"This brilliant portait of schizophrenia-the most malignant and least understood mental illness-by renowned psychiatrist Jeffrey Lieberman, Chair of Columbia's legendary Psychiatry department, interweaves cultural and scientific history with dramatic patient portraits and clinical experiences to impart a revolutionary message of hope: that for the first time in human history, schizophrenia can not just be effectively treated, but even prevented. Of...

When seven-year-old Rachel looked into the mirror one morning, she saw a nightmarish creature looking back at her. Without warning, teenager Jacqui heard voices telling her what to do. Oxford scholar David walked into his lab one afternoon and saw hideous rat-like creatures running around. Like millions of others, they had all developed psychosis. But why? For hundreds of years, psychiatry has treated voices and hallucinations as an enemy. But now,...

A documentary that follows a few individuals who shares their very honest stories of coping with schizophrenia either by themselves or with a family member who had it.

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...

Although one out of every hundred people in the world will likely wrestle with schizophrenia, the disease remains one of psychiatry's greatest therapeutic challenges. Enhanced by computer animations of the brain, this poignant program uses several case studies and expert commentary to promote a better understanding of schizophrenia: its causes and warning signs, current treatments, and how it affects the lives of those who have it. The phases of a...

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...

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...

In 1994, Ralph Tortorici, a 26-year-old New York psychology student, took a college class hostage. A paranoid schizophrenic who was convinced the government had planted tracking devices in his body, he was charged with assault, kidnapping, and attempted murder. His mental illness was apparent, but not how the courts should deal with him. FRONTLINE examines the controversial case in interviews with his family, defense attorney, prosecutor, and judge....

It was a wedding born of a terrible act of violence. In 1999, Sean Clifton, in a psychotic frenzy, tried to stab to death a complete stranger, “the prettiest girl he’d seen”, at a mall in Cornwall Ontario. Most of those involved in the violence have been invited to the wedding. For some the wounds have never healed. Can they set aside their anger and fears for the occasion? This extraordinary gathering—and the dark secrets beneath the revelry—are...