Sacred Heart Reads – Bedlam
“Bedlam”, a documentary by Kenneth Rosenberg, sheds a light on what it’s like to be mentally ill in America. Inspired by his own family issues with mental illness, Rosenberg expertly weaves multiple stories of people and their families dealing with mental illness, as well as the history of the mental health system in the USA.
Rosenberg starts by depicting the inhumane “human warehouses”, also known as asylums and hospitals, and how in the 1970’s, these facilities were shut down in an effort to deinstitutionalize patients with mental illness. However, when the previous system was dismantled, nothing was put in place to replace that treatment. By being forced out of mental health institutions, patients entered a new institution: jail and homelessness. According to the documentary, there are roughly 350,000 people in the USA that are homeless and mentally ill. Even more shockingly, our largest mental health facilities are county jails.
With all the information Rosenberg offers, audiences can get overwhelmed, much like with any social justice issue. However, Rosenberg’s call to action for viewers starts with something simple: education and awareness. The way America views mental illness needs to change, in order for progress to begin. One quote from the film that particularly stood out to me was from Patrisse Cullours, who went on to co-found the Black Lives Matter movement: “Shame literally kills people, shame kills our possibilities of having something different.” Breaking the stigma of mental illness, particularly in Black and Brown communities, is a long road but it starts in our home. By having open discussions and dialogue about mental health with our friends and family, we can begin to heal the trauma brought on by the mental health system. It is imperative for our community to come together and ensure that San Jose is a safe city for all its residents.