and disorders. It reinforces the existing beliefs of how mental disorders are something to be feared or scared of. Such sensationalism of mental health in a horror trope damages and undoes the work mental health professionals have done in the past few decades which leads to the emphasis being put on seeking professional help for trauma almost performative and exploitative.

References

Al Saif, F., & Al Khalili, Y. (2022). Shared Psychotic Disorder. Treasure Island: StatPearls Publishing.

George, G. (2021). 7 Things Netflix’s 'House Of Secrets' Tells Us About Trauma According To A Psychologist. Retrieved from Mensxp Web Site: https://www.mensxp.com/health/mental-health/95008-psychologist-advise-world-trauma-day-netflix-house-of-secrets-burari-deaths.html

Kilcommons, A. M., & Morrison, A. P. (2005). Relationships between trauma and psychosis: an exploration of cognitive and dissociative factors. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica.

World Health Organisation. (2019). International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. 11.

Yadav, L. (Director). (2021). House of Secrets: The Burari Deaths.