Title: Me and the Voice in My Head
Channel: Channel 4 (available via Channel 4 Player)
Year: 2024
Production Company: Hungry Bear Media
Format: Documentary
1. Why I Chose to Watch This
It seems that, at present, the only way to get a documentary about mental health commissioned by a TV channel is to attach a celebrity to it. I find this frustrating — the whole celebrity thing makes me less inclined to watch something, not more.
This documentary is another in that ilk, however the good news is comedian and actor, Joe Tracini is absolutely brilliant and has something genuinely important to say about Borderline Personality Disorder.
2. What It Sets Out to Do
Joe is brutally honest about his experience of life and the way he thinks about himself and others, helping to illuminate what it actually means to live with BPD.
This could easily have been a very dark and overwhelming watch, but Joe has a gift for comedy and highlighting the absurd. There are laughs and lighter moments even when he’s tackling incredibly tough topics, including suicidal thoughts.
3. Summary of Content
The documentary follows Joe over ten weeks as he tries to get his career back on track by preparing and performing a stand-up routine about his mental health. Alongside this, he speaks to a therapist to learn more about BPD, introduces us to his girlfriend and parents, and explores his childhood in search of clues as to why adulthood has been such a mental-health struggle for him.
4. Strengths
The standout moments for me were the scripted sections in which a man behind the camera interviews both Joe and his alter ego, Mick — the name he gives the voice in his head that says cruel things — together on a couch. It was interesting to hear Mick say so many of the things my daughter has said over the years. I thought that voice was unique to my daughter, but it seems not. And Joe’s performance, conveying the brutality of what it says with humour, is an incredible feat.
5. Limitations
Joe does visit a clinical psychologist who specialises in BPD to learn more about the condition, but overall the documentary focuses on his personal experience rather than exploring current research or the full range of available therapies.
6. Tone and Sensitivity
The tone of the programme is unlike most portrayals of mental health on television. It is frank, dark, irreverent, and surprisingly funny.
7. Personal Reflection
As the parent of a young adult with BPD, I found myself reflecting on my daughter’s childhood while watching Joe reflect on his own – painful to do, but it gave me new insights.
My daughter is the bravest person I know, and seeing Joe stand up to Mick showed just how brave people with BPD are. Choosing to keep going when you have a voice like Mick’s in your head is an act of great courage.
8. Who It’s For
The documentary is designed for a general audience, but will be especially meaningful to people with lived experience and their loved ones.
9. Standout Moment or Quote
“The more I talk about how f*d up I am, the less f*d up I feel — which is mental.”
10. Final Thoughts
I’m delighted that Me and the Voice in My Head won Best Documentary at the Grierson British Documentary Awards 2024. Joe and the team at Hungry Bear Media deserve recognition for creating such a brave, unique, and enlightening look at BPD.
You can find Joe on social media
