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Depression: Out of the Shadows
Wednesday, Mary 21, at 9 p.m.
on WKAR-HD and WKAR-23
Depression Is the Topic of Comprehensive Documentary
Depression: Out of the Shadows, a 90-minute documentary about clinical depression followed by a half-hour panel discussion hosted by Jane Pauley, tells the dramatic stories of people of different ages, from diverse backgrounds, who live with various forms of clinical depression — and explores its causes and treatments.
“Depression is one of the most debilitating illnesses on earth, and yet people are ashamed to talk about it,” says writer/director/producer Larkin McPhee. “This is a medical illness that can devastate lives, ruin relationships and keep people from achieving their dreams. My greatest hope is that people watching Depression: Out of the Shadows will be able to better recognize the signs and symptoms of this elusive illness and seek help. This is a highly treatable disorder.”
Among those profiled in the program are:
- novelist and journalist Andrew Solomon, whose mother’s death contributed to his depression and left him unable to work or take care of himself
- Ellie Zuehlke, whose bout with post-partum depression after the birth of her first child led to thoughts of suicide
- Terrie M. Williams, a successful public relations executive and social worker who found herself sobbing for hours on end and did not realize she was suffering from depression
- Philip Burguieres, once the youngest CEO of a Fortune 500 company, who resigned unexpectedly from his position after collapsing from untreated depression
- Hart Lipton, a teenager who suddenly became depressed when he was in the sixth grade and after four years of struggling with the illness was eventually diagnosed with a bipolar disorder
- DaShaun “Jiwe” Morris, a member of the Bloods gang who became depressed and suicidal after years of neglect, violence and crime. He is the author of an upcoming book about his experience called War of the Bloods in My Veins.
Williams, who is African American and the author of a new book about her experience and that of others, Black Pain: It Just Looks Like We’re Not Hurting, said, “As reluctant as those in the general public may be to discussing depression openly, in the African-American community, it is much worse. The high rates of poverty and unemployment that disproportionately affect our community contribute to and compound depression. This is a lapse that must be addressed.”
The film also features several of the nation’s leading mental health experts who explain current theories about the causes of depression and pharmaceutical and counseling treatments that have proved successful. The experts include Dr. Helen Mayberg, who discusses her groundbreaking research into the use of deep brain stimulation therapies to treat depression; Dr. Carlos Zarate, who has conducted promising research with a drug called ketamine; and Dr. Charles Nemeroff, who explains how depression is rooted in both genetic and environmental factors.
Following the broadcast of the documentary, veteran journalist Jane Pauley, who wrote about having a bipolar disorder in her autobiography Skywriting: Out of the Blue, will host a panel discussion with mental health experts to discuss the issues raised in the film.
published: May 20, 2008
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