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  It is crucial for the general population to have
a clear understanding of how this illness affects the
individual sufferer. It is important that the lay
community learns to view bipolar disorder for what
it is: a serious mental illness and medical
condition. New and innovative treatments for bipolar
disorder are emerging constantly, offering hope to
both sufferers and their families. Mr. Friedkin's
film has great informative and aesthetic value and
highlights the personal struggle and emotional
strain that can be felt by both the afflicted
individual and the individual's friends and loved
ones…It is my pleasure to offer my support for this
valuable project.
- Andrew L. Stoll M.D., McLean Hospital, Harvard
Medical School
 For the past three years, I have led a support group
for friends and family members of persons with
bipolar or major depression through the Depression
Bipolar Support Alliance in San Francisco (DBSA-SF)…untreated
patients may be lost to suicide or family
abandonment, often leading to a life on the streets
with exposure to drugs and alcohol as coping
tools…In my experience with Mr. Friedkin through the
group he attended and in my subsequent review of his
written materials…he has a clear understanding of
what can be helpful and supportive for friends and
families.
- Jane S.
Norbeck, RN, DNSc Professor and Dean Emeritus UCSF
School of Nursing
 I am writing to express my full support of Nathan
Friedkin's documentary on bipolar disorder. The film
is about my son, Doug Friedman, who has bipolar
disorder, a devastating and heartbreaking mental
illness. My hope is that this film will help people
see the symptoms of bipolar disorder are not due to
a lack of willpower and that it is not possible to
simply "snap out of it." The documentary clearly
shows not only how the illness causes mood swings,
but often has a crippling effect on the patient's
self-esteem and sense of efficacy. I also feel that
those viewing the film will have a better sense of
what it is like to be a friend or family member of a
person with bipolar disorder. It is often extremely
trying, testing patience, boundaries and love…I have
known Nathan for over fifteen years and he is
conscientious and dedicated to his work…I am fully
confident that he will complete a moving and
innovative film…
- Claire S. Rubin, MFT
 I believe that this is a highly important work, and
it will be completed with true quality. The project
appears to achieve something that is quite rare in
films about mental illness: A personal, honest
approach to how a disorder influences the life of a
human being…The material is compelling; Mr.
Friedkin's friend is a bright, sensitive and
thoughtful man who is gradually losing many of the
most fundamental resources in his life…recent
surveys suggest that it is normative for people with
bipolar disorder to lose friends, family members and
jobs…As a person who has taught interviewing skills
to clinical psychologists for several years, I would
rank Mr. Friedkin as an interviewer of rare
talent…In sum, because I am impressed by the need
for this documentary, the strong approach to the
material, and the talent of Mr. Friedkin, I am happy
to provide my full support for this project.
- Sheri L. Johnson, Ph.D. Associate Professor of
Psychology, University of Miami
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