Documentaries on Mental illness
Documentary movies about mental illness.
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19 titles
- DirectorDavid HoffertMark PancerStarsMarvin FreedmanTricia HugginsChris KrijaObsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), like many mental illnesses, is often the subject of ridicule or even uncomprehending disapproval. However, to its sufferers and their loved ones, OCD is anything but a joke. OCD, The War Inside gives viewers an intimate look at the painful reality of the disease through the eyes of four victims and the people who love them.
- DirectorDouglas BlushLisa J. KleinStarsTerri CheneyCarlton DavisCheri KeatingOf Two Minds explores the extraordinary lives, struggles and successes of three unique and compelling people living with bipolar disorder in America today. Through a combination of intimate verité and revealing interviews, we experience what it feels like to be bipolar - from exquisite feelings of grandiosity and sensuality to the depths of despair and depression. A journey from the painful to the painfully funny, Of Two Minds puts a human face on the illness, opening an engaging, harrowing and perception-changing view on those all around us who live in bipolar's shadows...our sisters and brothers, parents and friends, and ourselves.
- DirectorRita KotziaStarsRoss McKenzieDavid GoldbloomPeter LevineChallenges conventional wisdom about mental illness and drug therapy through the raw personal journey of a man diagnosed as bipolar.
- DirectorRoss WilsonStarsStephen FryAndy BehrmanJo BrandStephen Fry presents this documentary exploring the disease of manic depression; a little understood but potentially devastating condition affecting an estimated two percent of the population. Stephen embarks on an emotional journey to meet fellow sufferers, and discuss the literal highs and lows of being bi-polar. Celebrities such as Carrie Fisher and Richard Dreyfuss invite the comedian into their home to relate their stories. Plus Stephen looks into the lives of ordinary people trying to deal with the illness at work and home, and of course to the people studying manic depression in an effort to better control it. A fascinating, moving and ultimately very entertaining Emmy Award-winning program.
- DirectorKyle GehringStarsBlaise BronsonSusan BrownDiana ChaudronThere are approximately 5.7 million people in the United States with bipolar disorder. In an attempt to eliminate the mystery and misinformation surrounding the illness, many throughout the country diagnosed with this condition were interviewed extensively. They diligently explain the struggle to balance themselves between floating to a state of euphoria and sinking to a devastating depression.
- DirectorBen Selkow"A Summer in the Cage" is filmmaker Ben Selkow's feature-length documentary chronicling his friend Sam's battle with manic-depressive illness, also known as bipolar disorder. The film follows Sam for seven years as he suffers delusional manic episodes, battles paralyzing depressions, and tries to escape the legacy of his bipolar father who committed suicide when Sam was eight years old. By showing the difficult emotional impact of being bipolar on Sam, his family, all those who care about him and the filmmaker, "A Summer in the Cage" hopes to put a human face on an illness that affects millions of American families. But as this dramatic story unfolds and heads to an explosive standoff, it also becomes a unique tale about friendship and the ethical responsibilities of a documentary filmmaker.
- DirectorRoss WilsonStarsStephen FryDavid MorrisseyA decade on from when Stephen Fry spoke about manic depression in his award-winning series, this film returns to the subject to understand where he and others with bipolar are now.
- DirectorDana Heinz PerryStarsEvan Scott PerryDana Heinz PerryHart PerryFilmmaker Dana Perry documents the life of her son, Evan, a 15-year-old who committed suicide.
- DirectorEd MooreStarsMelody MoezziDavid Ogden StiersThis film tells the story of highly accomplished individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder, including former congressman Patrick Kennedy, attorney Terri Cheney, and cartoonist Ellen Forney. It seeks to find out where the biological breakdowns occur and how we can possibly preempt, fix, or rewire our brains to move forward to stability.
- DirectorPhie AmboStarsRichard DavidsonEmma SeppalaJohn OsborneIn 1992 Professor Richard Davidson, one of the world's leading neuroscientists, met the Dalai Lama, who encouraged him to apply the same rigorous methods he used to study depression and anxiety to the study of compassion and kindness, those qualities cultivated by Tibetan meditation practice. The results of Davidson's studies at the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, are portrayed in Free the Mind as they are applied to treating PTSD in returning Iraqi vets and children with ADHD. The film poses two fundamental questions: What really is consciousness, and how does it manifest in the brain and body? And is it possible to physically change the brain solely through mental practices?
- DirectorLarkin McPheeStarsMichael Murphy
- 20101h 40mNot Rated6.5 (182)66MetascoreDirectorBud ClaymanGlenn HolstenScott JohnstonStarsBud ClaymanJeff BellMaurice BenardDirector Bud Clayman documents his struggle with OCD and Asperger's Syndrome and how it derailed his plan to become a filmmaker.
- DirectorKate DavisHD. Five families reveal the struggles, hopes and fears that arise from raising kids with Bipolar Mood Disorder.
- DirectorCharlie RussellStarsChris PackhamLindsey ChapmanCharlotte CorneyChris Packham invites us inside his autistic world to find out what it is like being him.
- DirectorAlex LehmannStarsNoah BrittonEthan FinlanJack HankeIn this coming of age documentary, four friends on the Autism spectrum whom have bonded through humor and performed as the comedy troupe "Asperger's Are Us" will prepare for one final, ambitious show before going their separate ways.
- DirectorMichael BurnsThis film weaves personal stories into discussion about Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing's evolution and remarkable development. Researchers and practitioners from across the world share their reflections about EMDR's early days when founder Francine Shapiro began honing the therapy's methodology as well as how EMDR has transformed their practices in the decades since. Interviews explore the acute need for PTSD and trauma treatment that works efficiently and quickly to address the needs of the millions upon millions in need. Through interviews with the top EMDR community memebers, this documentary introduces and explains this therapy's components. Combining powerful personal stories from the military and civilian worlds, the film explores the ability of the human brain to re-wire itself when given the opportunity. More and more people every day, are affected by trauma personally. Many more feel the ripple-effects as family, friends, and co-workers of a traumatized person. This project's premise is that the trajectory of lives touched by tragedy and pain need not be predetermined.
- DirectorAlexander FreemanStarsNancy RossDouglas RossLorenzo GuerraAn unflinching true story of one woman's life battling addiction, PTSD and mental illness in a search for redemption.
- DirectorMaurizio BenazzoZaya BenazzoStarsRussell BrandJames DotyTim FerrissMental illness, suicide, drug overdose, and autoimmune disorders are interconnected epidemics affecting 1 in 5 Americans annually, according to Dr Gabor Maté.
- DirectorLynn CunninghamWendy RactliffeStarsAngela PeacockMedicating Normal follows the stories of five subjects harmed by prescribed medications they believed would help them. It is the untold story of what happens when profit-driven medicine intersects with human beings in distress.