Can anybody recommend any good documentaries on the topic of mental illness?

I haven’t watched it yet, but I’ve heard many good things about Stephen Fry’s “The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive”

There are two I’ve seen which stick in my mind as being most memorable, poignant, and extremely well done.

The first is “Unlisted, A Story of Schizophrenia” the Filmaker is a young woman tracing her attempts to reconnect with her schizophrenic Father.

You can watch it online at:

www.video.kcts9.org
Just put “Unlisted” in their search bar for the one hour doc plus a shorter interview with the filmmaker.

There is further info. and updates at:

www.unlistedfilm.com

The second will take a bit more looking but it’s about Jani Schofield, a 7 yr. old little girl with severe schizophrenia and the lengths her parents go to to find treatment for her.

Oprah featured it on one of her shows but I saw another (I believe) documentary but can’t remember where offhand. It’s really heartbreaking.

EDIT

Her parents website:

www.janisjourney.org

@stardust – not sure if this fits the bill but I was just recently watching a documentary about asylums in the UK. Mental: The history of the mad house. I found two of the three parts on YouTube but the second part isn’t there for some reason. Let me know if this is of interest and you find the second part. It was very interesting.

There is also OCD: The war inside I haven’t seen this one but I was looking for a documentary I did see about OCD where the sufferers went into a programme and moved away from home while they went through therapy. If I remember the name or find it I will post again.

There are so many docos on mental illness. Can you provide any more info about what you are looking for and why?

I Never Promised You A Rose Garden is a “fiction” film based on a book by Joanne Goldenberg [pen name Hannah Green] about her experiences at Chestnut Lodge mental hospital in Rockville MD when she was 16. I don’t know if this is what you are looking for.

I second Stephen Fry’s autobio-documentary. It isn’t just about him. He travels around and takes a good look at how ADHD/bi-oplar kids in the US are treated.

You might be able to find it online with the BBC, but it may be blocked for anyone living outside the UK.

Loving Lamposts is one of the best documentaries I’ve seen about autism. I know that’s a neurological disorder rather than a mental illness, but I still think it might interest you. You can find it on netflix.

I can not recall the name but Robert Deniro plays a Patient in an institution who is given El Dopa along with other patients in a Clinical Study. It was interesting since it covered a spectrum of illnesses.

Lately I have studied Female Narcissism their predatory conduct and the caos ridden mayhem imposed on the victim who is the life partner, in private, and out of sight of others.

@RopheO Welcome to Fluther! The movie you mention is Awakenings. While not a documentary, it is based upon the book by the doctor who conducted the experiment.