Ensan Films has produced a short documentary film titled Beyond Depression to raise awareness about depression, the disorder that has affected more than 300 million people worldwide according to the World Health Organization.
The producers of the film Ahmed Abass, Mohamed Fahmy and director Mohamed Jameel follow and document the life of a depressed man and an Egyptian artist who has spent years fighting the illness until he overcame his depression.
The filmmakers interviewed a number of doctors, practitioners, and therapists at Dar El Mokatam for Mental Health Hospital and Roaya Consulting and Development including renowned experts such as Dr. Mohamed Al Rakhawi.
"Get Depressed!" Mr. Al Rakhawi said during the interview in the film.
His subliminal advice was a message to the depressed patient as he described the disease as "part of the life-cycle."
Mr. Al Rakhawi stressed on the importance of turning the depression into a positive experience that could leave the patient much stronger after overcoming the disorder.
The film highlights the importance of the family's role in supporting and helping the patient. It also puts a focus on how important it is for patients to visit psychiatrists and avoid depending only on medicine during the path to recovery.
Mr. Karim Youssef, the director of Roaya Consulting and Development, explained the dangers of "isolation" which is considered a leading cause of depression.
He explained why it is so important for the depressed patient to have the ability to speak openly with specialists---a service provided by the professionals at Roaya who have opened their doors even to those who have little or no money.
Mr. Youssef also added that depression is an infectious disease and that he learned throughout his work in Egypt that one out of four people suffers from depression. These numbers are highly increasing according to Mr. Youssef.
On the other hand, Mr. Hany Hassan, a leading therapist and specialist in family relations at Roaya Consulting and Development added: "We must deal with the problem and not deny it, and the whole family should ask for help. There is no shame in visiting the psychiatrist."
According to a recent study by the World Health Organization, 75 percent of those suffering of depression in developing countries such as Egypt do not receive proper treatment.
Ensan Films has partnered with Roaya Consulting and Development to financially support a patient suffering of depression for a period of three months.
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