Through Madness

Kenneth Paul Rosenberg, M.D., Producer

Original music and narration By Elizabeth Swados

• "These intimate, beautifully drawn portraits of loneliness, anguish, dignity, resourcefulness, wisdom and humor are our best answer to pervasive disinformation." - Jean Arnold, Alliance for the Mentally Ill of New York State
• "Respectfully and intimately, this humane and illuminating documentary personalizes the devastation of mental illness." - Booklist

This penetrating documentary de-mystifies psychotic illnesses such as schizophrenia and manic depression, and humanizes those who suffer from them. It is essential viewing for mental health professionals and students who need to understand mental illness, as well as for general audiences.

In this half-hour program, we hear about psychosis from three people who describe it from the inside out.

• Eileen, a once promising actress, now lives in a half-way house. She has a severe form of schizophrenia and must live in a sheltered atmosphere.
• Lionel, a former NFL football star who played with the Green Bay Packers, had been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. For a time his illness forced him to live on the streets.
• Joe, troubled since adolescence with delusions and hallucinations, is diagnosed as manic/ depressive. He and his wife describe their struggles with sickness and recovery.

Each of these individuals presents an engrossing tale of despair and hope and teaches us about the fragile boundary between insanity and sanity.

Psychiatrist/producer Kenneth Paul Rosenberg, M.D., undertook a nation-wide search for the three individuals profiled. He was assisted in the project by the American Psychiatric Association (NY Branch), the Foundation for Education in Psychiatry, and patient advocate groups.

"Rosenberg¹s documentary can provide an especially powerful educational experience for adult viewers with an appreciation for the complexity and diversity of psychiatric disabilities." Multicultural Review

EMMY, Academy of TV Arts & Science, 1993
CINE Gold Eagle, 1993
American Psychological Association, 1993
Red Ribbon, American Film & Video Festival, 1992
American Psychiatric Association, 1992

30 min. Video or DVD. Sale $195. Video rental $55.