"The lives of the Barretts, a normal suburban New England family, are torn apart when fourteen-year-old Marjorie begins to display signs of acute schizophrenia. To her parents' despair, the doctors are unable to stop Marjorie's bizarre outbursts and subsequent descent into madness. As their home devolves into a house of horrors, they reluctantly turn to a local Catholic priest for help. Father Wanderly suggests an exorcism; he believes the vulnerable...

Schizophrenia was first identified more than a century ago, but we still don't know its exact causes. It remains one of the most misunderstood and stigmatized illnesses today. So what do we actually know about its symptoms, causes, and treatments? Anees Bahji investigates. [Directed by Artrake Studio, narrated by Susan Zimmerman, music by Stephen LaRosa].

This is an extraordinary documentary about the lives of those who live and work in the unit for difficult patients in a psychiatric hospital. We go behind closed doors to examine a facility that takes care of some of the most dangerous patients who are suffering from severe mental disorders and need of 24-hour surveillance. With unique and exclusive testimonies from families, doctors, and the patients themselves, what emerges is a comprehensive depiction...

For 17 million Americans, severe, long-term mental illness is a fact of life-a fact little understood by the majority of their fellow citizens. In an effort to raise public awareness of the day-to-day impact mental illness has on families, this intimate documentary profiles Robert Neugeboren and his brother, Jay, as decade after decade they cope with Robert's schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Drawing on Jay's heart-rending yet uplifting family memoir...

In the late 1790s the young director of a Paris insane asylum prohibited the use of chains and shackles. Philippe Pinel's decision is the first of many advances detailed in this program, which studies the history and physiology of schizophrenia, and illustrates current research aimed at finding a cure. Outlining the functions of neurotransmitters and the development of antipsychotic drugs, the video discusses newer medications and the importance of...

OPRAH S BOOK CLUB PICK #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES TOP TEN BOOKS OF THE YEAR ONE OF THE WALL STREET JOURNAL TOP TEN BOOKS OF THE YEAR PEOPLE'S #1 BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR Named a BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR by The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, TIME, Slate, Smithsonian, The New York Post, and Amazon The heartrending story of a midcentury American family with twelve children, six of them diagnosed with schizophrenia, that...

Although mental illnesses severely affect thoughts, moods, and coping abilities, a fulfilling life is still possible for people who face those challenges. Outlining the symptoms and possible causes of schizophrenia, clinical depression, and bipolar disorder, this program explores various treatment options and identifies ways that patients can achieve personal independence. Real-world success stories are featured, emphasizing the importance of support...

This ABC News program goes inside the homes of children living with severe mental illness, sharing the stories of three young girls whose schizophrenia commands them to harm themselves-or their younger siblings. Their parents' video diaries document the challenges, breakdowns, and frustrations that occur as they seek help for their children and relief for the rest of the family. Brutally honest and emotionally charged, Haywire sheds light on a disorder...

He was a respected judge in 19th-century Germany, but at age 51 Daniel Paul Schreber began claiming to receive messages from God via a "writing down machine" that spanned the cosmos. He spent several years in an asylum, tortured by delusions of cosmic control and convinced he was shifting gender. During his confinement he wrote Memoirs of My Nervous Illness, a volume later referenced in detail by Freud. In it, Schreber argued that his belief system...