HBO is presenting a heartbreaking documentary, Boy Interrupted, debuting on Monday, August 3, 2009. Boy Interrupted is the story of a teenager who lost his battle with bipolar disorder, which debuts exclusively on HBO.
On the night of Oct. 2, 2005, 15-year-old Evan Scott Perry ended a lifelong struggle with bipolar disorder by jumping from his New York City bedroom window, leaving behind heartbroken parents, beloved brothers and many friends. Director Dana Perry, along with her husband Hart Perry, tells the story of their son’s life and death in the heartbreaking documentary

BOY INTERRUPTED is a wrenching profile of a family torn apart. Dana and Hart Perry share the intensely personal story of every parent’s worst nightmare: the death of a child by suicide. As professional filmmakers, they were accustomed to making extensive personal films and videos of the family, but never suspected that their footage of son Evan – taken from the moment of his birth throughout childhood and adolescence – would end up becoming the primary source material for this moving account. Casual and innocuous before his death, the home movies provide a visual record of Evan’s life, and help create an intimate portrait of this vibrant, troubled young man, supplemented by interviews with family, friends, doctors and teachers.

Source:HBO, BOY INTERRUPTED was produced and directed by Dana Perry; director of photography, Hart Perry; edited by Geof Bartz, A.C.E.; music composed by Michael Bacon. For HBO: senior producer, Nancy Abraham; executive producer, Sheila Nevins.

Both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder can be disabling conditions, and both present clinically with significant mood and psychotic symptoms. These two illnesses also share genetic variants that might be involved in the predisposition to both disorders. A new study scheduled for publication in the July 15th issue of Biological Psychiatry sought to analyze the patterns of gene expression in the brains of individuals diagnosed with one of these disorders to search for a common “characteristic [genetic] signature.” [continue reading…]

In the New York Times today, “Patient Voices,’’ created by Karen Barrow, gives a voice to bipolar disorder, featuring nine courageous people who share their own stories of diagnosis, treatment, struggle and acceptance. Link to read more

Among other featured you will meet Victoria Maxwell, 41, from Vancouver, British Columbia, who talks about the challenges she faced while dating and deciding whether to disclose her illness.

“I really wrestled with when do you tell somebody,’’ said Ms. Maxwell, who is now married. “Generally speaking I would let them get to know who I am, and if they didn’t like me for me, I couldn’t chalk it up to having bipolar disorder. click here to listen

Source: The New York Times, July 17 2008