"The reality of bipolar disorder is hard to fathom: five and a half million Americans have been diagnosed with the disorder and yet so little is known about how the illness manifests itself in our brains. Coming April 13, 2016 from Detroit Public Television (DPTV) and airing on PBS stations nationwide is Ride the Tiger, a one-hour documentary that tells the story of highly accomplished individuals—congressmen, attorneys, pastors, authors, and stay-at-home moms, who have been diagnosed as bipolar."
The full episode of the documentary can be viewed here now: http://www.pbs.org/ride-the-tiger/home/
Famous people with bipolar disorder, in addition to those seen in this video, include Demi Lovato, Jane Pauley, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Vivien Leigh, Carrie Fisher, Amy Winehouse, WInston Churchill, Vincent Van Gogh, Ben Stiller, Richard Dreyfuss, Jim Carrey, Robin Williams, ... But they are a tiny fraction of the 5.5 Million Americans who suffer now from this (lifelong) disorder. Most unknown people suffer immensely, quietly or in public.
http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/famous-people-celebrities-bipolar/
http://www.commdiginews.com/health-science/health/five-celebrities-besides-robin-williams-with-bipolar-disorder-23601/
The statement in this video by the former director of NIMH, Dr. Thomas Insel, is quite telling, that if the neurosurgical technology has advanced as much as the cell phone technology, the national mental health situation will finally be in the 21st century. But it is still in the 'stone age'. The ECT (Electroconvulsive Therapy) was used from the 1940s, and is still a most effective technique in treating severe depression for many patients. As you know, Transistor was invented in 1947 at Bell Labs (so back then there was no transistor radio, not to mention TV and computer). The cellphone technology over the last decade made lots and lots of money for many companies and for many people, but the improved quality of lives for the millions and millions of mental health patients can not produce that much wealth or jobs, and there lies this dilemma. The 'stone age' technology ECT is still the final resort for many severe depression patients. Now medical students hear that the next greatest advancement in medicine will come in the mental health.
Ride The Tiger: Documentary Aims to Raise Awareness of Bipolar Disorder
http://neurosciencenews.com/ride-the-tiger-bipolar-documentary-3985/
http://www.pbs.org/ride-the-tiger/home/
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