New educational film highlights recovery from mental illness

From The AP:

RICHMOND, Va. — As she hopped out of the car and maneuvered through three lanes of traffic to the edge of the bridge, Michelle Sese-Khalid was certain if she jumped she could fly to her children.

Luckily, her husband and a police officer caught her just before she jumped. The incident ultimately led to her being diagnosed with schizophrenia — one of more than 106,000 individuals treated for mental illness in Virginia this year.

Sese-Khalid is one of five Virginians showcased in a new film, "Voices of Hope and Recovery," that follows their struggles and recovery from mental illness. More than 100 people attended a premiere of the 50-minute film held by the Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services at the state Capitol on Thursday.

The message: Recovery from a mental illness is possible.

"That dragon is there and it wants to swallow you up," said Sese-Khalid, of Woodbridge. "Recovery is you put the armor on and you go out there and you fight the dragon in order to live life."

The film was paid for by a $50,000 federal grant to educate the public about mental illness. Following the premiere, the film will be available on the department's Web site.

The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 26 percent of Americans over age 18 suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder. Advocates say that makes it critical for the public to understand the diseases and the likelihood of recovery.

For decades, there has been a move away from warehousing the mentally ill. But the focus on recovery is a recent one, said James Reinhard, commissioner for the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. Reinhard said he never learned about recovery in medical school.