Nearly one in five adults in the United States lives with some form of mental illness (National Institute of Mental Health – NAMI). May – National Mental Health Awareness Month – is dedicated to providing the public with educational and support resources they can use to better understand mental illness, find support or seek help.  Buffalo Toronto Public Media understands that mental health is a key part of your day-to-day life and we want to take a deeper dive into mental health awareness and provide programs and resources. 

 Mental Health Month raises awareness of trauma and the impact it can have on the physical, emotional, and mental well-being of children, families, and communities.

Sunday, May 1

11pm Independent Lens | Aware: Glimpses of Consciousness 

Follow six brilliant researchers approaching consciousness from different perspectives. 

Saturday, May 7

3pm The Brain with David Eagleman | What Is Reality? 

Dr. David Eagleman explores how the brain conjures the beautiful world we all take for granted. 

4pm The Brain with David Eagleman | What Makes Me? 

Explore how we are our brains, how our personality and memories are encoded as neural activity. 

5pm The Brain with David Eagleman | Who Is In Control? 

Dr. Eagleman explores the unconscious brain and how it controls movements, decisions and behavior. 

Sunday, May 8

2pm Orchestrating Change 

The Me 2 Orchestra is a classical music organization created by and for people with mental illness. 

Monday, May 9 

12:30am Kids In Crisis: You're Not Alone 

Young people talk about their mental health journeys to encourage others who struggle to get help. 

1am Not Broken  

Explore the lives of seven young people who have mental illnesses, told in their own brave words.

2am Project: Shattered Silence 

An in-depth look at the remarkable real-life experiences of high-schoolers from the Tampa Bay area. 

3am American Masters | Oliver Sacks: His Own Life 

Dive into the life and work of the legendary neurologist and beloved author Oliver Sacks. 

9pm Mysteries of Mental Illness | Evil Or Illness? 

Examine ancient conceptions of mental illness and meet people living with mental illness today. 

10pm Mysteries of Mental Illness | Who's Normal? 

Trace the fight to develop mental illness standards rooted in empirical science rather than dogma. 

Saturday, May 14 

3pm The Brain with David Eagleman | How Do I Decide? 

Discover how the brain navigates the tens of thousands of conscious decisions we make every day. 

4pm The Brain with David Eagleman | Why Do I Need You? 

Neuroscientist David Eagleman reveals how the brain relies on other brains to thrive and survive. 

5pm Not Broken  

Explore the lives of seven young people who have mental illnesses, told in their own brave words.

Sunday, May 15

11pm Independent Lens |Bedlam 

ERs, jails and homeless camps are visited to examine the national health crisis of mental illness. 

Monday, May 16

12:30am Uncertainty: Why We're So Anxious About Anxiety 

Questions about anxiety are discussed in an effort to increase understanding of these disorders. 

1am Mysteries of Mental Illness | Evil Or Illness? 

Examine ancient conceptions of mental illness and meet people living with mental illness today. 

2am Mysteries of Mental Illness | Who's Normal? 

Trace the fight to develop mental illness standards rooted in empirical science rather than dogma. 

3am Mysteries of Mental Illness | Rise and Fall of the Asylum 

Follow the rise and fall of mental asylums in the United States and meet detainees in a facility. 

4am Mysteries of Mental Illness | The New Frontiers 

Look at today's most cutting-edge treatments, based on the latest understanding of mental illness. 

 Saturday, May 21

3pm Lives Well Lived  

Lives Well Lived celebrates the incredible wit and wisdom of people aged 75-100, who reveal their secrets for living a meaningful life.

4pm The Definition of Insanity 

A team of dedicated Miami-Dade County public servants work to help people with mental illness. 

5pm Medicating Normal  

This is the untold story of the very serious consequences that can occur when profit-driven medicine intersects with human beings in distress.

 Sunday, May 22 

5pm I Remember Better When I Paint 

Creative therapies such as drawing and music are being employed to treat Alzheimer's patients. 

11pm Independent Lens  | Cured 

LGBTQ+ activists fought a powerful psychiatry establishment that had things dangerously backwards. 

Monday, May 23 

9pm That Way Madness Lies.... 

A family attempts to navigate the broken mental health system in an effort to save their brother. 

10:30pm Breaking Loneliness 

This documentary focuses on people finding ways to escape loneliness and social isolation. 

Sunday, May 29

6pm Canada Files | Silken Laumann 

Silken Laumann is a former Olympic rowing champion, now a life coach and mental health advocate. 

Monday, May 30

12:30am Breaking Loneliness 

This documentary focuses on people finding ways to escape loneliness and social isolation. 

Ask the Mental Health Specialists

Stefanie Mills sits down with mental health specialists Larissa N. Niec Davila, Ph.D., and Sarah E. Domoff, Ph.D., on this episode of Ask the Specialist.

Breathe Yoga for Kids

Breathe Yoga for Kids is a yoga routines for children aimed to keep them calm and focused.

PBS NewsHour: How This Psychologist Suggests We Manage COVID-19 Fears

As cancellations, closures and medical concerns within the U.S. and across the globe suspend our daily routines, fear and anxiety also rise. It’s difficult to avoid worrying, but it can be helpful to understand when fear is actually counterproductive to wellbeing. Jeffrey Brown talks to David DeSteno, a psychology professor at Northeastern University who studies periods of stress and trauma.

The Art Assignment: Art Therapize Yourself

What is art therapy? How can you use aspects of it in your next art encounter? Explore these questions at the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art with art therapist Lauren Daugherty.