The Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders is hosting a screening of “Going Sane,” a mental health documentary that aims to educate people on the issues surrounding the mental health industry, as well as how they can find the help they need.
The film is the directorial debut of Josh Sabey, whose inspiration for the film came largely from watching his sister struggle with anorexia for seven years before receiving the proper treatment. It tackles the broad issues of mental health with an argumentative structure, but pays special attention to a few cases to get a more personal perspective. The film focuses on three children, one with anorexia, one with depression and one with anger issues, as well as their families and the struggles they go through.
“I think the people that have identified most with the film are parents of children who are suffering from mental disorders," Sabey said. "They feel isolated, and the film is meant to make them feel empowered.”
Along with the film's emotional impact, it is intended to be an educational experience.
“'Going Sane' is a very special documentary," Cynthia Bulik, the founding director of the Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders said. "They managed to engage some of the top clinicians and researchers in psychiatry and psychology around the country to offer their opinions on the challenges faced in finding evidence based care for loved ones and recommendations regarding how to be informed consumers."
A panel discussion after the screening will be led by Bulik, who will be accompanied by Sabey and professionals in the field, as well as the parents of children who have struggled with mental health issues.
“In part, I hope that we can work toward de-stigmatization of mental illness during the panel," Bulik said. "The more we can discuss mental illness openly, the more effective we can be in helping people find the right kind of care. We hope to provide a safe forum for people to discuss real concerns and to provide people with guidance about finding the care they need and deserve."
The film also falls in line with the mission of The Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders, which works to help fix the mental health crisis currently in the United States.
“We strive to provide evidence-based care to all of our patients," Christine Peat, who will also be serving on the panel, said. "And we feel that this is particularly important when the current landscape is full of lots of different providers who may claim to have expertise in a certain area, but actually haven’t received proper training (and) aren’t aware of some of the evidence based methods that were out there."
