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Shadow Voices: Finding Hope in Mental Illness | DVD

List Price:

$19.99

Available:

Usually ships in 24 hours

Binding:

DVD

Run Time:

58 minutes

Format:

Color, Subtitled, NTSC

Studio:

Vision Video

Number of Discs:

Release Date:

June 30, 2006

Sales Rank:

68,038th

EDITORIAL REVIEWS

Description
Here is an inside look at what it is like to live with a mental illness and how individuals and their families find their way through medical, governmental, societal and spiritual issues -- to hope. Ten people with mental illness tell their stories, and many experts and advocates in the field add helpful perspectives. Bonus material includes more personal stories and historical background, help for churches in relating to mental illness, support of family members, self-care, and more. A PDF discussion guide is included. Spanish subtitles available (main program only)

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.0 based on 1 review)

The "Presentable" Subgroup of a Stigmatized Population by Jeffery Mingo (Homewood, IL USA)

4 Stars
May 27, 2007
This documentary has great intentions. It spells out the ways in which the problems of the mentally ill become everyone's problems. If some people don't receive treatment, they become absentees or increase the numbers of the unemployed. If health benefits don't cover mental illnesses, patients go to doctors for physical side effects when they really should be seen by therapists. The work does a wonderful job in showing how deinstitutionalization helped to lead to the increase in the prison population. I especially loved that the interviewees here were diverse in terms of race and gender. The work begins by saying it was produced by an interfaith group. As a non-religious person, I was initially disturbed by the "churchiness" of the piece. But in all fairness, the work does say many individuals with problems approach their spiritual advisers before anyone else. Also, this work both praises how churches have helped this population and criticizes them when they turn their backs on these people. This was a well-rounded and fair-minded discussion. As much as I am happy to have seen this work and happy that it was produced at all, I have two major concerns. I thought the people focused upon were "the acceptable ones." In our oppressive society, light-skinned blacks are treated better than dark-skinned ones. Latinos who are bilingual are treated better than those that only speak Spanish. Gay men and lesbians who gender-conform are treated better than those who are gender-radical. Here, this work doesn't focus on people who are severely retarded or psychotic. No one is shown talking to themselves or yelling in public "I am the Lizard Queen!" It covers depressants, bipolar people, and others. If these people take their meds, no one would know they have problems. These are not the people who society harshly mocks. In so many ways, this work focuses on the people with whom the majority of Americans would be "comfortable." Secondly, almost all of those who spoke about their mental challenges were fat. I'm fat too and love seeing real bodies, rather than the made-for-Hollywood types. They also say the camera adds 10 pounds. Still, I think some viewers may get the impression that all people with these mental challenges also have weight issues. Some drugs may cause weight gain, but I haven't heard that they compose the majority of treatments. In fairness, all these interviewees seemed to be middle-aged and that may play a role in their weight. I am just worried that resistant viewers may use this dynamic as a reason to trivialize the issues presented.

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