Films from the CSS Student Center for Health & Well-Being: Streaming Video

Even though many experts recommend eight hours of sleep a night, getting that much rest often seems impossible. This program offers ten scientific ways to get quality sleep, and more of it. These techniques include sleep restriction programs for people with insomnia, explained by Professor Colin Espie of the University of Glasgow’s Sleep Centre; fasting to beat jet lag, presented by Harvard’s Dr. Patrick Fuller; and simple, full-body relaxation techniques, demonstrated by physiotherapist Sammy Margo. Features celebrities such as comedian Russell Kane, world-record-setting yachtswoman Dee Caffari, and British TV presenter Kate Silverton. A BBC Production. (50 minutes)

This program comes to grips with depression through the experiences of five patients whose backgrounds span the socioeconomic spectrum. Three cases of chronic depression, one of which is complicated by borderline personality disorder and another by alcohol abuse, and two cases of bipolar disorder, one of which is extreme, are presented. The overarching message? Patients with depression can stabilize and lead fulfilling lives if they accept their condition and proactively address it. Antidepressants, psychiatric therapy, acupuncture, and other modalities are touched upon as components of a tailored treatment plan. (46 minutes)

This program illustrates the application of positive psychology through a powerful workshop in which participants increase their awareness of what creates happiness by performing acts of indulgence, altruism, and gratitude. How to Be Happy also considers whether wealth, friendship, religion, job satisfaction, raising children, and getting older typically do or don’t promote happiness. An fMRI study on the effect of deep meditation on the brain, a segment on laughter yoga, and a case study of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, a very successful company whose management style is firmly based on the principles of positive psychology, round out the program. Original CBC broadcast title: How to Be Happy! (44 minutes)

Over the last three decades, science has been advancing the understanding of stress—how it impacts the human body and how social standing can make a person more or less susceptible. Through studies of baboons on the plains of Africa and research in the neuroscience labs of Stanford University, scientists are discovering just how lethal stress can be. Understanding how stress works can help people figure out ways to combat it and how to live a life free of the tyranny of this contemporary plague. As Stress: Portrait of a Killer shows, stress is not just a state of mind; it’s something measurable and dangerous. (56 minutes)

“You feel like your world is caving in on you. There’s no future. There’s no hope.” Drawing upon talks with patients and family members as well as interviews with medical and mental health professionals, this award-winning program explains how concerned individuals can help a person struggling with depression. Factual information validates the condition as a bona fide physical illness rather than a mood that a person can “just snap out of,” while stories of patients and their loved ones offer insights into how depression has impacted their lives and how, ultimately, they got the help they needed to overcome it. (30 minutes)

Even as ignorance about depression leads to social stigmas and alienation, many people with depression do not realize what ails them and therefore do not seek treatment in the first place. This program examines in detail what depression is, its various symptoms, and the options available for coping with or even curing it. Featuring widely respected experts from the leading mental health organization SANE Australia, the video covers clinically recognized types of depression, what demographic groups are most at risk, specific signs and symptoms, and harmful myths that prevent patients from getting real help. A close look at depression in adolescence is also included. Viewable/printable educational materials are available online. (22 minutes)

“Having suffered from mental illness, I know how terrifying, bewildering, and isolating the experience can be,” says Hilary Dean. “Even after years of recovery, I continue my attempts to somehow process it.” Dean directs this eye-opening film while at the same time discussing her challenges candidly—with an agile, disarming sense of humor—before the camera. Using clever animation sequences to illustrate insights, Dean provides detailed descriptions of the hallucinations and disturbing life situations brought on by her delusional disorder. She also generously shares screen time with mental health professionals who provide expert commentary, and with other people who have learned to cope with mental illness. The result is a rich narrative that addresses the deeply entrenched cultural stigma as well as the inner fears and personal hurdles facing those who live with mental illness. Contains mature content. (51 minutes)