STATUS UPDATE:

We are seeking caregivers who want to share their story and mental health challenges. If you're interested, email us at caregiverdocumentary@gmail.com.

There is a very dark reality to being a caregiver for an individual with profound special needs.

We see uplifting, heartwarming stories about people with special needs, focused on hope and inspiration, but there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes. Many of their caregivers are struggling. They face tremendous pressure that is rarely relieved, and feel exhausted and isolated, with few who understand the realities of their situation.

The result is a mental health crisis among caregivers. It looks like depression, anxiety, insomnia, alcoholism, suicide, PTSD, and drug abuse. It takes the form of declining physical health and failing relationships. This unseen epidemic is affecting families in our neighborhoods, schools, and churches.

Caregivers don’t see their stories represented in media -- until something tragic happens. Even family and friends don’t fully understand the internal and external struggles they face.

Special needs caregivers know how to make it look like everything is under control. They know how to shield those around them from the chaos and unpredictably that define their lives. But for many special needs caregivers, the present is heavy and the future often looks dark. The Unseen documentary will bring caregivers and their stories into the light.