A psychiatrist makes rounds in ERs, jails, and homeless camps to tell the intimate stories behind one of the greatest social crises of our time. A personal and intense journey into the world of the seriously mentally ill.
The discussion surrounding mental illness has always been taboo and unlike other illnesses, it carries shame and lack of compassion. Since the beginning of time, those with mental illness have always been referred to as crazy, insane or lunatic; words that exhibit disrespect and lack of understanding. Bedlam, which was founded in 1247 in London, is Europe’s oldest institution dedicated solely to the treatment of mental illness. At that time there weren’t any medications to treat symptoms things like hallucinations, depression, and anxiety. Instead, they used Insulin Coma Therapy causing blood sugar to drop, leaving the brain unconscious. Electroconvulsive Therapy was also common along with lobotomy, severing connections into the brain’s prefrontal cortex.
We’ve come a long way in regards to treatment and medication, but not so much in terms of how society depicts individuals suffering from this disease. This documentary shows the real struggle of those living with the illness and how it affects not only their lives but those around them. Some patients describe it as the scariest and loneliest feeling they’ve ever experienced. As the families create lies to hide the truth and shame about their loved one’s condition, many never receive the treatment they need or don’t stay in treatment long enough to get better.
As people rally and raise money to fight diseases like diabetes, cancer or heart disease, there is no one rallying to raise awareness and money to help mental illness. As a matter of fact, I’ve yet to see anything of the sort. I think deeply about the horror these individuals must go through every day as I replay images in my mind of the subjects in the documentary who struggle just to make it through the day. As mental hospitals began to shut down, it’s scary to realize that a large percentage of the patients were thrown into the streets, becoming homeless or ended up in prisons where a whole section is dedicated to mentally ill individuals.
This documentary takes you on an emotional journey that will open your eyes and change the way you think about not only mental illness but the medical industry and the government. It is truly eye-opening and hopefully with start more dialog about diminishing shame around this topic. Beautifully done!
In Select Theaters Now
