MovieChat Forums > Stephen Fry: The Secret Life of the Manic Depressive (2006) Discussion > Other depression documentarys/films?

Other depression documentarys/films?

posted 16 years ago by breakbeatpete37
13 replies | jump to latest

I watched this about a month ago and thought it was excellent. I just wish there were more pieces like this about mental health in general. I have been suffering some deep depression for over 2 years and believe that help should be available to people in many forms on top of that from therapists and doctors. Sometimes, a 20 minute check up and prescription for prozac can be even more soul destroying and I think many people are eager to hear 'what its like' for other people.
I have some OCD characteristics and have family members who suffer from bipolar disorder - I have found that time in therapy is limited and theres so much that you want to say but forget to mention because everything is just buzzing around and spiralling in your head. Having films like this to watch outside of therapy I think can be extremeley beneficial and if there were more, it would undoubtedly help in detatching the negative mental health stigma that Fry talks about.

Are there any other films similar to this one about Depression, Anxiety, OCD that anybody knows of?

[–] sillyspaghetti 16 years ago

I don't know of any other programmes like this. I do concur that this was a brilliant programme though, especially as I suffer with bipolar affective disorder and OCD. It was helpful to know that people, celebs and otherwise, wanted to get away from the stigma that goes with mental health problems.

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[–] LauraCohle 16 years ago

Hey,

if you ever need to talk to somebody, you can talk to me, okay? Just send me a message/add me on msn.

[–] sillyspaghetti 16 years ago

Aww. You sweet person. :-)

My movies at: http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=34435324

[–] vskjong 16 years ago

The only movie I can come up with is Prozac Nation, it involves, of course, depression and medication. Don't remember if it was informative or not. But I do remember it was based on a book
A book too, but only one I remember is Madness: A Bipolar Life by Marya Hornbacher. Don't know of any books involning depression as the main theme, since my main interest is bipolar for obvious reasons.

[–] sillyspaghetti 16 years ago

You a sufferer too? Or is it just an area of interest? I'll have to check out Prozac Nation.

My movies at: http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=34435324

[–] angelfire6736 15 years ago

Honestly movies don't do any psychological disorder justice well. Though this doc was great. Books are much better at portraying disorders. Movies sometimes do it well, but they have to add entertainment value so they are never accurate, ex Fight Club/All About Eve/As Good as it Gets/A Beautiful Mind/etc. If you want books, let me know!

[–] sillyspaghetti 15 years ago

What books can you recommend?

"I have met some dumb blondes in my time. But you take the taco, pal"

[–] billyjx 15 years ago

i seem to remember a film nicholas cage was in a few years back, i think it was called matchstick men. in this he plays a character with ocd. there is an overiding plot but remember his manorisms being strong.

ive been diagnosed with depression myself and was actually prescribed a book by my GP. Its called "Overcoming Depression" by Paul gilbert. ive been finding this book a very interesting and helpful read as the writer himself went thru a period of depression earlier in his life. ive got to admit tho im finding reading hard as i just cant seem to concentrate long enough to read more than a couple of pages. hence why i was looking at fry's documentary i find it easier to watch things, tho im not sure just how much im taking in!

[–] sillyspaghetti 15 years ago

I'll have to check that book out. Thanks.

"I have met some dumb blondes in my time. But you take the taco, pal"

[–] angelfire6736 14 years ago

I loved The Unquiet Mind. Though that is manic depression, it portrays it very well!

[–] mmsbk 14 years ago

Here is a good list of books - I really really liked Karp's "Speaking of Sadness" and it was very useful to me.

http://www.healthyplace.com/depression/books/books-on-depression-and-manic-depression/menu-id-554/

[–] Taco_Lips 14 years ago

I agree this was amazing for me, being newly diagnosed with BP. It really helped me and my family members get an insight!

[–] bole79 12 years ago

Von Trier's Melancholia can be added on this list I think, it has some powerful moments and imagined ideas.