Bipolarized: Rethinking Mental Illness

Rita Kotzia's documentary asks whether psychotropic medication does more harm than good. The central focus here is on Ross McKenzie, a Canadian diagnosed as bipolar in his early 20s and prescribed lithium by his psychiatrist. McKenzie did not respond positively to the medication either physically or emotionally, and he eventually balked after years of suffering. Following several unsuccessful attempts to quit his prescriptions, McKenzie successfully underwent detox treatment at a Costa Rican facility and later used the services of a Toronto naturopath and a Colombian shaman as part of his pill-free healing process. Bipolarized also follows McKenzie to a Philadelphia rally, where individuals in similar situations protest outside of an American Psychiatric Association conference about the medical community's connections to the pharmaceutical industry. Ultimately, the film opens a much-needed dialogue on whether overreliance on expensive medicines has become a too-convenient remedy for illnesses that can be treated through more holistic means. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)