News
The genius, his rival and their mental illness
2006-05-12
Amadeus: Next Frames of Mind film at the Douglas
Montreal, May 12, 2006 – For some, life’s ups and downs go much further - reaching delirious manic heights followed by perilous depressing lows. It’s estimated that 4% of the population suffer from bipolar disorder, known for its severe mood swings.
On May 17, some of the symptoms of bipolar disorder will take comic and tragic turns on screen in the 1984 film, Amadeus. It’s the third in a series of five free movie nights dealing with mental health, called Frames of Mind and organized by the Douglas Hospital. Two Douglas experts on the disorder, Gaston Harnois MD, and Nancy Poirier, will host the evening.
“While bipolar disorder can be debilitating, proper treatment and support will enable affected individuals to function well in society,” says Douglas psychiatrist Harnois, director of the Montreal World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health. Nancy Poirier, a psychologist at the hospital’s Bipolar Disorders Program, will join him for the evening to help explain characteristics of this disorder.
“While it’s not entirely clear that Amadeus Mozart had bipolar disorder, this movie is a light-hearted way of introducing this syndrome,” says Poirier. “Educating the public and demystifying mental illnesses are some of the priorities of the Douglas. Our Frames of Mind series accomplishes this by bringing together clinicians, researchers and community members to openly discuss these disorders.”
The disorder is called bipolar because an individual’s mood alternates between the poles of mania and depression. The dramatic mood swings can last for hours, days weeks or months and can be so severe that they impair the ability to function normally at work, school and in relationships. Also known as manic-depressive illness, bipolar disorder usually begins in early adulthood and affects men and women equally.
Montreal, May 12, 2006 – For some, life’s ups and downs go much further - reaching delirious manic heights followed by perilous depressing lows. It’s estimated that 4% of the population suffer from bipolar disorder, known for its severe mood swings.
On May 17, some of the symptoms of bipolar disorder will take comic and tragic turns on screen in the 1984 film, Amadeus. It’s the third in a series of five free movie nights dealing with mental health, called Frames of Mind and organized by the Douglas Hospital. Two Douglas experts on the disorder, Gaston Harnois MD, and Nancy Poirier, will host the evening.
“While bipolar disorder can be debilitating, proper treatment and support will enable affected individuals to function well in society,” says Douglas psychiatrist Harnois, director of the Montreal World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health. Nancy Poirier, a psychologist at the hospital’s Bipolar Disorders Program, will join him for the evening to help explain characteristics of this disorder.
“While it’s not entirely clear that Amadeus Mozart had bipolar disorder, this movie is a light-hearted way of introducing this syndrome,” says Poirier. “Educating the public and demystifying mental illnesses are some of the priorities of the Douglas. Our Frames of Mind series accomplishes this by bringing together clinicians, researchers and community members to openly discuss these disorders.”
The disorder is called bipolar because an individual’s mood alternates between the poles of mania and depression. The dramatic mood swings can last for hours, days weeks or months and can be so severe that they impair the ability to function normally at work, school and in relationships. Also known as manic-depressive illness, bipolar disorder usually begins in early adulthood and affects men and women equally.
