Chapter 4.8 - Mental Health and Alternate History in Queen Charlotte

Alicia and Sarah nerd out with a deep dive into mental health and royal history when they sit down to discuss the Bridgerton prequel Queen Charlotte. They look at potential ailments for King George, discuss the real-life love story of George and Charlotte, and imagine what the world could be like if the Great Experiment had actually happened. At the end of this week’s discussion, they talk about the things they've been reading, watching, and analyzing outside of the classroom.

Literary terms of the week: Mental Health, Alternate History

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Music by Craig Harmann

Cover art by Matt Holman

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Show Notes:

Literary terms of the week:

• Based on the real-life love story of King George and his Queen Charlotte (1761)

  • They really did get married young (he was 23, she was 17)

  • They really did have 15 children, 13 lived to adulthood

  • He really did love farming

  • He really did build a telescope

  • He really did have mental health issues, but not until 50s

  • They started living apart in 1804 (he was 66), she died 1818, he lost throne to son in 1811

  • The Great Experiment is a fantasy, but what would the world look like if it had actually happened?

• Mental health

  • Our modern concept of mental health really only dates back to 1800s

    • First DSM published in 1950s

  • Manic episodes (bipolar disorder)

    • Traced back to ancient Greece (Hippocrates)

    • Not diagnosed as treatable disorder until 1850

    • Used to be 3 diseases (mania, depression, bipolar)

    • First categorized separate from depression in 1980 (DSM-3)

    • Currently 4 types of bipolar disorder can be diagnosed

  • Bipolar vs borderline

    • Both marked by mood dysregulation

    • Mania or mood swings can last hours to days

    • Both caused by brain chemistry imbalance

    • Bipolar is genetic, borderline can be caused by early trauma

    • Bipolar is treatable with medication, borderline is treatable with talk therapy

  • Acute porphyria

    • Genetic disease

    • Impacts oxygen flow in bloodstream

    • Can cause anxiety, hallucinations, mental confusion

What are we enjoying right now?

• Alicia: Flung Out of Space (Grace Ellis), Gentleman Jack (Max)

• Sarah: Finding Me (Viola Davis), Upload (Amazon Prime)

Related Episodes

Chapter 3.12 - Time Travel to Truth

Chapter 3.9 - The Balcony Next Door

Chapter 2.20 - Hiding Behind Words

Chapter 2.8 - Learning Through the Window

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