Television documentarian Barbara Gordon argues with her co-workers over the ending of her latest film about a cancer patient named Jean Scott Martin. During lunch, Barbara takes the sedative medication Valium and later films more footage of Jean at the hospital. That evening, she meets her boyfriend, lawyer Derek Bauer, at a restaurant, and he reads aloud a glowing review of her latest documentary. When Derek, already slightly intoxicated, spills his drink, he blames the bartender. As Derek mentions the possibility of marriage, Barbara discreetly removes two Valium from her purse. The next morning, Barbara’s friend, Karen Mulligan, expresses her dislike of Derek and scolds Barbara for not having a dress to wear to the upcoming television Emmy Awards. While preparing for the award ceremony, Barbara wraps two Valium pills in plastic and pins them into the waistline of her skirt before swallowing another tablet with wine. Although she arrives in a hazy state, Barbara wins the Emmy and competently accepts the award. The next day, Barbara meets with her psychiatrist, admitting that she believes she takes too much Valium and does not want to take more medication. The doctor, however, urges her to continue medicating in order to control her anxiety symptoms. When Barbara finishes the documentary about Jean, her colleagues urge her to take time off work. Barbara shows the film to Jean in the hospital, but Jean hates the movie and accuses Barbara of being desensitized by her Valium habit. The next morning, a co-worker telephones Barbara to inform her that her producers loved the film, despite Barbara’s expressed demand that no one see it. Upon hearing this, Barbara considers taking a Valium, but instead telephones her psychiatrist to end their appointments and to announce that she is quitting the medicine. She uncovers the pills hidden inside her drawers, closets, shoes, books, and bathroom, and flushes them down the toilet. When she tells Derek that she plans to quit medicating, he is overjoyed. At a club that evening, Barbara receives word that Jean checked out of the hospital and attempts to telephone the cancer patient; meanwhile, Karen urges Derek to take Barbara to a doctor, but Derek insists that Barbara needs to stop listening to doctors. Early the next morning, Barbara becomes anxious and nearly takes Valium, but washes the pills down the sink. She and Derek picnic on the beach, but she has a seizure. Derek takes her home, where they discuss Barbara’s troubled relationship with her father and Derek urges Barbara to drink alcohol. Later, Barbara turns on the shower and furiously rubs water over her body, scratching at her skin and scalp. Before dawn, she drags Derek out of bed to show him a diagram she made out of triangles, which she believes explains how individual lives are interconnected. Derek assures her that he thinks the theory is interesting and insists she is not crazy. Although he agrees to stay home with her that day, he gets drunk. Regretting her decision to stop therapy, Barbara attempts to leave to see a doctor, but Derek warns her that a psychiatrist would likely institutionalize her in her present state. The next day, Barbara has her Valium prescription refilled and delivered to the house, which angers Derek. He disposes of the pills before answering a telephone call from Barbara’s doctor, who expresses his relief that Barbara agreed to resume her medication. When Derek catches Barbara attempting to sneak away, she screams wildly, and he punches her. Later, he ties her to a chair and feeds her soup. Barbara tells Derek that Karen and her husband are expected to visit that afternoon, and convinces him to telephone them and cancel. When Karen answers, Barbara screams loudly for help. The Mulligans arrive and, finding Barbara bruised and restrained, have her hospitalized. A doctor prescribes her an anti-depressant and assures her that her Valium withdrawal is over. She speaks about her desire to go to Italy, and urges the doctor not to drink his coffee, since she suspects Derek poisoned it. In the hospital cafeteria, Barbara befriends a patient named Roger. During her session with Dr. Julie Addison, Barbara insists that she is smart enough to fake her recovery in order to be released; Julie believes that deep down, Barbara knows she needs professional help. After some time in the hospital, Julie urges Barbara to venture outside of her room, but Barbara says she hates Julie and her non-medicinal treatments. Eventually, Barbara participates in activities with fellow patients in the occupational therapy room. One day, Barbara receives a visit from Jean, who apologizes for her reaction to Barbara’s film. Barbara asks her to help reconstruct the film’s ending when she gets out of the hospital, and they embrace. Julie releases Barbara from the institution, and Barbara returns to her apartment. At work, she argues with a new film executive, Mr. Brunner, who has hired another editor to finish Barbara’s documentary. Later, Barbara visits Jean, who has been hospitalized again, and shares stories about the patients she met at the institution. Jean suggests she end the film with a shot of Barbara on the beach. After Jean dies, Barbara completes the movie using footage of herself walking among the waves at night.