The Daily Bulletin Archive

Bipolarized, a 2013 documentary following Ross McKenzie, a young man seeking alternative treatments for his diagnosed mental illness, will be shown Thursday, October 16, at 6:30 p.m. at the Burchfield Penney Art Center as part of the "Beyond Boundaries: Dare to Be Diverse" screening and discussion film series. The film will be followed by a panel discussion featuring moderator Lisa T. Morrison-Fronckowiak, director of Buffalo State's Disability Services Office; Karl Shallowhorn, '87, director of community advocacy for the Mental Health Association of Erie County and Compeer of Greater Buffalo; Leslie Saunders, systems advocate with the WNY Independent Living-Mental Health Peer Connection; and a representative from the Museum of DisABILITY History.

Bipolarized, directed by Rita Kotzia, reveals how society is labeling more and more people with mental illnesses and how, in tandem, doctors are prescribing more and more psychotropic drugs to treat these conditions. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 21 after a manic episode, Ross McKenzie managed his symptoms with lithium. After being on the drug for half his life, he sets off on a journey to treat his condition through alternative treatments and delve into the root cause of his mental breakdown. As McKenzie peels away the layers, his personal experiences tell a larger story about medication. Many people put the blame for the spike in diagnoses on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the dictionary of mental disorders, which is currently in its fifth edition (DSM-5). Questioning his bipolar label, McKenzie seeks out activists, psychiatrists, and psychiatric survivors who have challenged the status quo in psychiatry, and recounts some of the alternative therapies he explores to maintain his mental, emotional, and physical health.

This screening in the "Beyond Boundaries: Dare to Be Diverse" film series is cosponsored by the Equity and Campus Diversity Office, the Communication Department, the Burchfield Penney Art Center, and the Museum of DisABILITY History.