UNSTUCK: An OCD Kids Movie

What do you do when your brain is your enemy?
by
Kelly Anderson
Chris Baier (Producer)
2017
22 mins

Six kids with OCD share how they learned to face their fears, stop their rituals and regain control of their lives.

Presents a rich, moving and informative picture about this common problem. Several elements make this film stand out and rise above most other resources available for children with OCD and their families.
Eli R. Lebowitz
PhD, Journal of the Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Synopsis

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is often viewed as a minor annoyance, or worse, something useful. The fact is OCD is a serious mental health issue that traps millions of kids, teens and adults in a vicious cycle of worries and rituals. While families and loved ones are desperate to help them, fighting OCD takes time and specialized therapy.

To uncover what OCD is, and what it isn’t, filmmakers Kelly Anderson and Chris Baier focus on an unlikely group of experts: kids. UNSTUCK documents OCD through kids’ eyes only. It avoids sensationalizing compulsions and obsessions, and instead reveals the complexity of a disorder that affects both the brain and behavior. As these six resilient kids and teens roadmap their process of recovery, the film inspires viewers to believe it is possible to fight their worst fears and beat back OCD.

Produced by Chris Baier.

Subject Areas: Psychology, Psychiatry, Education, Special Education, Social Work, Occupational Therapy, Disability Studies, Narrative Medicine.

Special Offer:

Receive free access to UNSTUCK: Extra Help, a short 5-part video series, when you buy a Corporate or Educational DVD or the 3-year or 5-year streaming service. Unstuck: Extra Help helps young patients get comfortable talking about OCD and ease into treatment. Email UnstuckFilm@gmail.com for password if you have purchased the film.


Purchasing Options:

Our DVD package lets your organization, school or business use a single copy of UNSTUCK.

Individual therapists not part of a clinic or larger institution can purchase at DVD at the “Community Group” price. If you are an individual therapist (not in a group) who wants to purchase a streaming license please contact us for a discount.

Our institutional streaming options allow anyone in your organization, school or business to access UNSTUCK online. You will not be able to log in off-site.

Audio Description is available for streaming only.

Reviews
UNSTUCK is a must-see for any kids and families struggling with OCD. This concise video introduces several young people who eloquently describe their experiences with obsessions and compulsions, as well as their treatment using exposure and response prevention. The articulate accounts of treatment and its beneficial effects are accurate and sure to be illuminating; and this is my favorite part of the film.
Jonathan Abramowitz
PhD, Professor and Director, University of North Carolina OCD and Anxiety Program
Through their own words and artwork, these endearing multicultural children share what it's like to suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and family members talk about trying to understand and help. Young people and families facing similar issues will be comforted and educated by this enlightening program. Suggested as a resource for psychology and sociology students and to educate and inform youngsters dealing with similar issues.
Candace Smith
Booklist
Read more at: BooklistOnline.com
I have never seen a film so gracefully portray both the pain that OCD can cause children and their families and the courage these kids possess who learn to stand up to it. UNSTUCK is a beautiful and honest peek into the world of childhood OCD and it should be required viewing for anyone who treats this disorder.
Jon Hershfield
MFT, The OCD and Anxiety Center of Greater Baltimore & Author, When a Family Member Has OCD
UNSTUCK is an excellent and unique teaching tool as it portrays stories of actual children with OCD. It is a perfect supplement for Introduction to Psychology and Abnormal Psychology courses as it will bring to life content and enhance discussion. It is a must have for doctoral training programs in psychology.
Ariz Rojas
PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
The ideal teaching tool for my course on child mental health. Unstuck manages to fit the key messages that I want students to take away, in a manner that I know will resonate and stick with them through their future careers.
Karen A. Patte
PhD, Assistant Professor of Health Sciences, Brock University
I love the approach, the kids, the siblings, and the explanation of the therapy and the realness of everything in the film! I can't wait to share it with the mental health staff that I work with at BOCES.
Julie Lutz
PhD, Chief Operating Officer, Eastern Suffolk NY BOCES
UNSTUCK reframes the conversation about OCD and how to treat it. It's a great tool for educating pediatricians, clinicians and mental health professionals who might not know a lot about OCD.
Dorothy Grice
Chief, OCD and Related Disorders Program, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai
This film is moving, educational and inspiring. Its gives anyone insight into what it's really like to live with OCD.
Elizabeth McIngvale
PhD, Assistant Professor, Baylor University & Founder, Peace of Mind Foundation
The honesty with which UNSTUCK conveys these kids' point of view makes it so much more than a film *about* kids with OCD. It is a film that shows the expertise and insight of young people to be authors of their own experiences. It is a film that can help anyone understand what OCD is. It is a film that anyone living with OCD or a loved one with OCD can relate to and feel less alone.
The Secret Illness
The Secret Illness
UNSTUCK is a moving film that documents the profound struggles that children with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) endure. Through the experience and voices of affected children, the film educates the audience about OCD and highlights the remarkable power of therapy in promoting recovery and resilience.
Alexander Kolevzon
MD, Director, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Mt. Sinai Health System
Fabulous! This is the documentary I wish I'd had as a child with OCD, and the documentary I wish I could have shown those around me to help them understand.
Jenny Jaffe
Founder, Project UROK

Awards and Screenings
Keynote, International OCD Foundation Conference, 2017
Ashland Independent Film Festival, 2018
ReelAbilities Film Festival, 2018
Grand Jury Award, Believe Psychology Film Festival, 2020
Newport Beach Film Festival, 2018

Features and Languages

Film Features

  • Audio Description
  • Closed Captioning
  • Resources for Educators

Promotional Material

Promotional Stills

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