Severance: How A Dystopian Corporate Thriller Can Teach Us About Mental Health

The sci-fi thriller Severance is currently the most popular show Apple TV+ has ever aired, surpassing such blockbuster hits asTed Lasso and reaching audiences worldwide. It has generated significant attention and conversation for several reasons, including ample exposure. For example, a glass box containing a set replica was erected in Grand Central Station’s Vanderbilt Hall, complete with the show’s stars acting out a typical workday at Lumon Industries (the nefarious corporation at the center of the show). The pop-up publicity stunt was wildly popular, blowing up on social media as it attracted thousands of fans. 

Analyzing mental health through the lens of fiction and entertainment isn’t a new notion. However, Severance’s popularity may be explained by its resonance with many of its viewers. Through its dystopian setting, it amplifies real psychological struggles faced by people navigating dehumanizing workplaces, skewed work-life balances, and existential challenges. 

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Severance: A quick overview of the popular psychological thriller

In Severance, director Ben Stiller and producer John Cameron craft a dystopian, often disturbing story exploring work-life balance, identity, control, and the human condition. The story follows workers in the Macrodata Refinement office (MDR) located within the mysterious and somewhat cult-like environment of Lumon Industries. In the show, the employees undergo a procedure in which their work and personal selves are surgically divided, creating split "innie" and "outie" identities with no memory of each other. 

Viewers learn more about the office workers and their two lives as the story unfolds. They also uncover clues to the mystery of what the Macrodata Refinement Department does and what happens when the innies and outies attempt to integrate their lives.

Corporate power and psychological manipulation  

In toxic work environments, corporate leaders may abuse their power, potentially using their authority to diminish their employees in several ways. In Severance, leadership uses tactics like false understanding and sympathy, gaslighting, bullying, depersonalization, and infantilization to control the innies. The lack of transparency and secrecy on behalf of management is also used as a form of manipulation. 

Themes of gaslighting 

In the first episode of the show’s first season, a mysterious colleague (Helly, played by Britt Lower) appears to be regaining consciousness after the severance procedure. The primary protagonist, Mark (played by Adam Scott), must make first contact by reading from a company script where he asks a series of seemingly inane questions. Helly is traumatized and combative, prompting Mark to reassure her she'll be "right as rain." 

This reassurance is disingenuous and also read from a script. Mark goes off script when he sees it isn't helping, inviting her to ask again to leave because, according to company policy, he can then let her go. However, unbeknownst to Mark, this corporate rule is also a manipulation, and escape isn't possible. After the incident, Mark and Helly are called into the office of Mark’s superior, Ms. Cobel (played by Patricia Arquette), where he is berated and humiliated in front of the new hire as a form of reprimand.

Depersonalization and infantilization  

Throughout the story, corporate management offers superficial performance incentives, many of which are childish and demeaning. For example, Dylan (played by Zach Cherry) continuously competes with his fellow innies to earn a "waffle party.” Finger trap toys, “melon bars,” and “dance experiences” are other examples of the company’s infantilized reward system. In real life, similar tactics are often used in abusive relationships and cults to erode autonomy and independence. 

Mistrust, withholding, and surveillance culture

Lumon's employees are constantly under surveillance, with the company knowing about everything they do inside and outside the building. The show creates an atmosphere of fear that increases as the innies realize they don't know the purpose of their jobs. The company tells its severed employees that they are involved in “macrodata refinement” and “compliance," but the secrecy and deception are apparent. The constant surveillance and secrecy create a culture of distrust, where employees are unsure of the company's true intentions and motives. Severance also highlights the power imbalance between leadership and employees, with one group knowing what's happening and the other being "kept in the dark."

Workplace stress and burnout 

Because the outies literally don’t bring the stress of work home with them, the severance procedure may be sold as a tempting solution to the struggle for work-life balance. However, the severance procedure doesn’t help the innies, who must cope with the overwhelm and stress they face at work, which follow them home, regardless of the procedure. 

To Lumon Industries, employees are disposable while they’re at work. They can't leave, and once they do go home, they won't remember the trauma they’ve experienced, so it's not a threat to the company. While the metaphor may be extreme, it is relatable for many people who struggle with a job in which they endure significant stress that affects other areas of life. 

The illusion of balance through separation 

For many who experience stress and burnout at their jobs, separating their work and home lives doesn’t offer a permanent solution. The experiences and memories we build significantly shape the thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors we bring to every area of life. Learning healthy ways to cope with stress and find meaning in all areas of life, both inside and outside of work, can help individuals achieve balance. 

Propaganda, indoctrination, and learned helplessness

Though it’s difficult to know for sure how long the innies have worked for Lumon, there are clues that some have been there much longer than others and have been firmly indoctrinated by the company's propaganda. The character Irving (played by John Turturro) is a good example. His blind devotion to the company's founder, Kier Eagan, combined with his repeated exposure to abuses that he can't control, results in behaviors of learned helplessness in which he has given up on trying to change his circumstances and even defends some of the company’s practices. 

Memory and the self  

In Severance, the innies only have memories of what has happened at work (roughly eight hours a day), while the outies only remember what has happened in their lives outside of the job. This fragmentation of memory has a significant impact on each character’s sense of self. Memory plays a critical role in shaping an individual's identity and purpose, acting as a foundation for understanding oneself and one's place in the world, as well as influencing beliefs, behaviors, and one’s sense of connection. This is called the self-memory system—a psychological theory positing that the self acts as a dynamic control structure (the working self) that interacts with one's long-term memory base to form a more complete sense of identity.

Existential purpose

Existentialism emphasizes individual freedom, responsibility, and the creation of one’s own purpose. Severance explores the concept of free will, as the innies are seemingly trapped in their assigned roles, raising questions about whether they have any real agency in their lives. The innies aren’t given the opportunity to ponder their existential purpose because the identity split disrupts their ability to define what matters to them. Additionally, corporate control extinguishes the innies’ ability to discover existential purpose, as they’re expected to do what they’re told without questioning whether it brings meaning to their lives.

Trauma and compartmentalization

In psychology, compartmentalization happens when an individual mentally separates or isolates traumatic thoughts, feelings, or experiences to manage distressing emotions. It's a defense mechanism represented throughout the show, most directly represented by the severance procedure itself. When the individuals agree to the procedure, they're, in effect, shielding their outie selves from the considerable trauma they face at work, but this procedure also works inversely. 

For example, Mark, the main protagonist, severs to escape the psychological pain of his wife’s death. While he doesn’t remember what happened while he’s at work, his unprocessed grief affects him in disturbing ways as the show progresses. When trauma is ignored and left unprocessed, it can lead to a wide range of mental health concerns, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. Unprocessed trauma can also contribute to physical health problems over time. 

Unhealthy coping behaviors

Severing oneself from one's personal life to avoid the pain of traumatic events can be considered an unhealthy coping behavior, and there are also other examples of the characters in Severance using dysfunctional strategies to suppress or ignore their psychological pain. For instance, in the show’s second season, we're introduced to Salt's Neck, a bleak town where one of the primary characters grew up before they came to work for the Lumon Corporation. 

In the story, she is a harsh character with her own emotional challenges. However, we learn in the season finale that she grew up where Lumon initially established an ether factory and built a town around it, which later declined and became a ghost town. To escape the depression associated with the town’s deterioration and the feelings of hopelessness that followed, many residents turned to the ether produced by the factory. 

Similarly, themes of substance misuse as a coping mechanism arise with Adam’s outie, who turns to excessive drinking to cope with the death of his wife. In real life, people often use such unhealthy methods of self-soothing in many traumatic circumstances, including working in a toxic, abusive corporate environment. 

Coping with real-life challenges around identity, work-life balance, and power disparity in the workplace

Some people can identify with the life that the protagonist, Mark, leads in Severance. They may believe that they are overworked, underrecognized, and manipulated in their jobs, and this can lead to significant mental health challenges that can be hard to overcome. Coping with such challenges may require strategies like setting workplace boundaries, prioritizing self-care, and seeking support, whether through friends and loved ones, support groups, or individual therapy.

Signs you may benefit from professional help

If you feel overwhelmed, demotivated, or degraded at work (or in any aspect of your life), consider talking to a mental health professional who can help you identify the causes of these difficulties and find healthy ways to address them. Working with a mental health professional can also be beneficial if stress at work interferes with your relationships or personal life, or if you're experiencing psychological distress that makes it difficult to function in daily life.

While it can be an effective solution, some people choose not to seek help from a therapist. Some might believe therapy won't help, or they may not have time to invest in their mental health. Others may feel uncomfortable speaking with a therapist in an office due to concerns about stigma and fear of vulnerability. In such cases, internet-delivered therapy may be a practical solution. Online therapy platforms like BetterHelp allow individuals to speak with a professional on a schedule that suits them from the comfort of home. 

Studies repeatedly suggest that online therapy is as effective as traditional, in-person treatment. For example, a 2022 meta-analysis reported that online therapy produces comparable outcomes to in-person therapy, which could make it a valuable resource for individuals struggling with work stress and other mental health challenges. 

Takeaway

Severance season three has been approved for broadcast, and countless fans are waiting for the show's return. While speculation runs rampant about what fates befall the show's characters, the show will likely continue to explore the fine line between one’s working life and identity, the psychological consequences of workplace mistreatment, and the challenges surrounding issues of trauma and how to cope.

Such themes are also common in real life and can contribute to significant mental health concerns. If you or someone you know is experiencing workplace burnout, overwhelm, or abuse, seek guidance from an experienced therapist in your local area or online. With help, it is possible to cope and recover.