Crazy

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, approximately 1 in 5 adults in the United States - 43.8 million, or 18.5% - experiences mental illness in a given year. The one-hour documentary CRAZY follows Eric, a diagnosed schizophrenic, faced with a critical choice - whether to comply with traditional mental health treatment or follow his own path to wellness. Eric's doctors want to medicate him for his own protection, but after eight years of anti-psychotic meds, Eric wants to refuse the drugs he believes are causing more harm than good. With extraordinary access, the film explores both sides of the story. Eric, his father and his attorney argue passionately for Eric's right to make his own medical decisions. Depositions of Eric's evaluating psychologist and social worker show how and why they feel forced treatment is necessary. CRAZY reveals an intimate portrait of the unpredictable and high-stakes trajectory of Eric's journey - refusing meds, seeking legal approval to use an advanced directive, being locked on a psych floor after being picked up by police, and deteriorating during a family therapy session. Through all of this, there's a glimmer of hope and a solution that eventually enables Eric to graduate from college and claim the recovery and a measure of the autonomy he so desperately craves. CRAZY brings the viewer into the story with extraordinary access to both Eric and his doctor's points of view. In the process, the documentary looks at involuntary treatment and explores the bigger issues and questions raised by this very personal experience.

Duration: 57 minutes and 34 seconds

Episode Number: 0

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