No Letting Go

I am reviewing from the perspective of someone who was a child with chronic anxiety and bouts of depression. I do not have bipolar disorder, but I am what is considered "Neurodivergent" with adult ADHD and Autism. This hit home for me watching the parents turn their nose up at special education and treatment and trying to force "normalcy". I grew up with a family who didn't believe in any of this and didn't want to be viewed as having a "disabled child" so ignored all the signs and labeled me a "bad kid with behavioral problems". I had a really rough life as a result and at age 40 am finally getting the support I need. Although I feel the child was misdiagnosed in the film and treatment outdated, I do appreciate how the film turned out and hope it teaches parents to let go of their misguided views and stop stigmatizing treatment for those with neurological differences who have trouble fitting into a one-size-fits-all world.

This film is an honest, gripping portrayal of what it's like to learn that your child has mental illness. As the parents struggle to come to grips with their family's new reality, they face increasing social ostracism from their friends and neighbors. The soccer game scene seemed to be pulled right from my own life. And the siblings' frustration is completely understandable.

Mental illness affects the whole family. Far too many families suffer in shame and silence. Yet "No Letting Go" also offers real hope. With treatment, children can survive and even thrive. I am so grateful for this film--my biggest fear is that the people who need to see it most (those who are not living with this and who continue to blame parents for their children's brain disease) will not see the film.

This film does a tremendous job showing what raising a child with mental illness really is like. It is a film I recommend to ALL families and its hopeful message needs to be shared by everyone. It is based on a true story, but anyone can identify with some role in the film, whether it is the child, the parents, the siblings, the therapists, the friends, the doctors, the teachers or the neighbors. Since 50 percent of all lifetime cases of mental illness appears before the age of 14, not enough is being done to identify, diagnose and help these children and their families. I love when actress Kathy Najimy (as the therapist) says, "Y'all can"t do this alone, it is a family effort". Hopefully the film can help open the door to early intervention, so that mental health becomes regarded as important as physical health! All the actor performances were incredibly realistic, and a special mention to Cheryl Allison as the mom, Noah Silverman as Timothy 14 and David Schallipp as Timothy at 10.

I thought this film as a powerful story of the struggle many people go through with having a family member suffer from Mental Illness. They are people we see every day. I am so happy to see it's success as this subject can never get enough attention. There is still stigma and not enough services and change is needed. The acting was so well done I thought I was watching like a fly on the wall their struggles. Seeing the recovery of this young man was very hopeful as there are enough stories that don't end as well. The reason I believe is again due to stigma and lack of properly funded services. When will we see that Mental Illness are Addiction need to be properly funded and quality professionals need to be appropriately compensated for the hard and often heartbreaking work they do??

No Letting Go is an amazing film based on a true story. It follows the struggles of a family dealing with a young son who is struggling with mental illness. It's a film that must be seen. Too often movies about mental illness do not represent the majority of people who have loved ones suffering from any type of mental disorder. "Hollywood" sensationalizes the storyline. No Letting Go gives a voice to the thousands of families who are struggling daily with a loved one with mental illness. The cast is outstanding, the directing and production value are far above what we sometimes associate with indie films. I saw a screening of the film in NYC and can honestly say there was not a dry eye in the theater. It's a dramatic, powerful story but it's also an uplifting one that will hopefully help stop the stigma that surrounds mental illness. Look for this film on TV, Cable VOD etc! You will NOT want to miss it!