Lia:

Accept Me and Just Like You educate the public about mental health in teenagers in a way that is easily accessible. 25% of teenagers have an anxiety disorder and 1 in 200 children have OCD. These are mental illnesses that need to be talked about more to be understood so that we can find help for others. These two documentaries consist of interviews with many experts; two psychiatrists, a trainee at McLean Anxiety Mastery Program at McLean Hospital, a person who is a specialist in OCD and anxiety disorders, and two people who have been diagnosed with OCD and anxiety. The documentaries discuss how to decrease the shame connected with mental illness, early signs of illness, and the importance of mental health education in high schools. People shy away from talking about mental health because it is an uncomfortable topic, but some mental illnesses first manifest during the teenage years, so mental health should be talked about comfortably in high school. This documentary helps teens, schools, and parents by providing education on mental health and how and where to find help. This documentary aspires to change the culture around mental illness: the way people with a mental illness are viewed and how people talk about mental health. It will also encourage schools to bring mental health education into their curricula. The viewer will watch this documentary either in school or at home either because they want to learn more about mental health, they worry someone they know is showing signs of illness and they want to help, or they are struggling themselves and don't know where to seek help.

Janice:

Mental health is seldom talked about, and rarely in a constructive way, which limits people's resources if they want to seek help for themselves or a friend. Just Like You and Accept Me aim to help teens struggling with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Anxiety Disorders, and support their friends and family. Educating teens can help them inform the treatment decisions made by their parents or guardians, who can sometimes make the wrong choices because they are fearful for their child's future or don't understand what their child is going through. Common misconceptions are made about OCD and Anxiety Disorders, such as the idea that people with OCD are just neat freaks, or that people with Social Anxiety are just shy. Misconceptions like these are harmful because they induce an atmosphere of shame and lack of sympathy that makes these disorders hard to address. People with mental illness are more likely to get better the earlier that they get treatment;  this film challenges the stigma associated with OCD and Anxiety, and addresses directly and informatively the issues that aren't talked about so people can get treatment as fast and effectively as possible. 

Clio:

Natalie:

Just Like You and Accept Me: documentaries that raise awareness about mental illness, specifically anxiety and  Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in adolescents. The film interviews people who suffer from these illnesses, and people who are experts on the topic. 

One out of five people will suffer from a mental illness in their lifetime, and it's time that society stops attaching such a negative connotation to it. These documentaries aim to help adolescents struggling with mental illness. In environments where mental health is rarely talked about, people tend to doubt people who say they are suffering from these ailments or to ignore the signs. People with mental illness have improved outcomes from early treatment, but often people go undiagnosed and untreated for years before they find the help they need.  These films try to give people a less toxic view of mental illness and those who suffer from it.