Shattering Stigmas - One Story at a Time

Rather than telling you, let me show you.  For those who have never physically experienced the symptoms of a certain psychiatric disorder, it can be hard to understand exactly what living with that condition is like.  It can also be just as hard to explain that reality with words. So, rather than attempt to get a difficult concept across verbally, I've decided to use videography to try to get the message across instead.  If you wish to see the video, please make sure you have your volume turned all the way up. Captions are provided at the very beginning, but after a certain time - due to the nature and complexity of the video itself - the captions will end. The intent of this video is to bring to life the symptoms of racing/speeding thoughts, confusion, paranoia, rapid speech, irritability/agitation, sleep loss, "zombie-ness", hallucinations and mania-induced psychosis.  Here is the simulation:

I had just dropped out of high school. I was on the brink of turning eighteen. A professional I was seeing at the time highly suggested I be sent to a "level 3 treatment facility". I was unaware, at the time, that a level 3 facility was actually just a group home for troubled kids. I agreed to go. I agreed because I thought that maybe it would help me. The idea sounded nice - this big, safe, medically structured building with nurses and doctors and counselors who would work with me and talk to me every day and cure me of the problems that I had.  I was young. I was only 17 - I can forgive myself for being so naive.  In my defense, though, how could anyone - how could even a grown adult - have known what I was stepping into when I walked up to that door? That plain brown door? That tiny house? See, it wasn't a big medical facility I was signing myself into. It wasn't a fancy nursing center or rehabilitation place or hospital or s...