Living the Rollercoaster

Living the Roller-Coaster shares the experience of two women who were recently diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder while attending Stanford University. Through their voices and those of family and friends, the documentary describes mania and depression as well as common interpersonal ramifications. Because college students are at the most common age to become ill for the first time, the video aims to educate students and others about a condition that remains generally misunderstood despite its prevalence.

“It’s fun to be manic – it is a thrill, it is a roller-coaster, you are just so high and your thoughts are going so fast that your brain even feels different.” – Kimberley

“And when you’re depressed, you don’t have any options. One way I’ve described it is if you paint a self-portrait of your life and then take a big piece of paper and put it on top – it just blots out your life…But in a way the loss of yourself is even worse than the mental pain – people weren’t able to see who I was anymore.” – Jennifer